Discouraging

[cwlawley]

It has been a discouraging start to the year for me. I have given about 40 estimates this week and everytime I give one, I get turned away or talked down too low.

Here is the situation. I started with a $30.00 minimum to cut. However, the lowballers around here have pushed minimums down to $25.00. Fine...I dropped my minimum. Now, everytime I go out and take it up the azz for $25.00 they want it cheaper.

Now if this happened once or twice, I can get over it. BUT, this happened EVERY SINGLE ESTIMATE I went on today. Most I stood firm on my price, but the more I lose the more thinking I find myself doing. Yes, I want good work, work that will bring in money, but I can't lose every single estimate I do.

Oh well...just wanted to vent.

[ALarsh]

Have you tried targeting the higher end residentails?

[topsites]

It gets better with time, it really does.

[jc1]

The low priced guys will be busy, keep your ads going because once the warm weather hits they won't be as motivated to work for there low price. Your phone will start ringing and people will be more receptive to paying more for a reliable service. Every year is the same the paper filled with ads this week several have in bold type " Lowest prices in yourhometown" or "Guaranteed lowest prices" what is good is that they suck up all the cheapskates

[westwind]

Stick in there! You don't want a customer that wants the cheapest rate anyway. That customer will get bids every year. Stick to your guns!:gunsfirin

[ArkansasLawns]

Its still early in the season. I've got a few calls but for the most part it all been window shopping. When its past time for the first cut they will start saying yes.

[29 Palms Property Management]

It's still early yet. You'll be fine. Get in the upper echelon homes and do some selling. If they care at all about their property, they won't hire mow & go outfits. All of these cheap bastard jack-holes won't hang too long. When they start pissing people off, then the residents will be calling a more reliable and dependable operation. Just make sure these residents you are targeting are getting business cards and your advertisement. Tell them to hang on to them in case you can be of help to them in the future.

[CAG]

it could be your selling techniques..when you tell them or they ask why there lawn has a problem, why a shrub died, what the name of that shrub is, why the side walk has a sag in it,what does lime do for a lawn, and you have all the correct answers thats when a customer will forget about the price and give you the job..don't try to sell on the price..give them the price and then change the subject.. when you are talking to them talk like you already have the job.. it is important to know everything about what you are selling or you you will have to be like the others and just sell the point that you are the cheapest..

[HOOLIE]

By and large, people who request mowing estimates before the grass has started growing are usually price shopping. Almost never do they sign up on the spot. So you'll probably get some signing up over the next few weeks.

Once the grass is growing full-tilts, half the LCO's in your area won't return phone calls at all, and you will have leverage with prospective clients.

[down size]

I always get a ton of calls once the grass starts growing and have to turn away 3/4 of them. I usualy try to give them to a couple of new guys in my area. IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME.

[QualityLawnCare4u]

Stick in there! You don't want a customer that wants the cheapest rate anyway. That customer will get bids every year. Stick to your guns!:gunsfirin

I agree with westwind on this one. My area is as bad as it gets but I will not back down from my minimum of 35 if I have to go out of biz. Every year we get hit with the lowballers about this time and every year they will drop like flies by May when their Lowes junk fails. I dont want clients like this anyway that are only looking for cheap work, they dont need me.

[DFW Area Landscaper]

I feel your pain! A lady that lives like 8 houses down the street from me called for a price the other day. She knows I live on her street because shes noticed our crews checking in.

I quote her $25, which was the going rate for an average lawn in our area once upon a time. At the end of the call, I got the dreaded "Let me think about it." God how I hate that phrase. Sure enough, a day later I drive by her house and it's been cut.

She obviously had no problem finding someone to cut the lawn for less than $25. I assume she would have hired me if the prices were all the same. I am certain some jack-azz is mowing her lawn for $20.

This industry is pathetic. Why can't we come together and stop cutting our own throats?

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

[drsogr]

This is why I hate lawn care. I stopped running a lawn care business before I even started. You have no leverage. What can you offer that no one else can? You might be a little better at mowing....but does the customer care? They figure if they can save 5 dollars a week they are ahead. Find a niche in the market....and go that way. Anyone can and will mow yards.

[daveintoledo]

it is early, and as mentioned , the price shoppers show up the same time as the lowballers....

i only got 4 accounts last year in march , by may they started calling, bad service, not showing up.... eventually you will get clients who appreciate your customer service, and will stick with you, and refer you to the friends, family , and neighbors.... give it some time....:)

[hotpan]

Have you tried targeting the higher end residentails?

i agree 100% with alarsh. i am starting this business being inspired by a guy who i graduated highschool with and is now making 80-90K / year. He told me he only targeted areas where houses were atleast worth $200K. Rich folks CARE about their lawn and they HAVE the money to pay Xtra for quality plus they are the ones that dont rip you off. Also, when you go to these properties for estimates, make sure you are dressed your best because you represent your business and the quality of your work and they pick up on those things!

[cwlawley]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I have been targeting upper-end and mid-end residentials...but like a lot of you said, it is still very early. I will keep that in mind throughout the season, and I think I am going to reinstate my minimum charge.

Thanks again.

[Shawns Lawns]

I in no way promote the following statement, To bad you could not just give them what they want. Meaning if they want a $10-15 cut and it would be a $25-30 for you to do it, make a couple passes with you equipment and there they go done for $15. Of course you do not want that type of advertising and that would be no way to promote your business. With that said i would love to see the look on a pita's face when you agreed to their $15 and they paid you in advance and you made a few passes with you ZTR then loaded up. I can assure you they will then come out and ask why you did not finish then you could tell them that you only did $15 worth of cutting since that was all they wanted to pay.:waving:

[Freddy_Kruger]

it is early, and as mentioned , the price shoppers show up the same time as the lowballers....

i only got 4 accounts last year in march , by may they started calling, bad service, not showing up.... eventually you will get clients who appreciate your customer service, and will stick with you, and refer you to the friends, family , and neighbors.... give it some time....:)
This makes sense to me and since I'm not in the yellow pages in lawn care I am gonig to hold off delivering my flyers I only want serious enquiries.

[Freddy_Kruger]

I in no way promote the following statement, To bad you could not just give them what they want. Meaning if they want a $10-15 cut and it would be a $25-30 for you to do it, make a couple passes with you equipment and there they go done for $15. Of course you do not want that type of advertising and that would be no way to promote your business. With that said i would love to see the look on a pita's face when you agreed to their $15 and they paid you in advance and you made a few passes with you ZTR then loaded up. I can assure you they will then come out and ask why you did not finish then you could tell them that you only did $15 worth of cutting since that was all they wanted to pay.:waving:
I in no way endorse the following statement (and I would never do it) leave your equipment on and take the 15 bucks and go get a hair cut. Now that your respectable looking you can go back and see if they will now pay you to cut their lawn.:laugh:

[Idealtim]

Kinda off topic, but the door-hangers are a very effective marketing device. Dont let anyone tell you different for residentials. Just make sure they are correct, look proffesional and mabey have a estamate in them.Just my two cents.

[nocutting]

It has been a discouraging start to the year for me. I have given about 40 estimates this week and everytime I give one, I get turned away or talked down too low.

Here is the situation. I started with a $30.00 minimum to cut. However, the lowballers around here have pushed minimums down to $25.00. Fine...I dropped my minimum. Now, everytime I go out and take it up the azz for $25.00 they want it cheaper.

Now if this happened once or twice, I can get over it. BUT, this happened EVERY SINGLE ESTIMATE I went on today. Most I stood firm on my price, but the more I lose the more thinking I find myself doing. Yes, I want good work, work that will bring in money, but I can't lose every single estimate I do.

Oh well...just wanted to vent.
Could you pre-qualify on the phone alittle better?........if they want a clean-up and mowing [ 1st on your list]......trim/shape & mowing....[2nd on your list] and so on......Frankly if they arent takeing a Lawn Care fert Pkg or a Landscape Maintance pkg, I'd just end the phone call right there!!!!!!:usflag:

[davidg]

im thinking about printing up some business cards that i can give to the cheapies and say here, call this guy CRACKHEAD LAWN CARE - i'll mow your lawn and steal all your $hit for $5.00.

[Randy Scott]

This industry is pathetic. Why can't we come together and stop cutting our own throats?

Because it takes less than an ounce of brain to be a lawn cutter. Therefore you will NEVER be rid of the problem.

[westwind]

Because it takes less than an ounce of brain to be a lawn cutter. Therefore you will NEVER be rid of the problem.

Could not have said it better myself!!!! Only the strong will prevail however.:weightlifter:

[MudslinginFX4]

Cwlawley,

We have a set minimum of $35 and never have a problem getting it. Stick to your grounds and don't budge. Walk away with your price and they will call you back. I have about 10 of those $35 yards side by side in one neighoborhood that take less then 1 hour for all the yards combined, they still pay $35 though. I don't give breaks anymore on price, it is a very competitive market, but if your work is good the word will get around. Most of my estimates and quotes even say non negotiable.

[The landscaper]

Are you trying to selll quality service or just giving your price. Try really selling better quality and letting customers no why they are paying more for you than lowballers who wont be there in a couple months.

[Shawns Lawns]

I in no way endorse the following statement (and I would never do it) leave your equipment on and take the 15 bucks and go get a hair cut. Now that your respectable looking you can go back and see if they will now pay you to cut their lawn.:laugh:

Very Judgmental statement:dizzy: Sorry i did not realize i accepted you to view me on your web-cam. You should have noticed i already have short hair, i will not hold it against you that you cannot see that, nor will i degrade you. :waving:

[chriscraft]

if i could get $30 for each of my residential lawns id be wealthy by now. our minimum is $20.00 and we have several kids (non legits doing them for 12-15) Our avg is around $23 and im north of detroit but our lots are all 1/5th to 1/4 acre on avg

[ICE]

I ran into the same thing up here in NY, which is mainly why I gave this all up too. I tried to give it a go in my area, but my little community is just too small and could not support me. I would have tried going to a different area, but it is like 20-30 miles and I just know that I would only start out with a yard or two to start and then it would grow from there. I guess I was just unwilling to have to wait that long to grow my business, which is why I am out.

Check out my auctions!

http://cgi.ebay.com/LANDSCAPE-MOWING...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-QUICK-CU...QQcmdZViewItem

Best regards,
Tim

[hackitdown]

Don't be discouraged. Here's what I learned to do. I always tell the customer that I cost more than the other guy because of the following reasons: I carry insurance, I have all nice new equipment that does the best job, I am always on the job...no crack-heads or ex-cons will show up to work in their yard.

I tell them this with a nice smile on my face, wearing clean clothes, shaved and with a haircut. The customer starts thinking back and remembering all the other guys, and starts thinking that maybe an extra couple of bucks is worth it. And I always act like I have tons of work and that they are fortunate that I have a spot left for them on my schedule.

[Freddy_Kruger]

Don't be discouraged. Here's what I learned to do. I always tell the customer that I cost more than the other guy because of the following reasons: I carry insurance, I have all nice new equipment that does the best job, I am always on the job...no crack-heads or ex-cons will show up to work in their yard.

I tell them this with a nice smile on my face, wearing clean clothes, shaved and with a haircut. The customer starts thinking back and remembering all the other guys, and starts thinking that maybe an extra couple of bucks is worth it. And I always act like I have tons of work and that they are fortunate that I have a spot left for them on my schedule.
I like that, that would do it for me. Yer Hired!

[J&R Landscaping]

Don't be discouraged. Here's what I learned to do. I always tell the customer that I cost more than the other guy because of the following reasons: I carry insurance, I have all nice new equipment that does the best job, I am always on the job...no crack-heads or ex-cons will show up to work in their yard.

I tell them this with a nice smile on my face, wearing clean clothes, shaved and with a haircut. The customer starts thinking back and remembering all the other guys, and starts thinking that maybe an extra couple of bucks is worth it. And I always act like I have tons of work and that they are fortunate that I have a spot left for them on my schedule.

I would think that it would be better to act like that customer is your only one, be dedicated to that customer. I remember reading that or something like that in one of the posts on here. JMO

[sbc1971]

Are you trying to selll quality service or just giving your price. Try really selling better quality and letting customers no why they are paying more for you than lowballers who wont be there in a couple months.

Right!Build in VAULE! "Sell the sizzle not the steak"

[Brendan Smith]

when i started, i worked for whatever i could get for the most part. as business grew, i began giving higher estimates and weeding out pita's and low paying yards. now that i have plenty of work, all of my estimates are high for the most part. as business has grown, so have expenses. when i began, all i had to buy was a good trimmer so overhead was low. as i have grown, have had to upgrade equipment and raised estimates to match i would rather lose 1 out of 5 estimates for price than leave anything on the table. since the majority of my new business comes as result of word-of-mouth, people don't seem to mind paying for quality because their friends have already talked up the service side of my business. anyway, my point is if this is not your primary source of income, this seems to be a good way to start. getting your foot in the door, especially in a small town, leads to better paying business in the long run. this is my 4th season on my own and if i wasn't married with kids (wife stays at home), i could probably make it now without my regular job. another thing which will help you is obtaining a copy of clemson university's "establishment and maintenance of southern turfgrasses". if that's not the exact name, it is similar. the better educated you are when a customer asks you a question combined with the ability to point out issues in their yard gives them confidence that they are paying for a professional service (higher rate) than someone working for beer money. one last thing - i always try to present a neat, clean appearance when giving estimates and greet the potential customer with a smile. if you can draw them into a conversation where they feel comfortable, they will always give you clues as to what rate they will pay. good luck!!!!!

[firehoyt]

Well, its like ying and yang. I've found that you cant really have a set price. Depends on what youre getting in return. I had an estimate for a retired couple on a fixed budget. I said $40, they said too much, cant afford it. But I stood there in their driveway for 45 mins shooting the bull anyway. Come to find out, they're big in their neighborhood association as well as the senior's center. So I called them back and offered to do it for what they could afford. They said $35, I insisted $30 instead (yeah, cut my throat) but think of the referrals I'll get. Just for spending a few minutes with them and wanting their business. Just be sure to let them know, refer me all you want, just dont tell others my price. Hope it works well for me. My 2 cents.

[JTM]

What kind of advertising are all of you doing im a newbie and was reading threw here an just reading some of you say that your phone rings off the hook gets me excited
thanks