2006 lost client #'s

[Frontier-Lawn]

well so far in 206 i have lost 6 clients.
2-dropped for cheaper service from state/ nationwide company's
1-died
3-lost to tractor sale promotions at local home improvement stores( this is the one that pisses me off the most)

so whats your lost count so far

[QualityLawnCare4u]

Got you beat, Ive lost 20. eight did not come back because found somone cheaper(one was 15 bucks I was doing for 40), pulled up to 3 last week and had been mowed by whoever, no call to let me know anything, one moved, two bought a cheap box store mower to do it themselves,one I dropped because Im still holding her bad check for March, three right now are tedering on whether they want me to mow this year because of their finances, and I had to drop two that were to far away and no longer profitable because of gas.

[Frontier-Lawn]

add one more to my list, so now i have 7 gone. i just talk to one of my clients. he is starting up his own lawn company now (he just spent $20,000 on a complete equipment package), due to his other lawn provider he had for his 6 commercial properties he owns. that company just socked him with a $400 fuel surcharge for his shopping centers and it would be more next month. :dizzy:

[Charles]

I have lost a bunch in the past 3 years due to death and relocation. Very hard to replace those accounts these days

[jpp]

I have lost 7 this year. 3 I dropped because of slow pay,1 moved, 1 dropped me (pita anyway),2 properties were sold. But on the up note I have p/u 10 so a gain of 3.

Still running an ad but not sure how much longer though.

JP

[newz7151]

that company just socked him with a $400 fuel surcharge for his shopping centers and it would be more next month. :dizzy:

Wow.. just wait till he sees it on the pump for himself. Unless he's gonna piss in the mowers to make em run.

[topsites]

Got you beat, Ive lost 20. eight did not come back because found somone cheaper(one was 15 bucks I was doing for 40), pulled up to 3 last week and had been mowed by whoever, no call to let me know anything, one moved, two bought a cheap box store mower to do it themselves,one I dropped because Im still holding her bad check for March, three right now are tedering on whether they want me to mow this year because of their finances, and I had to drop two that were to far away and no longer profitable because of gas.

Me too, almost two dozen short.
Don't even want to discuss the reasons, don't care thou some of it is because I don't bend over backwards (but no, not all).
I'm busy now, don't bloom late lol.

[1MajorTom]

Our lost client list is down this year. Normally we lose AT LEAST 5 or 6 over the winter to death.
This year we lost 3.
1 moved to florida
2 called and cancelled (both were given price increases, and both said they were going to cut it themselves.) ya sure, they probably will just find someone cheaper.

[BMFD92]

so far only one. knock on wood

[dwlah]

Well Im at +2 one ive done off and on the past couple of years and another one is a neighbor of one of my accounts due to a no show LCO

[PGA]

2, one due to death and one moved into a retirement home


Ive picked up 7 new ones.

[daveintoledo]

hope it doesnt get any worse.... one guy said his hay and feed cost are, up, blah blah blah ......

[topsites]

Lost one today... Pulled up and the whole yard has fresh mulch and from the look of things, another mower's tracks.

So I goes up to the door, ring bell and ask if they have hired another service...
Oh no, no... Just a family member helping us out.

Yeah, ok...

So later I get a call, go ahead and cancel us out because our family member will continue to help us.

The good news:
If the above is not entirely true, then they found someone cheaper (or for the same price but with a much smaller machine, no wider than 34" from the tracks) and I tell you right now I had already considered increasing their price because the yard had become a real pita after they built a fence and started planting little bushes all in the turf it got to the point I couldn't hardly get my mower around anymore.

So, no big deal, best of luck and stuff.
Because what some still fail to realize, you can't make any decent money with a 34" deck for the same price as the guy with the 48" deck.

[fredrickj23]

I have gained 8 residential and 5 commercial accounts this year and a Mgmt srvs co is offering to make me an Associate. (When you see a great horse you want to ride it). We work our backsides off just as all of you do. But we make sure our work is unequivocable and we take time to address our clients.(it can become a pain in the arse- like when you should be at the next house...) Everyone needs to be validated, you do, I do, we all do. Now, as I call it a day
and look forward to resting for the evening my answering machine has calls for other jobs waiting. Sure, I lose clients by them passing away, moving and etc. How many of you can say that you go to their funerals? Or send them a card because they are ill?

[AintNoFun]

we lost a bunch of commercial due to unbelievable underbidding, but thats the name of the game...and probably 30+ houses.. .. but we probably picked up a good 50+ new residential accounts.... wait till people get hit with my fuel surcharge next month if gas prices dont go down.. dont matter im trying to scale back to 2 maintenance crews anyway.... i'd wouldn't mind getting out of the grass cutting business altogether if someone would buy my lawns..

[cwlawley]

I think I have lost four all together. PITA #1, PITA#2, PITA #3 and PITA #4. Two of them dropped me and two of them got dropped. I ain't mad though.

[DRM Ventures]

Lost 2 gained 4, and I also attend funerals and send cards etc......it all pays off in the end....I got 6 cards back with Christmas bonuses last year.....that was a nice mid winter suprise...

D

[J&R Landscaping]

I lost 6 last season during the summer. 2 I dropped because they were to far out of the way. 2 were senior citizens-1 moved into an apartment, 1 into a nursing home. 2 were gone because of lowballers who did it cheaper. 1 of those customers who wanted it done cheaper was a PITA and would have been dropped in the fall!

[rodfather]

I have lost a bunch in the past 3 years due to death and relocation. Very hard to replace those accounts these days

correctomundo charles...real hard to replace dead people or others that have moved out of state :dizzy:

[Jpocket]

If you advertise enough you won't have time to even dwell on lost accounts. Im at the point now where, if a customers cancels with us I say in my head "Next please".

You can't dwell on ppl. would no longer want/need your services.

[grandview (2006)]

Just got back the last contract this week so I'm at 100% from last year ,plus 7 more.The phone is ringing everybody said the samething that I'm the only one calling them back. I tell them that I'm all booked up, so call me in Feb. or Mar. next time.

[topsites]

ahhh I'm so fast crossing them off the schedule anymore... Had one today whom I went through a lot of bs as I pulled teeth to get 30 and she finally agreed but wait 2 weeks, she said.

This is a first-day (literally) customer, hate to lose them but her yard's been at 25 for the whole time and I'm like, once in 5 years you can see 5 dollars.

So I drive up today to cut the grass, and once again, someone else's mower tracks. I know this one because she's pulled this on me before, the neighbor repairs 2-cyclers as a hobby and 'needs a yard to try them on' so he cuts her grass for free and that would be all fine and dandy... Except first they don't call me to tell me it's cut and then he's like the fair-weather clowns who, come July disappear from the map and then they call old 'slaveboy' come cut my grass.

Now however, crossed off the schedule means automatic 5 dollar increase so when the call comes after the temps hit 90+, I'll be informing her it will be 35 dollars... And same thing goes for the family member issue, hope he lasts when it's 104 heat index out.

Because even with a lot less customers, I was a thousand ahead before April, and I just beat last year's April deposits by 50 dollars as of today and we have 2 days left in which checks may come.

So let them save money just so long they don't pull it out of my pocket, I really don't care - I am in this business to make money.

[BigChaz]

Dropped 20 over the winter buts thats only because Im shifting business to paint and mulch

[topsites]

Dropped 20 over the winter buts thats only because Im shifting business to paint and mulch

Hey that's cool, I painted a sign the other day and it's a lot of fun... I just did it for the heck of it, make it look better. Since I'm no expert in this, I likely paid too much for paint and stuff (40 dollars) and it took 3-4 hours but really I probably could've done it in 2 hours and spent only 30-some dollars, I think one could get a couple hundred for something like that but at least 100-120 easy.
Sign was about 6 feet wide by 4 feet high by a foot wide. Painted it sailboat blue with yellow letters, black sides and blue top.
Yes, other side is also painted, same thing.

Terrible pic quality and the sign is a bit old so the right top corner is coming apart but here it is:
(and yes the letters really are all yellow, the pic shows some white but it's not like that)
Next weekend I'm putting down black designer mulch on that island, ooooo!
http://stonypointlawncare.com/images/DCFN0009.JPG

[kory landscaping]

I Lost 7, 3 to dog dodo i drop them, one pissed me off, 1 died, 1 was too old to realize gas went up( i change 2.00 more per cut). 1 I didn't hear from.One ,she told me she is going to cut it herself, but she hired another guy. But, I gain 54 new customers. Now I have 150 customers, from 95 i had last year. It's going to be a great year.

Kory Landscaping

[BigChaz]

Hey that's cool, I painted a sign the other day and it's a lot of fun... I just did it for the heck of it, make it look better. Since I'm no expert in this, I likely paid too much for paint and stuff (40 dollars) and it took 3-4 hours but really I probably could've done it in 2 hours and spent only 30-some dollars, I think one could get a couple hundred for something like that but at least 100-120 easy.
Sign was about 6 feet wide by 4 feet high by a foot wide. Painted it sailboat blue with yellow letters, black sides and blue top.
Yes, other side is also painted, same thing.

Terrible pic quality and the sign is a bit old so the right top corner is coming apart but here it is:
(and yes the letters really are all yellow, the pic shows some white but it's not like that)
Next weekend I'm putting down black designer mulch on that island, ooooo!


Sign looks real nice!
The lawn business really opens up lots of other business oppurtunities so I started jumping on some. Everyone around here has concrete porch with wooden railings all around. The sun and mold takes a toll on them, so some clorox and a gallon of paint really makes it look nice. Started advertising 250 for porch painting and so far so good. Rain messed me up twice but only takes about 8 hours. Make almost as much as mowing but im a lot less tired, and can fill a whole day doing a porch compared to when i was only doing 3-4 hours mowing

[Shawns Lawns]

I lost one last week he past away, and the gold-digger of a girlfriend was to cheap to put his obituary in the paper.:dizzy:

[lawnwizards]

lost 4 totalling $417.50. gained 5 totalling $970.. guess i'm not doing too bad, so far.

[firelwn]

Lost four due to some a hole doing a $30 lawn for 12. WTF???? Then I lost 2 due to moving. Never avdvertised untill this yr. payed off three times over so far. gained my 6 plus five

[LawnGuy73]

1- dropped for cheaper ( she was a ***** anyway)

3- moved to different state or city

[Drew Gemma]

2 can't afford (funny drove by they both look like hell now)

2 family member needs money(bs one was a pain in the rear and I kept raising their price to get rid of them but they kept paying all year not no more thank good it had 3 fences:dizzy: (the other her newphew knocked up a girl and they are paying him to fix up the house and what not he's a p.o.s.

1 stopped showing up because they never paid on time

4 cut because they always had issues cut me on friday crap and or to far off the route

But gained another 14 becasue 3 part timmers in my area bailed out do to gas prices and never told customers so at the last min. I got them all to join on at my price no questions asked!

But all in all it can be expected we are still growing so numbers will always move up and down

[KCLandscape]

Lost 3 gained 7.
Have 47 so far on weekly.
I am caught up on the turf, so the weekend is devoted to walls and Mothers

Gotta love the weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gatewayuser]

Gained many lost 0 just like every year.

[fulano]

Haven't lost any because I haven't even started yet, but I hope to low ball and undercut several companies in the next few weeks to get started.

[blakeg314]

its always the landscpaers to go first.. people dont understand how much labor it is or the cost of the equipment, but when they need a plumber he comes and shows up for an hour fixes a pipe they pay $150-$300 no questions asked

[MowerMoney]

lost 8, gained 12 better ones and one who cancelled came back again.

[Frontier-Lawn]

Haven't lost any because I haven't even started yet, but I hope to low ball and undercut several companies in the next few weeks to get started.
dont do it. i di it for my first property. i inherited a pita and dropped her in nov. when i signed her all she did was complain about her last guy. i should have seen that one coming! :cry:

[yrdandgardenhandyman]

its always the landscpaers to go first.. people dont understand how much labor it is or the cost of the equipment, but when they need a plumber he comes and shows up for an hour fixes a pipe they pay $150-$300 no questions asked



Mostly because the plumber is a necessity. It can seem daunting to some just to sweat a couple of pieces of copper together. Mowing? Anyone can do it themselves.


Lost 3, dropped 2, both for pita syndrome, 1 dropped me over price. gained 5 good ones.
I only have 2 from the beginning who I would consider borderline. 1 is an old man who is on oxygen, has a small yard, always pays on time, (my only $15.00 + sales tax yard) and is a super nice, poor man. Like I said he has been with me from the beginning. I would feel bad dropping him so I spend 10 minutes doing it. The other is an elderly lady who pays $20.00 + tax every week. Again, she has been with me from the beginning. No extras from either one but I just enjoy helping them out. 20 minutes a week on a near charity basis. :dancing:
I have found it to be true that for every pita that get's dropped, a decent customer, or 5, will replace them.

[KCLandscape]

(my only $15.00 + sales tax yard........
Sales tax for labor??
What stste are you in???

[yrdandgardenhandyman]

Iowa
And there IS sales tax for most lawncare and landscape operations.
I have enough arguments from new customers about sales tax. Now don't you start. :D

[goodgreen]

Last year I had a client that had died of M.S. and did not find out until 6 months later. I always just sent a bill and his sister was paying, but never told me. Kind of a shock!

[PGA]

Iowa
And there IS sales tax for most lawncare and landscape operations.
I have enough arguments from new customers about sales tax. Now don't you start. :D






What a PITA.

I would rather NOT charge sales tax for mowing. Lots of extra paperwork. Glad we dont have to in KS. The only thing I charge tax on is something I leave on the property.

[yrdandgardenhandyman]

What a PITA.

I would rather NOT charge sales tax for mowing. Lots of extra paperwork. Glad we dont have to in KS. The only thing I charge tax on is something I leave on the property.

:waving: :drinkup:
I don't want to be too anal but I don't "charge" sales tax. I have to "collect" and submit sales tax to the state. "Charging" denotes that it goes in my pocket as gross profit. This is just a point I have to make to my customers before they understand. Some still don't and have actually suggested that I am foolish to abide by the tax law and suggest I violate it. "How's the state gonna know?" My brother in law almost lost his home and auto repair shop and business because of a sales tax mistake. The Iowa Dept of Revenue can be worse than the IRS. My accountant told me they have even followed LCO's and talked to their customers to ensure compliance. They do look at your income taxes for the purpose of determining if you are submitting the proper amount of sales tax.
And you're right. It is a pita. But to be legit you have to do the right thing. And abiding by the law is the right thing whether I agree with it or not.
I also don't apply chemicals w/o the proper certification.

[Precision]

lost 8 gained 2

7 of the lost ones are due to a former employee doing a crappy job and being rude. My fault for not checking up properly. 3 of these were also due to price increases, but their quality complaints were valid. Last time I don't ride in the truck inorder to give the crew more hours.

1 lost due to moving.

have 5 others with houses for sale.

with no rain the potential clients really don't need to have any mowing done. But we are doing a lot of install, irrigation repair and other stuff. Which I don't mind, it is much higher profit.

[PGA]

:waving: :drinkup:
I don't want to be too anal but I don't "charge" sales tax. I have to "collect" and submit sales tax to the state. "Charging" denotes that it goes in my pocket as gross profit. This is just a point I have to make to my customers before they understand. Some still don't and have actually suggested that I am foolish to abide by the tax law and suggest I violate it. "How's the state gonna know?" My brother in law almost lost his home and auto repair shop and business because of a sales tax mistake. The Iowa Dept of Revenue can be worse than the IRS. My accountant told me they have even followed LCO's and talked to their customers to ensure compliance. They do look at your income taxes for the purpose of determining if you are submitting the proper amount of sales tax.
And you're right. It is a pita. But to be legit you have to do the right thing. And abiding by the law is the right thing whether I agree with it or not.
I also don't apply chemicals w/o the proper certification.




"Charging" was just a play on words on my part.

I charge it when I do landscaping or fert apps. I really dont have to do it to often. Thats one of the reasons I stick to mowing as 90% of my income. The less paperwork the better.

[yrdandgardenhandyman]

"Charging" was just a play on words on my part.





I know. :)

[ALarsh]

Lost 1 - $33 gained 5 - $228

They moved. It was a pretty good one on the route, took me all of 10 minutes. Oh well doing better this year.

[cessnasovereign]

Lost 0, dropped one for being dumb.. "I'll call you when the grass needs cutting, I don't want anymore regular service because I don't know when it will need to be cut again."

And would like to drop another due to PITA, but it's my GF's mother so...
:nono: :hammerhead: :laugh:
Damn woman thinks her lawn should be cared for like the president's! :dizzy:

[BSDeality]

lost 2 to the DIY/Budget thing. -105 (both these were a hike to get to anyways)
lost 1 over a problem with the SCU. -35
lost 1 to the "my son needs to start making $"... -60
dropped 1 PITA -75
-275 overall
gained 4 residential, 1 Commercial. +260. Less headaches, acreage, trimming and almost the same revenue.

[yrdandgardenhandyman]

lost 2 to the DIY/Budget thing. -105 (both these were a hike to get to anyways)
lost 1 over a problem with the SCU. -35
lost 1 to the "my son needs to start making $"... -60
dropped 1 PITA -75
-275 overall
gained 4 residential, 1 Commercial. +260. Less headaches, acreage, trimming and almost the same revenue.


Psssst. What's SCU?

[BSDeality]

spring cleanup

[Landscapes-r-us]

Lost 0, gained 10.. ohh what? we're not talking about pounds?!:hammerhead:

:laugh: :usflag:

I really didn't lose any clients, but I picked up 38 and dropped several when I re did my system and wanted everyone within a 5 mile radius of my home. I felt bad because they were good customers but I just couldn't drive distances anymore..

[KINGjosh]

in 2005 I dropped 32, i dropped 10 in 2006 and picked up 24

[K.Carothers]

Lost 0, gained 10.. ohh what? we're not talking about pounds?!:hammerhead:

:laugh: :usflag:

I really didn't lose any clients, but I picked up 38 and dropped several when I re did my system and wanted everyone within a 5 mile radius of my home. I felt bad because they were good customers but I just couldn't drive distances anymore..


That is the key. I did the same thing. My first year , I was soooooooooooooo spread out. I was grabbing every account I could get my hands on then would complain about not being able to complete the route.


kc