worker finds money, what to do?

[kdbetters]

today my crew was out mowing a new customer, and one of my guys discovers a $100 bill in the back corner of the the back yard(actually almost ran it over). Well, he pockets the money and then tells me about it at the end of the day. I ask him if he confronts the customer about it and he says no. So, I tell him he should have. He basically said that finders keepers losers weepers. He refuses to give the money to me, so I can try to see if it belongs to someone. I give in and tell him that he needs not to spend the money for a week, if no one calls to question it then its all his. However if they do call, then he has to give it up.

What do you all think about this situation, or better yet what would you do if you were me?

[Brianslawn]

i find money a lot. $10 bill a week ago on a new yard. that right where the tornado ripped through at so maybe i should search the neighborhood :laugh:

[Brianslawn]

if someone holds up a $100 bill and asks if its mine... the answer will always be yes. catch my drift.

[NickN]

I'd fire him on the spot for being a dishonest SOB.He knows it's not his,you know it's not yours.It was found on a customers property.It belongs to your customer.
Wonder what he "finds" that might belong to you?

[KINGjosh]

I would have bent down to pick it up and then looked up at the
sky and smiled:) Then continued working, while I listen to my music:headphones: Had it been a wallet or a purse, then I would have turned it in.

[Brianslawn]

I would have bent down to pick it up and then looked up at the
sky and smiled:) Then continued working, while I listen to my music:headphones: Had it been a wallet or a purse, then I would have turned it in.


exactly. wind couldve blown it from anywhere. of course customer will say its theirs. i found $20 in parking lot at restaurant we were working at. after we get done i mention to employee what i had found. all of a sudden "hes" missing a $20 bill. i asked him where abouts in the lot he was working that he may have dropped it. he was wrong on all 3 guesses. he couldnt identify it by telling me the serial #s either.:laugh:

[firelwn]

agreeded finders keepers

[BobcatZT]

exactly. wind couldve blown it from anywhere. of course customer will say its theirs. i found $20 in parking lot at restaurant we were working at. after we get done i mention to employee what i had found. all of a sudden "hes" missing a $20 bill. i asked him where abouts in the lot he was working that he may have dropped it. he was wrong on all 3 guesses. he couldnt identify it by telling me the serial #s either.:laugh:

Obviously the guy was full of crap, no argument there. But how many people can honestly say they memorize the serial #s from money in their pocket?:nono:

[topsites]

With cash money, the only exception to the finder's keepers rule is if I saw it fall out of someone's pocket or I saw them drop it then I know it belongs to them and it would be wrong to keep.

It might even be questionable if it was inside the customer's garage, even if the garage door was wide open.
Or if there's a wallet or a purse sitting by the pool...

But other than that, there's no telling.

[oldturf]

I would tell that employee that he was buying the beer for everyone after work.

[sheshovel]

Oh this is a bunch of ****!You guys need to have your brains reamed out.
It is a old customer trick to plant money on the property to test you and see if you can be trusted and are honest!
That money should have immediately been turned over to the customer..theirs or not..it was found in their BACKYARD it is theirs..
some of you guys are so naive.:hammerhead: :hammerhead: :hammerhead:
You fire that ******* if he won't turn that $$ over to you.
A parking lot is different

[CutNLawns]

No way I would tell the customer what amount or where the $$$ was found but I would contact them and tell them that some money was found near thier home and you were checking to see if they had recently lost some and see if they can match what was found. if they truely lost a $100 bill you will know by thier excitement that it was actually lost by them. If they say no....employee gets the $$$! This way you and your company look good either way.

I know about planted money too. I used to detail cars and a few years ago had a first time customer drop her husbands truck off for the day to be detailed and when I removed the pass. floor mat there were five $50 bills fanned out. There were also (10) packs of cigs inside the console hidden under a removable tray. i returned the the truck and when i handed her the keys i also handed her an envelope with $250 in it and a Wal-Mart sack full of cigs. I now mow her lawn on weekly basis and she is a regular customer at the hair salon i own too. I have made way more than $250 from here in the end!

[Up North]

Oh this is a bunch of ****!You guys need to have your brains reamed out.
It is a old customer trick to plant money on the property to test you and see if you can be trusted and are honest!
That money should have immediately been turned over to the customer..theirs or not..it was found in their BACKYARD it is theirs..
some of you guys are so naive.:hammerhead: :hammerhead: :hammerhead:
You fire that ******* if he won't turn that $$ over to you.
A parking lot is different

If a customer is so fricken insecure that they'd be willing to lose a $100 bill by pulling a stupid stunt like that then I'd gladly pocket the money. Right after inserting it into my pocket I'd walk up to the front door and tell them "I found the "planted" $100, it's in my pocket and thank you. Do you want me to trim & blow or should I just leave now?" I wouldn't want to work for a customer that's like that anyway.

Buck

[6'7 330]

I Right after inserting it into my pocket I'd walk up to the front door and tell them "I found the "planted" $100, it's in my pocket and thank you. Do you want me to trim & blow or should I just leave now?"

Buck

Some types of commercial account" brokerage house" accounts , consider a 100 planted as an investment.When a honest man goes to return the 100, the house, invests in him asking a bit of a reworked question then yours. The investment question is ,how long ,and how much more then a 100 gets a quality trim and blow:laugh: :laugh:

[Up North]

Some types of commercial account" brokerage house" accounts , consider a 100 planted as an investment.When a honest man goes to return the 100, the house, invests in him asking a bit of a reworked question then yours. The investment question is ,how long ,and how much more then a 100 gets a quality trim and blow:laugh: :laugh:


Bill, I can honestly say I've never "mowed" at a "brokerage house" like that before. :laugh: :dizzy:

Buck

[LawnTamer]

Sheshovel is dead on. Whether it is a plant or not the $$ is on their private property and should be returned. I've found $$ before and taken it to the door, the client was impressed but insisted it wasn't theirs. It was just a $5, but still a nice tip.
Explain to your employee that items found on clients properies belong to the client. I would be leary of keeping him on, what types of things might he "find" in your truck or on your property.

[jameson]

Return the money to the customer.

I had a employee who found a camera (with MORE mega pixels than mine had/has btw) in a parking lot of a business we maintain. He gave me the same song-and-dance routine, "Finders keepers...", however, the business was contacted re the camera, no takers. The camera was then taken to the local police station. After the prescribed waiting period no one claimed the camera at the station, so my employee got a real nice camera.

Not to sound high-minded, but there is nothing wrong with instilling principles in ones employees. At the end of the day, everyone feels all warm and fuzzy inside.

James

[wski4fun]

This happened to me once. Asked the cust if they lost money and what did they lose. If they lost a hundred bill they should know it. They didn't seem to think so and never heard of it after so I kept it. If it was a few fives and a ten it could very well of been lost without them knowing and I would have given it to them right away. Situations are different.

[sheshovel]

Yea well you asked the customer if they lost it..his employee did not do that..it was in their backyard and the guy pocketed it..then refused to even give it to his employer..that's stealing in my book.You never take anything on a customers property..diamond ring?wallet?neclace,money,this guy is gonna pocket anything he finds and that is grounds for termination.
Sorry that is just the way I am!

[lawnspecialties]

Oh this is a bunch of ****!You guys need to have your brains reamed out.
It is a old customer trick to plant money on the property to test you and see if you can be trusted and are honest!
That money should have immediately been turned over to the customer..theirs or not..it was found in their BACKYARD it is theirs..
some of you guys are so naive.:hammerhead: :hammerhead: :hammerhead:
You fire that ******* if he won't turn that $$ over to you.
A parking lot is different

Man, did you press She's buttons or what? My ears are still burnin':dizzy:

[MMLawn]

I'd fire him on the spot for being a dishonest SOB.He knows it's not his,you know it's not yours.It was found on a customers property.It belongs to your customer.
Wonder what he "finds" that might belong to you?



EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dirty Water]

If anyone told me he found money, and wouldn't give it to me (to be returned), or return it himself, I'd fire him on the spot.

[ECS]

sheshovel is 100% correct. Whether it was planted or not, I would ask my customer. Heck, my customers would more than likely give it to him for being honest enough to ask, planted or not. What the emplyee did was plain stealing. He stole from you as an employer who wants to do the right thing and he may have stole from one of your customers. If you find money floating around the parking lot or on the side of the road, that is completly different as you can not expect anyone to ask every Joe Public if they lost $100, but on a property which you take care of, a completly different issue. You now have issues with an employee.

[start2finish]

i agree with mentioning that money was found, not revealing the denomination of currency. I know if I am 20 short or lost a 100. This is a ethical and moral issue here.

[topsites]

Oh this is a bunch of ****!You guys need to have your brains reamed out.
It is a old customer trick to plant money on the property to test you and see if you can be trusted and are honest!
That money should have immediately been turned over to the customer..theirs or not..it was found in their BACKYARD it is theirs..
some of you guys are so naive.:hammerhead: :hammerhead: :hammerhead:
You fire that ******* if he won't turn that $$ over to you.
A parking lot is different

Yeah, it could be that because I've had someone play this stupid trick on me before but you know what? If you as my customer were to plant 100 dollar bill in your yard, you would be out of your 100 and if you fired me, you would be doing me a favor because I don't appreciate these types of games.

Here's the gist of it, couldn't have said it better:
If a customer is so fricken insecure that they'd be willing to lose a $100 bill by pulling a stupid stunt like that then I'd gladly pocket the money. Right after inserting it into my pocket I'd walk up to the front door and tell them "I found the "planted" $100, it's in my pocket and thank you. Do you want me to trim & blow or should I just leave now?" I wouldn't want to work for a customer that's like that anyway.

This is right along the same lines of playing some kind of a practical joke on me, and hahaha the joke is on me and very funny but unfortunately I have zero tolerance for this line of humour, or thinking. Now if you wanted to test me straight, then leave your garage door open and leave a few bills sitting in there, that I could deal with.

So go right ahead, plant some money in the lawn because it's as good as gone and you're not worthy of my trust for trying to play me like that, far as I'm concerned.

Again, no offense on you.

[topsites]

I know about planted money too. I used to detail cars and a few years ago had a first time customer drop her husbands truck off for the day to be detailed and when I removed the pass. floor mat there were five $50 bills fanned out. There were also (10) packs of cigs inside the console hidden under a removable tray. i returned the the truck and when i handed her the keys i also handed her an envelope with $250 in it and a Wal-Mart sack full of cigs. I now mow her lawn on weekly basis and she is a regular customer at the hair salon i own too. I have made way more than $250 from here in the end!

That's different, that's inside the car, the car belongs to them. But out in the yard? Again, was it a fenced-in area where it's just not possible anyone but the customer could've lost it?

I like your idea of having the customer match the amount, just mention that you found it and they then have to tell you how much. In the case of a 100, it shouldn't be that difficult thou I could see where it might be a problem with a 5 or even a 20.

[topsites]

Yea well you asked the customer if they lost it..his employee did not do that..it was in their backyard and the guy pocketed it..then refused to even give it to his employer..that's stealing in my book.You never take anything on a customers property..diamond ring?wallet?neclace,money,this guy is gonna pocket anything he finds and that is grounds for termination.
Sorry that is just the way I am!

Ok, I'm not disagreeing at this point, you guys are right in that you could at least ask, and yes I think you should. But don't let me find out it's a plant game, that crap don't fly with my redness.

[Lawn Masters]

I'd have at LEAST asked the customer if they'd lost something in the yard. that employee is dishonest at the least. most people dont just carry $100 bills in their pockets in the yard or around the house. it was a test of your employees honesty, and he failed.

sheshovel is right, just taking it without asking the customer if they lost some money in the yard is stealing.

[KINGjosh]

If a customer is gonna leave a $100 in the lawn, then I just pick it up and say oops, it must have gotten run over by the mower. Next time dont leave money in your lawn. HAHAHAH

[old dog 80]

Just call or ask the customer if they lost anything. If they have,ask what.If they
do give it to them.If they don,t,keep it!I gave 150 dollars back a few years ago
and he gave me $75 back for being honest.

[Soupy]

You should definitely ask the customer or just give it to them. Who would you rather have the money? Your employer which gets you nothing in return, or a happy customer that will appreciate your honesty.

I once tested a Friend by dropping a $50 bill right by my car door. I then walked away and a few minutes later asked him to run out to the car to grab some beer. I watched him pick it up and put it in his wallet. When he came in he said nothing about being lucky because he knew who it belonged to, but I waited for 10 minutes then I looked at him and said " When did you plan on giving my $50 back". His face turned bright red and then said Oh I was going to give that to you but then forgot. Yea right.

P.S I was told this guy couldn't be trusted but had thought he was a decent friend. That is why I planted the money.

[justanotherlawnguy]

I would have told him that he has to buy lunch for everybody tomorrow.

[Up North]

Well...guess who found a $100 bill today??:)

I kid you not. Dang near mowed over it but fortunately it was on the right side of my mower by the discharge and just got blowed over. I was thinking...great, I probably cut it all up as I could only see part of it but it was just folded 3 times. I picked it up and put it in my pocket and of course thought about this thread. I was mowing a bar & grill before they opened this morning but went to the backdoor and talked to the owner, and she said she hadn't heard of anyone that had lost it...then smiled and said "looks like it's your lucky day". I told her I'd hold onto it for a while and if someone asks about it to call me, she shakes her head and said "I know nothing about it, it's yours."

Buck

[maxkicker]

i wouldnt like a customer playing that kind of trick on me at all
what if someone else got the money shed be mad at me when some kids were $100 richer anything could happen to that money when she turns her head

i would fire the employee though my guys are expected to uphold MY moral code while at work what they do on there own time is up to them. refusing to do what I feel is right on the job wouldnt fly at all

[rick2752]

I HAVE THE SOLUTION!!! Go buy one of those ink pens with the shredded bills in it, I think it comes in a hundred version. Send the customer the bill and the pen with a note. We were mowing and noticed a hondo a little to late, we cleaned it all up and we just wanted to return it. LOL!:clapping:

[fulano]

The money was found on private property owned by your client. Of course you need to return the money and fire your employee.

[Roy from TN]

Haven'[t made it all the way through the thread but the customer should have been told about it. If they did indeed loose it they will say so, if they didn't they will either A) say they lost it and take it from you or B) smile and tell you it's yours. Either way it was found on THEIR property and they own it. Blown in, flown in, dropped, however it got there it belongs to them. Honesty is the only way to go with something like this. Let the universe show you where it needs to go. As for the employee, I would be looking for someone else, as others have said he showed his true colors--greed, selfish, no regard for others, and so on.

[topsites]

i wouldnt like a customer playing that kind of trick on me at all
what if someone else got the money shed be mad at me when some kids were $100 richer anything could happen to that money when she turns her head

i would fire the employee though my guys are expected to uphold MY moral code while at work what they do on there own time is up to them. refusing to do what I feel is right on the job wouldnt fly at all

I think this explains it best, I wouldn't want someone to test me but at the same rate if I made a rule of telling the customer then the employee needs to do that, plain and simple.

This thread came to mind the other day when a customer of mine accidentally wrote a check for 100 over... See I never looked at the check but stuck it in my pocket and as I got to the truck, the customer calls me back and says they think they made a mistake... He wrote me another check as I am wondering if this was another funny honesty test, kept this thought to myself.

Then like all of a sudden all these discrepancies started to happen with this customer and I got to go through this person's whole account, cut by cut, deposit by deposit and several times up until about a month later, suddenly instead of a check, I find a note on the door: Talk about blablabla and in April his bank shows $100 over was deposited and now I should credit his account and oh yes... This was in place of the usual check that I pick up after cutting the grass.

I was pretty p'o'd, thinking this guy might be playing me for a fool with these 'money problems,' you know, having discrepancies one after the other until one day they turn one of them around and hope you can't remember and then you're out 100 dollars... The flim-flam, I think it's called. But what made me angry is that instead of getting paid for the cut, he fairly stated I should CREDIT his account the difference... But he did say it got deposited, still I am not stupid, deposit or not I knew before I got home this was wrong.

Yeah, well it turned out ok, the 100 over was for something else that got done and he'd honestly forgotten and he is a good customer, all the discrepancies were really that and it was an odd set of coincidences and all is ok but let me warn any of you money cultivators:

There are a lot of things that when planted, grow into something.
Money is not one of them.
So since it does not grow into a money tree, we don't plant the stuff.
Do NOT test me, I'm an honest guy but I am human and temptation can get the best of me as well, should I find money that belongs to you, it is possible you lose your money and if you planted it and I find out, then the relationship is likely over whether I found the money or whether you get your money back, and not because you think I am dishonest but because I think this is a stupid trick.
If I wanted to test someone's honesty, there are a lot better ways I can think of doing this without resorting to this type of slick deceit, the $100 is mine if I find it but yes, I MIGHT inform the customer but then again, I just might not.

[topsites]

Hey, I found a dollar in someone's yard today!
No really, I did!

Guess where it went?

Don't even start with the but it's only a dollar so it's not as bad as a 100.
What if it was a plant?
Well I know there ain't no money tree coming, so I kept this dollar seed.

[jt5019]

Most i ever found was a wet 5 dollar bill i let it dry and got something for lunch with it :usflag:

[maxkicker]

you guys will love this one, i was weed eating a customers lawn this week when i got to the fron door there was a 10 dollar bill right there well i remember having a 10 so i started to look in my pockets to see if it was still there when the customer walked out i hadnt even got a hand in my pocket yet but was holding the 10 in the other, the customer was looking at me kinda puzzled and asked if i had found a set of keys
it was kinda weird but i said nope but i found a 10 so his greedy ass snatches it like its the last one on earth....in short guess who found out they were missing a ten when they got back in the truck and checked there pockets musta fell out when i got my cope outa my pocket

[KINGjosh]

you guys will love this one, i was weed eating a customers lawn this week when i got to the fron door there was a 10 dollar bill right there well i remember having a 10 so i started to look in my pockets to see if it was still there when the customer walked out i hadnt even got a hand in my pocket yet but was holding the 10 in the other, the customer was looking at me kinda puzzled and asked if i had found a set of keys
it was kinda weird but i said nope but i found a 10 so his greedy ass snatches it like its the last one on earth....in short guess who found out they were missing a ten when they got back in the truck and checked there pockets musta fell out when i got my cope outa my pocket

I probably would have dropped him on spot. Ida gave him a thumbs down and said, "sorry little buddy, but you just got dropped, now finish your lawn where we left off!:waving:

[topsites]

you guys will love this one, i was weed eating a customers lawn this week when i got to the fron door there was a 10 dollar bill right there well i remember having a 10 so i started to look in my pockets to see if it was still there when the customer walked out i hadnt even got a hand in my pocket yet but was holding the 10 in the other, the customer was looking at me kinda puzzled and asked if i had found a set of keys
it was kinda weird but i said nope but i found a 10 so his greedy ass snatches it like its the last one on earth....in short guess who found out they were missing a ten when they got back in the truck and checked there pockets musta fell out when i got my cope outa my pocket

I am sorry to hear that, but I would let the guy know the next time out or even sooner that it was my 10-dollar bill and see what he has to say, then I would also consider dropping this one, at least consider it, I would.

[maxkicker]

it did suck but i did tell him i found it. the best thing i could have done was say i found this but it might be mine then looked
so ill tally it up as a lesson learned and do one thing different i wont keep loose cash in a pocket that i go into often i was begging to loose something

[stumper1620]

it did suck but i did tell him i found it. the best thing i could have done was say i found this but it might be mine then looked
so ill tally it up as a lesson learned and do one thing different i wont keep loose cash in a pocket that i go into often i was begging to loose something
Be glad it was only a ten.

[PR Fect]

you guys will love this one, i was weed eating a customers lawn this week when i got to the fron door there was a 10 dollar bill right there well i remember having a 10 so i started to look in my pockets to see if it was still there when the customer walked out i hadnt even got a hand in my pocket yet but was holding the 10 in the other, the customer was looking at me kinda puzzled and asked if i had found a set of keys
it was kinda weird but i said nope but i found a 10 so his greedy ass snatches it like its the last one on earth....in short guess who found out they were missing a ten when they got back in the truck and checked there pockets musta fell out when i got my cope outa my pocket

Chew is bad for you! PR

[PR Fect]

No way I would tell the customer what amount or where the $$$ was found but I would contact them and tell them that some money was found near thier home and you were checking to see if they had recently lost some and see if they can match what was found. if they truely lost a $100 bill you will know by thier excitement that it was actually lost by them. If they say no....employee gets the $$$! This way you and your company look good either way.

Well said, and agreed. PR