Yippee!!! :D

[mark123]

I got a call from the sister of one of my customers. The customer is recovering from surgery so her nephew is moving in with her to assist in daily activities. I've nothing but pity for the guy. Anyway, the call said that the nephew is going to take over my mowing duties. I dropper her niece before the season started this year and now I'm done with the entire miserable family! I'm going to treat myself to a nice lunch at my favorite restaruant! I think I was dropped because I raised the price $1 per cut and have the gall to charge tax for my service. Who cares why, I'm FREE!!!!

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Boughter's Lawn Care Services Mowing and Fertilizing in New Castle, PA

[Hedgemaster]

Lawn care business tips

Congrats. I lost one this year that was a PITA. He's "going to do it himself this year." 2 weeks ago I got a voicemail from him asking to give him a call. Rather than call, I stopped by 2 days later when I was mowing the other properties on the street. "Oh, you do this street on Wednesday this now? you were here on Monday last year." Long story short, on Monday he didn't feel like mowing and wanted me to cut it. Ummm... no thanks. I'm done with you.

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster

Congrats.

I lost one this year that was a PITA. He's "going to do it himself this year."

2 weeks ago I got a voicemail from him asking to give him a call. Rather than call, I stopped by 2 days later when I was mowing the other properties on the street.
"Oh, you do this street on Wednesday this now? you were here on Monday last year."
Long story short, on Monday he didn't feel like mowing and wanted me to cut it.

Ummm... no thanks. I'm done with you.

LOL. Ya I have got this one client who didn't take me this year because instead of 70, I'm charging her 74 this year.

Well, her lawn is up to her neck and her lawn mower is now broken (says her friend who borrowed it for the day).

I maintain lawns, I don't cut down forests - if she asks for service, she's going to have to hire someone else.

-

I've also got a client who hired me a week late in the season, she wants a discount. I said "No". Her lawn was high as hell.

[stevef1201]

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster

Congrats.

I lost one this year that was a PITA. He's "going to do it himself this year."

2 weeks ago I got a voicemail from him asking to give him a call. Rather than call, I stopped by 2 days later when I was mowing the other properties on the street.
"Oh, you do this street on Wednesday this now? you were here on Monday last year."
Long story short, on Monday he didn't feel like mowing and wanted me to cut it.

Ummm... no thanks. I'm done with you.

I got one of those this year, the yard was a dust bowl, easier done with a weedeater than a mower. Long story short, he quit, then called back I had to tell him sorry, my schedule was filled and I could not possibly squeeze him in. ( I still hae room for about 5 to 10 more yard) Yes I lied get over it

[stevef1201]

Overgrown Yards I love 'em. 4 inch cut to 3 inch is standard, I add 20 percent for each inch or part there of over 4 inchs. One woman last year called, 1/2 acre to cut. It takes me about 25 minutes to maintain this size yard weekly at 30 bucks a cut, this one was 75. It was 10 to 12 inches. She paid and said after that whe was very surprised at how good it looked. Took about a hour, cut it 3 times and brought it down to 2 1/2 inches. BTW do it weekly now

[Steve]

I got a call from the sister of one of my customers. The customer is recovering from surgery so her nephew is moving in with her to assist in daily activities. I've nothing but pity for the guy.

Was this one of your earlier customers? Could you feel this customer was going to be a pain when you first started or did they work their way up to becoming a pain?

[mark123]

Originally Posted by Steve

Was this one of your earlier customers?

Yes, one of my first.

Originally Posted by Steve

Could you feel this customer was going to be a pain when you first started or did they work their way up to becoming a pain?

Right from the start. She asked for a "senior discount" and then refused to pay tax from day one.

[Steve]

Isn't that interesting! So I am guessing from here on if you get a new potential customer that asks such things, you simply say no thanks or what?

[lxarth]

I just lost a customer because I didn't show up on Memorial Day. I'm sorry, say that again? You're firing me because I didn't show up for a National Holiday to pay respect to our fallen soldiers? Ah...I understand now.

Okay, so I didn't send out an email or call. But I assumed that that they would figure out WHY I'm not working that day.

What gets me most is that I've done her lawn for 25 months now. And any other time that I show up on a big holiday she is surprised and even say things like "I didn't think you would be working today".

As far as those customer go that haggle, I don't haggle anymore. I had one guy ask me to lower my bid the equivalent of .07%, and I said no. I know my costs, I know what my time is worth (which is still low-balling the large companies by 25%.

That's not to say I NEVER lower my price. This same guy who wanted to haggle was talking about maintenance...I did end up lowering his cleanup/bark instal price from $330 to $315 (I "upgraded" him to hemlock and paid for it).

I actually might call that guy back and see if he wants to sign up for the price he asked for. It's in the area I want to be in, and it's not that bad of a price he asked for, lol.