I've Been Scrubbed !!

[AltaLawnCare]

I was at my full time work today (a car dealership) and was working late in the shop to make extra money for the lack of mowing I'm doing now. I heard a trimmer running outside.. I went outside and a guy was in a Honda with a one gallon gas can and a trimmer weed-eating, no mowers in sight.
My trailer and equipment was sitting beside the shop parked. He trimmed around them and blew grass all over my truck - these were weeds in the gravel which should have been pulled out. Not to mention he left grass all over the step in front of the office.
I waited for him to finish and was going to confront him, but decided not to say anything to him or the boss while I was mad.
It's funny, just last week my boss told me I was just "another one of all those Dumb-*sses dragging lawnmowers up and down the road."
I chose this business because it is very difficult and competitive, but how can I price based on my overhead and compete with this?
If it was easy then everyone would be successful in it.
I'm going to find out who this was and see if they have a license and liability insurance like I do - I'll have to find out who is going to pay me to wash my truck AGAIN !

[cos]

I had a lawn job lined up and then I noticed when I went to cut it, that it was done. It was scapled and poorly weed eated. I knocked and he said that he found someone else. Well, the neighbor gave me the flyer and it said (preprinted) Lawn cutting $10.00. Then finally I saw him cutting out of a honda, with crappy equipment. Needless to say, the dude wasn't around again the following year.

[kris]

you mean the place where you work fulltime hired someone else to do there lawn???? I would be looking for another fulltime job

[cos]

That is kinda insulting.

[TJLC]

That is one reason I cut part of one of my commericals on sunday morning, to avoid getting grass on cars and people. If I cut during the week and accidently get grass on anyones car, I blow if off. It's just common sense. Some people just don't care, I guess.

[Lawngeek]

dont even worry about the job theres plenty if you look for it, however throwing grass all over cars is a different matter..did you have to wash your truck? if so a complaint is in order or grab the guy by his neck collar and tell him not to spit gravel, to use a blower responsibly and weed eat so it doesnt get all over your truck teach him if he does it again then you have a complaint to the main boss doesnt matter if you have the job or not as long as its done right

[Likestomow]

...getting hot, just go find other work. There is plenty of work around.

Here is a suggestion that I discovered recently: in the evenings, drive in neighborhoods you want to work in and look for lawns that are long and shaggy. Often these are problems looking for a solution.

[KirbysLawn]

I wish I had my camera the other day, a guy on his Murry was mowing the Local Food Lion shopping center, several people had their cars parked at the far end beside the road for car pooling (the bus). Every one was covered, and I mean COVERED in tall grass clippings. Grass was at least a 1' tall and clumps everywhere.

[Runner]

Originally posted by cos
I had a lawn job lined up and then I noticed when I went to cut it, that it was done. It was scapled and poorly weed eated. I saw him cutting out of a honda, with crappy equipment. Needless to say, the dude wasn't around again the following year.

No, he wasn't around. It sounds like he's down in south central Virginia doing car dealerships!

[kris]

Originally posted by cos
That is kinda insulting.

was that comment meant for me cos?? by all means was I not trying to insult him...what is insulting is that his boss would go outside and hire, when he knows his employee is into the lawn care bus.

[Scraper]

kris...I believe he was agreeing with you as an afterthought to his earlier post. ;)

[LAWNDUDE1700]

Man, keep your focus on your lawncare business and before you know it your side job will be your main job, then you don't have to listen to a jerk like that.

Good Luck

[3 Oaks Farms Landscapes]

Sorry to hear that! Sounds like a account you do not need anyway. We have the same problem here. This is our 20th year in buisness and we have found over the years that the people who are looking for "bottom line" pricesare usually not good accounts. They always want something for nothing.

[KirbysLawn]

I've Been Scrubbed !!

We all have been here lately!!http://unionturf.com/ugone2far.gif

[LJ lawn]

gee... the reason i got into ths biz was to make money.not the spiritual enlightenment.

[AltaLawnCare]

Thanks for the replies and support guys. I'm feeling a lot better now; the scrub was back today - if he wants to kill himself making a few dollars weed eating 2' tall weeds all over the dealership, he can have at it. Today the boss took his old snapper over to the other lot with a parttime employee to mow the front area. He had to beat on the deck and fix leaking gas to get it going. Now his salary and the part-timers on a whole afternoon to mow 1/2 acre with no trimming,.... yeah he's saving a lot of money LOL!. He also owns a car wash, he mowed it with the famous snapper 2 weeks ago and blew trash all over the place - looks like a cotton field, and no trimming around edges. I hope people don't think I did this.
Today I got my first check in the mail from an apartment I mow, tomorrow I' mowing a lady's for the 3rd time this season. At the end of this month the first big check will roll in from the church/graveyard I mow (annual contract w/ 12 payments).And my allergies aren't bad today :)
Now I see why everyone likes commercial accounts.

[kris]

Sounds like things are stating to happen for you!!
I have this quote pinned up on the wall in my office.

MANY OF LIFE'S FAILURES ARE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT REALIZE HOW CLOSE THEY WERE TO SUCCESS WHEN THEY GAVE UP.
THOMAS EDISON

[Island Lawn]

Mr. Edison might have something there!

[gogetter]

I handed out flyers the other day in my In-Laws neighborhood. Two days later my Mother-In-Law handed me a flyer that was on her door.
Two kids passed out very nicely made flyers that had one flat price on them.....$12! Lawns are running around $20 to $30 depending on size in the area. Pretty hard to compete with $12 !!!

Damn kids!! LOL!

[Sammy]

I was loading up this morning at the shop. When I heard someone yell, "Come on you old bitxx". I looked across the street and there was a guy trying to get his push mower started. This is at a gas station.
I know who was cutting it for the last two years, this guy was new. So I got done loading and drove over and asked him what had happened to the other guy, New guy said he got a call from the owner last night and was told she thought the previous guy was costing to much and wanted to know what he would charge. He told her, $10.00. The previous guy was chargeing $35.00. He also said he had just raised his prices because of the price of gas going up.
I did not have my canera with me. But, I will next time. You guys will not belive what he is driveing. I will post the pic when I get it.

[Paradise Yard Service]

gotgetter, seems like kids know alot about computers but nothing about a legit lawn biz.
Aloha,
P.Y.S.