gotta be done on a friday

[LJ lawn]

how do any of you deal with customers who demand or get upset if you can't do their lawn on a friday? i have a couple people who just don't understand that sometimes my schedule doesn't or the weather doesn't allow me to cut on fridays. they even snivel if i get there on thursday evening! i tried to explain that the lawn isn't going to grow much at all overnight.these people always pay on time and it's an easy cut so i would hate to lose them over an argument about this. any suggestions?thanx.

[thelawnguy]

"these people always pay on time and it's an easy cut so i would hate to lose them over an argument about this."

Its lose this one or some other customer who will have to be bumped to make room.

I say, keep cutting when you have been, let the gripe go in one side of your head and out the other, they will probably stay on another month or two at least, if they cut loose so be it, another whiner thrown to the scrubs.

[cajuncutter]

I agree. For the last couple of years since I got the shortcut, which knocked the yards out faster, I stoped mowing on fridays all together. I explain to customers to make it fair I simply do not mow on friday. Most respect that. I tell them if I mow them on friday then everyone else has to be mowed on friday and my schedule doesn't permit this. I tell them also that I leave friday open for extra work and incase there is a wash out from rain, fridays are for catch up. Try this approach. Hope it helps.

[jasonp]

Bid on more commercial jobs and dont worry about it. The more commercial the less residential you have to have is the way I look at it.

[Premo Services]

I also have moved all mowing from fridays to thursdays,and suprisingly no one has said anything to me,almost like they didn`t notice. Sometimes it is dine on friday,because of rain. Last year I had someone ask for a bid in an area that I am at on mondays,and he said monday is definetly not the pick day of the week huh? I told him that if he wanted me to drive back there on friday the charge would be 20.00 higher. He called me this year and said to do it on monday or tuesday. It will be done on mondays.

[LoneStarLawn]

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=11617
http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=11623

Here are two links where this has been discussed...

[bob]

Originally posted by jasonp
Bid on more commercial jobs and dont worry about it. The more commercial the less residential you have to have is the way I look at it.
This is why I have 75% commercial accounts. If you customer gives you the evil eye for showing up Thursday evening, chances are they will cry about every other job that you do for them. (hedges, fert.)

[Freetime]

We do not specify a day Wednesday through Saturday is what residential customers usually want and we try to meet requests with low end getting early week and high gloss reserved for later in the week. Weather and work load are factors in scheduling to any certain day our customers know this from the get go and do not mind. When a good customer that pays on time does not whine about every little thing, requests Thursday/ Friday cut we try to fill the request. Good customers are gold and whiners are a dime a dozen if your people requesting Thursday/Friday are good to you be good to them.

[jasonp]

I guess they just want it looking its best for the weekend so they can enjoy it i guess. It also could be they want the neighborhood looking good and you know most people cut on the weekends when they have the extra time.

[yardsmith]

I tell people I can't possibly mow everyone on Friday; it goes by seniority- they love that.
Nowadays I tell people Friday is reserved for commercial work only. I also tell them I route my customers according to geographic location; that way I can be efficient & keep my costs down. If they insist on Friday, then tell them it'll be extra to bring your equip. all the way across town.
Bottom line-it's your biz, not theirs.If they want to take on some of your bills, then they can have special treatment.
Period.

[Twotoros]

Make friday overtime day. Tell them it is your busy day and if they want it it is double or what ever.

[jimsmowin]

I TELL THEM FRIDAY IS CATCH-UP DAY.

[DMC300]

Just tell them you'll do your best to get to them as close to fri. as possible,and then keep on doing it the way you have been.
I Like the seniority thing too!

[joshua]

personly i cut all my residentails every 5 or 6 days in the spring, because they need it, but if they want me to wait an extra day and charge them more i will but they say your the man do what you think is best, and cut it when you think its ready not matter what the day is. man i love my customers!

[kutnkru]

We have cancelled Fridays for mowing contracts. We guarantee that all accounts will be cut by Thursday evening.

Friday and Saturdays are now going to be for mowing out of the area. We landed a huge contract for the season that has paid for the privelage of these days.

We lost probably 2% of our other cusrtomers because they insisted on the Friday cuts. We run our organization, not our clients.

We are always happy to assist them any way possible, but will not be dictated to or demanded to perform in any manner.

Kris

[eslawns]

I don't let people demand anything of me. If there's room, I'll do it on Fri, but usually there isn't.

I've set up my routes in 2 blocks. I print a list on Mon AM for Mon/Tue. If there's rain, I use Wed for a catch up day. Otherwise, it's for fertilizing, spraying, pruning, mulching, quotes, or FISHING. The other list gets done for Thu/Fri. Saturday then becomes my catch up day. This has simplified my paperwork a lot.

[TJLC]

I havn't had any regular customers request any certain day for mowing, yet. I have had one time mow requests for fridays because they were having a weekend party. I do have one customer who only wants his lawn mowed twice a month and no more. This can be a problem in the rainy months. I need to talk to him about a possible price increase. I probally need to raise all my customers a little. I wonder if it's ok to raise prices in midstream or should I wait till next year. (Sorry, a little off subject)

[turfsurfer]

I have always told people the grass will be cut when it needs cut. In the spring sometimes I cut yards every 4-5 days. I will not do double the work for the same money by stretching it out to 7 days so a specific day can be chosen. Conversely this philosophy works in the customers favor during the dry season because I don't cut the grass until it needs cut. I have lost only one customer in 8 years over this issue and good riddance. Treat your customers fairly and they won't complain about 5-7 cuts a month during a wet spring because they know it'll average out during the course of the season.

[summitgroundskeeping]

The only time I don't mind is if that family is having an open house or party and need it done for that reason. That's the only time I let them tell me when to mow it.

[Craig Turf Management]

I don't have any accounts that specifically request friday service. I do mow a church on friday, but otherwise leave friday open for make-up work, or special projects.
Bill Craig