Took a lawn from a scrub

[RYAN]

Here is the situation. A few weeks ago I am going to a stop where I have three residential lawns all right next to each other. On the way down the street I see a scrub mowing a lawn and it looks like total crap. He tried to mulch a lawn with his crapsman and made a huge mess. I laugh to myself and go on to mow my three lawns one of which I 21" the fenced in backyard. It takes me about an hour and as I drive away he is still there mowing and it still looks like crap. Later that day the owner calls me asking for an estimate. Needless to say I got the job but I did feel somewhat bad for the little scrub with the crapsman in the back of his Ranger since that was me at one time but that is the way this biz goes I guess. Score one for the good guys.

[HOMER]

Now you know what I'd a done? I would have probably stopped and helped the guy out, got his name and phone number, told him all about the business and how to do it right, or better, or something.........referred him to a few people..............think I had somebody that I could count on cause I helped him out!

A few months later he would steal an account from me!

Don't feel bad, he'll get one from you in a year or two.

[Toroguy]

He will need to get more practice in areas that most LCO's avoid, like bad neighborhoods or other than weekly accounts. Most of us had to take similar "lumps".

I do feel bad for the guy, but learning can be painfull.

You should be happy RYAN that your good work was noticed and appreciated.

[1MajorTom]

This is not intended to be thrown directly at Ryan, but since this type of subject was brought up again, I'm going to make my point!

There is always so much talk about those darn scrubs. Scrubs this, and scrubs that.

But I'm sorry. Just because there are people out there that don't have the best biggest equipment and drive small vehicles, that doesn't mean that they can't do good work. It is always, "that scrub did a terrible job, etc."

Well I'm here to say that we have seen guys on the road that do have the small equipment and working out of a small vehicle, and guess what? They do good work!!! IMAGINE that!!!

Not everyone with small equipment does bad terrible work.

The difference between the professional and the little guy with little equipment is this: Dependability

At the start of the season, we pulled up to one of our good accounts, and two doors down we saw a guy and a lady cutting the grass. We had never seen them before. They had a small pick-up truck, one lawnboy, one craftsmen, a trimmer, and a small blower. They were just finishing up when we pulled in. They then went across the street to start another one.

We were surprised to see that they had two good flat level yards. Ones that we would have liked to acquire.

Each week their yards looked good. Cut with 21's and all bagged. Then two days ago we pulled up to our account, and looked at their two. One had grass laying all over the front yard, the other one was not cut and getting very high. One of the homeowners called us over and said that they wanted a bid. To make a long story short, the homeowner told us that their cutters weren't showing up any more. And the homeowner ended up going out and trying to cut the grass. (That's why the grass was laying everywhere.)

They were charging $25.00 a yard. We ended up getting both of those accounts. Each one for $42.40 a week. They were willing to pay for dependability.

Is there anyone else out there that will admit that sometimes
the little guy can do decent work?

[jjfehr]

I think your last statment summed it up! They stoped showing up! That makes them a scrub. How can anyone expect to run a lawn care business and work only the first month of the season?

[HOMER]

I'll sure admit it. Anybody that has the sense to pay close attention to the details and do good work is gonna make it, no matter if he mows grass, paints, constructs, mechanics, plumbs, bricks, blocks, landscapes, cleans, etc............... There are many professions that the "s" word could be connected to and it's merely a matter of choice which one we're gonna pick apart today/tomorrow/next week. If this forum was intended for drywall installers then I know there would be folks talking about the new guy doing shotty work and how I , we, you , me got this work from him...........We should be willing to help folks as long as they are willing to respect the help givers. Judge a man/woman by his/her character and his/her heart, not the material matter he arrives on or the equipment he uses when he gets there. The poor sap doing crappy work might have been laid off, needed to pay a light bill that was overdue so his 2 month old baby could stay cool and dry, not hot, rashy, and sweaty..............I think we're all a little too quick to judge others and sometimes we take a little too much pleasure in how we obtained a new account. Take time this week to talk with some of these people and you might find a guy you could help out, or better yet, you might make a new friend. You might also find a guy that just doesn't give a rats azz about anything at all, then you can say he's this or that. Riding by someone and passing judgement is not the way to do it.

We're all guilty to some extent, I for one am and I have also been burned by some that I tried to help out................I made a post about changing my attitude but still find myself making excuses to help folks, guess I'll never learn huh!

This is meant to be a general statement and not intended to offend the original poster.

The thought occured to me, what if some of us on here were to show up in another town, we chat on here using ficticious names and get along fairly well.................would we if we were to pass each other on the road or at a job site? Would we snub our noses at each other and pass judgement or would we stop and make conversation.............like we do here?

I guess it would be interesting wouldn't it.

Having met several of the people on here in person and spending time with them I think their all a great bunch. If I met some others on here I would think the same thing I'm sure.

For the next couple of weeks I challenge everybody that reads this to do exactly the opposite of what you normally would when you see somebody that you would call a scrub. At least try it on one person and then post your findings..............they either were what you thought they were or they turned out to be somebody other than what you thought and had a reason to be the way they were. Might be interesting.

I dare ya, no, double dare ya! You ain't got a hair on your (blank) if you don't do it!

[1MajorTom]

That's why I mentioned dependability.

The quality of their work was good, the grass looked good.
Small equipment, small vehicle does not mean scrub. That was the point I was trying to make.

Another example:

We lost a real estate account this year. A week before the season started we got a call from their office. They wanted to check to see how much we were charging to service their account. They said they needed to know for budget reasons. I told the lady $53.00 per cut. ($212.00 a month)
One week later we are unloading the equipment and the broker comes over and says that he has been meaning to call us. He found someone else to service the account at a cheaper price.

ggggrrrr, we were mad. Couldn't wait to see the quality of the work.
The following week it was cut. And damn, it looked good!!!
Just last week, we finally saw who is cutting it. They are using small equipment and they have a small truck. But it looks good.
Question is, how dependable will they be?

I guess I just find it odd that rarely does anyone on here say that a competitor, big or small, does a good job.

It's always, "that scrub with the small equipment was doing a terrible job". What's up with that?

[lawnboy82]

if dependability is what characterizes a scrub then label me a scrub. i have so much stuff going on right now that it is hard to keep up with the lawns, with the large side projects, and so on. last week i think i only cut 2 lawns out of 13. some didnt need to be cut, but i could have done them all and gotten away with it. one woman complained, however i assured her that we would be there end of this week. i try to schedule in my day each week for grass, but now with all this side work paying so much better than the lawns i feel myself putting grass a day back, another day back. it doesnt pay to start another crew to just go out and cut grass one day each week. but to be able to leave people on one job until it is finished would be nice. today we were at one place doing a thatching job. i will not go back there for a couple of days now because i have other people on my back to get their job finished. the year starts and my work list is small other than spring cleanups. then people start in with "oh we want this done" so i try to do it when i can. and they say we want it done by this date. and usually that is when everyone wants it done by. i got this one woman today, she paid me no problem but she wants stuff done asap. i told her whats goin on and no problem. we got some stuff done. this other guy though wants his stuff done now. he got me in the beginning of the busy season to do some real garbage work and wanted it done in 2 weeks from when i met him. what do these people expect? really. do 3 months worth of work in 2 weeks? really. come on people. it is like they think you are only working for them. or that they are paying you "such good money" that you should be there whenever they want you there. i am sick and tired of it. i am so busy now running around for my work that i have kind of been neglecting my yard where they are asking me to do stuff to pay the rent. (barter deal) i havent been able to do it now. they wont complain but i really feel like a scum bag for not being able to do it quicker.

[joshua]

jodi, i'll admit it i seen a guy with a 48" and a push mower, he was cutting the front lawn with the push (not sure on what brand it was) but he sure was a part time cutter. the lawn looked good, and everytime i've went to cut 1 of my lawns i drive by his and its done. but i haven't seen him their for a few weeks sure hope he's still in the game.

jodi just pondering are you a girl??//:confused:

[lawnman_scott]

Lawnboy that doesnt make you a "scrub", it just makes you too damn busy at the moment. And if it does make you a "scrub", then i'm one too.

[KD'sLawns]

I guess that I am a SCRUB also. I have been moving lawns around left and right. My customers seem to understand though as I have called them to let them know that I'm still gonna be there, just not for sure which day just yet. Last year, was my first year and everything went smooth, had my schedule written down weeks in advance. When someone would call I would squeeze them in where I could. This year has been chaotic. I can not seem to get my schedule where it needs to be and really can not afford to hire anyone. I keep telling myself that once I get this big job done, my lawns will get back on track. Well, once I just about finish the job, I pick up two more big jobs. Hopefully, I will get it straight soon!


Homer, excellent post! I agree with you 100% as far as helping others out. There are two other LCO's in my general vicinity and I try to help them out when possible. I send them work if I can not get to it, also offer advice to them. They both are two different younger kids that are hard workers. But, they both mow only so I get all their customers landscape work. The world would be a better place if we would help one another instead of criticizing everyone.
I only give people on here a hard time just for fun and nothing is ever meant to be mean. I do not know any of you personally or the work you do so it is hard to judge, but if someone is adament about mowing a 60-70 degree slope and I see a picture of a 30 degree max. then I will definately give them a hard time. Not to be mean, just to poke at them a little because I know that they do hard work day in and day out just as I do!!!

[RoyaleRcr]

So let me get this right. We all started our business with an F350,24foot enclosed trailer, 2 Walkers, three Great Danes, and three man crew. Uhmmm???? Pay more attenetion to your own house. Whenever I point a finger at someone I have three fingers pointing back at me. Just some food for thought.

[Premo Services]

Originally posted by 1MajorTom
!

There is always so much talk about those darn scrubs. Scrubs this, and scrubs that.


1MajorTom
You are right,there is a lot of talk about scrubs,this might not be the correct word for them.Dependibility is an important issue, also the quality of the job when finished.I was cutting a yard and this lady comes up and says can I give her a bid for her lawn. I finish the job and go to look at hers and it looked like the job that I would have done. She comes out and tells me that the guy that does this lawn is charging her 20.00 dollars. The property can`t be more than a 1/4 acre and on a steep hill,steeper in the back, she tells me it is to be bagged every week( no mulching or double cutting), everything trimmed,edged,and the grass is to be put in the woods in back,but you cannot use the mower to haul it up there,it ruins the grass so many times going back and forth over it. I thought then it would have to be put on a tarp and drug up there. No way was I going to do this so I told her that my bid was for 50.00. She became irate at me and started babbling about how this guy was not going to do hers no more and liked my work but she would not go over 20.00.I wished her good luck and told her to do her best trying to keep the company she has.I also have seen two guys using the 21 push mowers and they do quality work.
RoyaleRcr
It is not the equiptment you have, the guy that does this job has a grasshopper with peco bagger, new ferris walkbehind and a trailer that matches his truck,the setup looks nice. He has spoken to me once since that and he tells me that most of his jobs are 20dollars,no more than 25 no matter how much lawn. He was looking at the lawn I was cutting and asked how much I was getting, I told him 40.00 and will raise because of gas prices.He said the gas was a bit high but still not raising his prices.I think these guys do this on the side and they figure that they are making good money, I don`t know but probaly don`t have insurance, how do they make the money to pay for equiptment,GAS, insurance,PAY TAXES?Im sorry but this is what I call a "scrub" or a "loballer", and the problem is there are more than him out there, giving the customers the opinions that we are only lawn guys, and don`t need to be paid well.Most of the people that I talk to that come up and ask for a price say that my prices are too high and they will shop around. I started with the intention that I would do quality work and the people would pay for it,but with people charging so low, I only take on new customers from referrals so the the potiential customer knows the quality of my work and knows the price by what I am charging my customer that is referring me.
Jus MY 2 cense:blob3:

[rixtag]

I have 2 things to say.
1. I wish that I could get away with calling anyone a scrub. All of the justifications that people make for calling someone a scrub can, will or has been part of their business development. Admit it. There is not one of you that was born with the knowledge, ability and financial circumstances upon which we did our first lawn and everyone after that in absolute perfection. There is not one of us that started with all of this from birth knowledge that could purchase the best of all equipment and make that equipment work perfectly and without fail every single time. There is not one of us that has not been affected at one time or another by things beyond your control that affected the outcome of one of our properties. I wish that I could be rude, condescending, disrespectful and downright wrong about someone based upon what they have regardless of the real story. I wish that all of us could see from the outside that this is wrong. If you cant say something nice with out being critical then maybe it is time to be quiet until you have made yourself perfect once again.

2. I Didn't start with the best equipment, the best information or the best ability. I started doing something that I liked to do and when I figured out I could make some money doing what I loved I decided that was when I wanted to do better and better. This is not a perfect business and neither are the people who keep it going. But, it is the people that make it what it is now or will be. As far as I am concerned there is no such thing as a scrub. There are, however people who would rather tear other people down with out trying to make themselves a better person by recognizing that they too are a work in progress. I am not perfect, you are not perfect nor will we ever be. When people stop trying to make themselves better they begin to die.

That is my perception, view or opinion. You be the judge.

Rick

[scottb]

Very well said rixtag. Very well said.

[davesgs75]

SCRUBS

A subject that come up a lot here. Yeah I started as a scrub, and proud of it. I learned hard lessons this way, but they will be remembered for a long time. And I'll bet alot of guys on here started under the conditions i did. Just to let you know you started this post right, i started out in this business because i got in a money crunch, had a wife and 2 kids to take care of. My dad suggested i get me some yards to cut on the side. You guys would have laughed if you had seen me. When i look back i laugh myself. But i was doing what i had to do with waht i had. I done good work, and worked hard. Some of the original customers are still with me today, and i am not worried about losing them to some low bidder, quality and dependability counts. After i got started i found i love this business, and want to be in the rest of my working years, And have a son who likes it so well he wants to follow in dads foot steps. Please give these guys a break, they may be in the shape i was.

It is always mentioned about the scrub with the small mower, small truck, bad trailer, etc. Well what about the scrub with 1000's of dollars worth of equipment. I see these guys using Scag ztr's, Shindawa trimmer's and blower's, large landscape trucks. The work is terrible. I would not want these guys to cut a cow pasture for me much less a good lawn.

It's not the equipment that makes a scrub. It's if the person doing the work, does the work right, is dependable, and willing to please the customer.

Just my 2 cents,

[smburgess]

I was NEVER a scrub. I always had a business license, liability insurance, workman's comp, reported my income -paid my taxes. Being a scrub has nothing to with the equipment you use, it's the quality of work and being legit.

[Kevin]

I will try to take the Homer challenge! Also I have 5 days of mowing with 1 assistant(PA needs rain though), and have said no more to inquires from potential customers, because people depend on me to be at their location on x day of the week. If we all took on more accts to increase profits we would sacrifice quality, dependability etc. Price your accts correctly the first time, increase your bottom rung 20% of your customer 5-10%( or higher) at the beginnig of the year to see if they wil stay.

[John DiMartino]

I dont feel I was or am a scrub,since I have from day one,paid taxes,carried insurance,and done all required licnsing,and am doin work within my capabilitys,and field of knowledge.To many guys dont know what they are doing.I feel its the details that separates my jobs from the majority of the cutters.Around here I see way,way,way to much clumping and scalping during the growing season,I never ,ever leave clumps-I will triple cut if neccesary.They mow to fast for conditions too-with dull blades,and machines not capable of discharging and mowing fast,so the grass twirls,and a lot is left uncut,or torn and stringy.I will not leave a job like this, ever.I see it here all the time,I dont know why,but it actually aggravates me to see this,even though its not my account.

[gusbuster]

To me a scrub is:
a person who is not properly insured
a person who does not have any required licenses whether it be a business license, driver license, contractor's license ect...
a person who is not dependable.

That's who I compete against in my area and will never help out. I will help out other LCO's if I can.

Out of 12 new clients that I started new this month(by the way, a record for me in a month time frame) one common theme that I heard was that they had a guy but stopped showing up. Most of the scurbs that I see have cheap equipment and do sloppy jobs. They'll cut a center piece of lawn and only edge 3 sides of the rectangle piece. Or trim a hedge on the top and their client's side, even though the hedge belongs to their client. That's the kind of stuff that I deal with every day I work.

Their are some people out their that do awesome work, but just stop showing up for various reason. In my area, you have to charge properly or you don't last. The cost of living is too expensive in this area.

John

[thelawnguy]

Whats a scrub? Its already been posted here, most recently a week or two ago, quoted direct from the originator/author of the term.

Apparently some folks dont read all the postings. Would that make them LawnSite Scrubs? lol...

[KirbysLawn]

I agree with Bill, this topic has been covered and then covered again. If you need to learn about scrubs or find out if you are one then please do a search, there are 188 threads on the topic.

I see no need in continuing this thread debating about if you or I are scrubs.

Ray