lost account

[1stclasslawns]

Well I think I am loosing an account. A 5 acre apartment complex 24 units in 8 buildings, on 5 acres 20 min away.

It took me 6 man hours with a 61 " Great Dane, I got 225.00.

The scrubs bid it at 135.00, their loss if you get my drift.

Jim

[skyphoto]

Hey naturalawn,

Did you have to have proof of insurance to do the job? I know on ALL my commercial accounts I have to show proof of insurance.Do those guys have Ins. that got the job? Or do ya not know...

[brandy]

Wow those guys aren't making a dime!!!

[kutnkru]

If we would have bid that as an easy mowing account it would have been for $140 for the mowing. of course them there is the fees for trimming and blowing, etc.

Dont worry about it. If these guys follow suit and get it and then are on their way out of business by summers end, you can then raise the price and get what you wanted to get originally.:)

Good Luck this season!
Kris

[GREG R]

This has happened to us.
Make sure you stay in contact
with them and leave them on good
terms because when this other company
can not perform, they will remember you
and you will get the first call.
Say something like "hope we can do business
in the furture"
Let them know there are no hard feeling
remember they are looking after thier bottom line
just as you do in your business.

[AVRECON]

If it takes them as long as it takes you to do it then they will be making a whopping $25 bucks an hr. Bet they forgot about that 1099 at the end of the year. This is the s#$t I have to deal with everytime I bid on a job. Too many Dumb a$$e$ out there doing this kind of work.

[LJ lawn]

unfortunately this will be a hot topic and a continuous trend for years to come.we have a couple very large landscape maintenance co.'s here locally who only do only commercial work. they both have probably at least 100 or so guys working 30+ trucks on the road 6 days a week.the reason for so much work? volume.give the cheap price and make it up in mass volume of work.and yes,they're making money. but on the other hand i just bought some really nice unused equipment from another guy last week who got out of the biz because he couldn't compete with the low prices .he did some of the biggest retirement complexes in the state (new jersey).he was doing each property for about $12-15 each,then the mexicans came in with a $3-5 dollar bid for each unit.so on top of the scabs and the regular legit lawn guys who do cheap volume work we now have a heavy influx of immigrants who we now have to compete with.so everyone out there be glad you get (for now)what you charge for your hard work,because you just never know,someday your locality might just turn out to be like it is here and you may lose that account to someone who will just do it cheaper.my 2 cents.

[Paradise Yard Service]

Wow LJ sounds like the Costco of lawn care has hit town! So much for personalized attention and conscientious workmanship. I'd stick w residentials in this scenario.

Aloha, P.Y.S.

[Greenkeepers]

Some come and some go, hopefully more coming than going!!! With the economy slowing, a lot of people are trying to make an extra buck by "cutting grass"....

[Michael Fronczak]

Just found out yesterday that I didnt get two sites(worth about $ 75,000), one was worth $ 50,000. I got under bid, I even had the rough numbers to be from management co. A national co is bidding everything very low, I worked there a couple years ago, I just talked to a guy I used to work with, seems they had a problem with their new billing soft ware & lost 1/3 their accounts last year. Talked to a property mgr at another co, said they didn't bill her for a year, then last year billed her every week, she hates them now, does everything possible to avoid using them.I guess there trying to make it up. They have a huge contract to provide the labor at areas largest manufacctuing place, got it last fall, he said it's their losing money left & right. Good serves them right. This mgnt co always goes with low bid, I deal with them often, last season picked up one account from them in June(kicked out low bidder) & did add on work at the $ 50,000 place, they really wanted to kick out contractor, but site was to large & wasn't bid out last year(2 year contract). It happens I'm hoping they fall flat on their faces, these are fussy clients, & I know the co quality of work isn't up to starndards even that they had last year, combined with they still have a help wanted add out-they'll be understaffed. Somtimes I love this bus., I'll be ready to take them on if I get the call.