Drive 70 miles for 1 lawn?!!

[bob]

The chain restaurant that I cut got a new manager. The landscaper at his old restaurant wants to follow the manager to his new location. It's 70 miles out of his way! As a matter of fact while I was mulching there today, the manager's old landscaper was there ripping out a bunch of shrubs. Is this guy crazy or what. He has no other lawns in the area.

[KirbysLawn]

One word.......http://unionturf.com/hehehmn.gifIDIOT!

Hope it pays well!

[Edited by KirbysLawn on 03-29-2001 at 08:05 PM]

[kutnkru]

I dont know why the current manager would allow his former contractor to work at your site. Isnt this a conflict of interest for you?? Let alone the fact that this guy has to be out of his mind to travel all that distance for one account.

Just my .02
Kris

[Freetime]

I don’t know why companies do this but we see it all the time coming from places 70/100 miles away just to cut 3 properties and then have to wait on the money 30/60/90 days. If a property is 20 minutes away out of the city I think about it before we go and make sure we get paid what it is worth. Going on a forty minute round trip to do ten minutes cutting does not make sense with the best calculator. I would rather have the golden egg than the 90 day old rotten one’s. Maybe someone can come up with a good answer about the traveling for so little?

[joshua]

the longest i travel is 20 mins, for 3 stops but the price is $135 and takes about 2.5 hours with driving, about 3 acres total in cutting, but we maintain all the landscape as well, and are targeting that area for new growth this up coming season, alot of real rich people in the devoplement so it will be worth it in a year or 2 when we have 6 or 7 accounts in that area.

oh yea that guy is a fool. at best it would take him 1.5 hours to get to that job if its all freeway or open high way.

[GroundKprs]

Many large businesses, with properties scattered around a state or region, will look to have one provider service all their properties. They have a good working relationship with the provider, and know that they will pay a premium price for all the travel. Don't laugh about travel time; I don't mind being paid the same hourly rate to drive as to mow.

The positive for the customer is that they have consistent service - all properties have good appearance; no hassles with a dozen different contractors, with different ideas about quality. Another plus for the client is consistency in billing - no need to audit constantly to see who is trying to rip off the big guy with fictitious billings.

But in bob's case, it sounds like the new manager and the contractor from the old site have some special relationship. No matter what the relationship - personal, economic, combination, other? - this is a losing situation for bob, unless he has a signed contract for the property. While not a foolproof safeguard, it would make the new manager think more closely about who will provide the service at this property now.

[dmk395]

Some of you are saying he is a fool, but maybe he takes in alot from this account.

[bob]

I'm charging $65 per cut for this account. His price can't be that far off from mine. 3 hours of travel time and 1 hour of work equals $16 per hour.

[cantoo]

Maybe it's only one job now and maybe he's looking at your area as a new market. I think it's time to talk to the new manager before he has your job.

[cajuncutter]

No way I would make that drive. I think I would head for the lake rather than drive 70 miles to make 60 bucks!!! At $0.33 per mile in vehicle expense for 140 miles comes to a grand total of $46.20. After several trips that is a lot of wear and tear. Like I said I opp to fish!!!

[Ground Pounder]

That would not be worth the drive. For the time it takes to travel out and back, you could do local jobs and make the same.

[turfguy]

no way would i drive that far just to knock out one account.
must be real hard up for work.