Stripes are just too fancy

[anythinglawns]

After finishing up today at one of my new customers homes, she comes out,looks at the yard and says. "Boy that really looks nice, only one problem. Those stripes are just too fancy for my neighorbor hood." She told me she did not want her neighbors to think she is trying to out do them. She is the only person on her street that pays for lawn service all other do it themself. I told her that stripes are very popular and everyone else wants them, but she instist they are too fancy for her neighbor hood.
I have never heard that before. Someone not wanting there yard to look it's best because there neighbors might not like it.

[eslawns]

I had one old guy tell me to go around the yard basically in circles, because that's the way he'd always done in on the ole John Deere. I told him I didn't do it to make the stripes, but because it was the most efficient way to mow it, and that I may need to charge more money. In the end he told me to do it however I wanted too. I never heard anything like the yard being fancy. What a moron.

[cheapcuts]

I am new here what are stripes. I am starting out in a month mowing lawns this summer for extra money.

[AK Lawn]

I have had a few clients that do not lioke strips, not sure why just thought that they looked wierd, what ever, it is more efficent as well as nicer
AK Lawn

[awm]

not gonna say who but i think mabe we have a few people playin withus lately. dont bother me ,i been playin all my life.dont think we are that easy tho.we ll see

[anythinglawns]

What?

Originally posted by awm
not gonna say who but i think mabe we have a few people playin withus lately. dont bother me ,i been playin all my life.dont think we are that easy tho.we ll see

[toby]

Stripes are the scourge of the lawncare industry and the pacifier of the solo op.

[GreenQuest Lawn]

Dont knock it cause you can't do it! Around here no stripes no work.

[Runner]

Now, THAT'S what it's all aBOUT!:cool:

Wow! One more post, and I'll have 2000! My, how time flys!:D

[Runner]

Now, THAT'S what it's all aBOUT!:cool:

[johnhenry]

Toby why would you state something like that.Stripes to a pro is like a old hot rod purring like a kitten. And yes only 1 out of every 100 can stripe lawns. Todd what a beautiful lawn . You did a great job. Now thats a pro

[cheapcuts]

ok now I see. stripes like on a basball field. hey how do you get those pictures on here they look cool.

[TOSLC]

Stripes are GREAT! I honestly think that's why I get half the new jobs? People can't figure out how to do it themselves, so they just hire me!

[rodfather]

People don't hire you to cut their grass...they just want you to leave the strips for them so their neighbors are envious. LOL

[lawnstudent]

eslawns writes:

"I never heard anything like the yard being fancy. What a moron."

Not looking to start anything here but I take exception to the above comments. You guys take a lot of pride in your work and some of your striping jobs are just works of art. It does take a lot of skill to do this well. But the way I run my business is that the customer is always right. No 80+ year old woman who wishes for a plain yard so that her yard does not standout in the neighborhood and draw attention to her home should be called a moron. She is entitled to her own opinion. She has a valid reason for that opinion and she pays the bills. I think we should all respect that and not resort to name calling. Just my humble opinion. You can take it or leave it. I'll get off my soap box now.


jim


If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, then just move the darn fence.

[mdb landscaping]

i think i would drop a customer if they told me to mow in circles. i think striping is kind of like a trademark. you can almost go around town and be able to tell who mowed what lawn. in my opinion, stripes are what makes a lawn cutting worth it. it leaves a professional image, and most customers feel like they are getting their moneys worth as opposed to mowing in a million directions with tire marks everywhere.

[anythinglawns]

The lady is indeed a very nice person and I am working with her on it. I told her that I don't mow in circles because it really looks bad. After talking with her some more she said that if I did not cut at an angle and and mowed parallel with the house or road it may not be so bad. I will try that next week and see. As I mentioned in the initial post. I just thought it was a strange request.

[Toroguy]

I have to come to the defense of Toby, his lawn was perfect.

[Brickman]

I have only had one or two people complain about the look of my Walker stripes in the last 6 summers of doing this. Most people love the look.

Here is a question that I have. It is mainly personal preference. With me I will not mow from the curb up to the house, I do not want any wheel tracks visible from the house windows. I don't want the home owner looking out and thinking about how crooked my lines are. Usually they are pretty straight. This has become an obsession with me. How about you other guys?
I realize there are some times that you can't help it, but most of mine I can, and won't mow towards the house windows.

How about you other guys?

[awm]

just yesterday i had two customers tell me to not stripe.
dang it ,took a while to get these lawns set up for striping.
well back to the carpet look for these folks.did look pretty good ,when i left.

[Turfdude]

Around here, striping is a rarity. Yes we all mow straight and leave stright lines and tire tracks. Yes most of us cross cut lawns and try to use the major 4 angles. But many lawns are too small (under 6000 sq ft), and most of us use the largest machines in the smallest areas, so striping could actually prove detrimental. Some of the posted pics look great, others ... not so great. I guess you do what your clientele demand.

[Bobalong]

For my two cents, I actually don't like stripes, tracks, or any indicators of cutting. For me, a carpet lawn is a beautiful lawn.

Bobalong:cool:

[BRIMOW525]

I agree that the size of the yard should determine how to cut... But the mark of a professional in any area that I know of is everything edged, trimmed, stripped and blown off. That is the real deal.

[FrankenScagMachines]

I'm only interested in mowing with stripes, just plain and simple! Like others said, it's the trademark of a pro.

Around here, striping is a rarity. Yes we all mow straight and leave stright lines and tire tracks. Yes most of us cross cut lawns and try to use the major 4 angles.

It's like that here, but not for size, just people here don't have the right stuff and don't know how to do it and don't care THAT much.... Some stripe accidentally just by going straight and they look good and others try to do it but can't.... Me, I've fixed my mower to do it correctly and I have taught myself the art of striping and I would not do it any other way unless it was a lawn that would not hold a stripe anyway. If I can attach it, here's a pic of a lawn from a brochure for Wheel Horse equipment dating to 1992. This isn't striped, but you can't see any mowing lines or anything. Like you were saying some want a carpet look, this is it!
Eric

[FrankenScagMachines]

I'm not knocking Toro's, I love them, but just the way that they cut them in the pictures here, that's what I'm getting at. Some Toro/WheelHorse stuff can stripe pretty good if used right.

[FrankenScagMachines]

Another one from a 1986 brochure, this pic advertises the edger. Nice turf huh?

[eslawns]

Jim (lawnstudent)

But the way I run my business is that the customer is always right. No 80+ year old woman who wishes for a plain yard so that her yard does not standout in the neighborhood and draw attention to her home should be called a moron. She is entitled to her own opinion. She has a valid reason for that opinion and she pays the bills. I think we should all respect that and not resort to name calling. Just my humble opinion.

You're right about my having called her that, I should not have. But, you're wrong about the customer always being right.

I'll do what they want, as long as they pay me what I want. However, MOST of these people who complain about such things are just a PITA. I didn't go into business for myself to have to deal with folks like this. When I get a PITA, they pay the money or get a new grass man.

At any rate, I should not have resorted to name calling, and your exception is noted.

[awm]

eslawns , i know this wont make you re day but i think thats good logic ,and very diplomatic.

[Bobalong]

I vote for Toby. I just can't get used to lawns that look like gameboards! They should just be lawns, pure and simple.

Bobalong:rolleyes:

[Esby]

"To each his own"
Some like it striped, some don't. I think it all depends on your area, and the variety of grass most present. Different types give more or less striping. In my area, striping is key, all of my customers like it, and compliment me on my great stripes:D

[anythinglawns]

Just an update to the "stripes are too fancy" post. Today I go back to the ladies house and unload my push mower. She says " I want you to go ahead and use your big mower and keep making the stripes" She then went on to tell me that she had a yard sale earlier in the week and had many compliments on her yard and that every one love the way it looked. I was glad to hear that for three reasons. One, I really did not want to push mow her yard. Two, I did not want to tell her it was going to cost extra for me to push mow. Three, It is nice to know that people notice my work.
Anyway, it is amazing how a few compliments will change someone's point of view.

[PrimeGreen Lawn]

Attention new members:

You will learn the benefits of striping a lawn. Especially when you cross lines making a lawn look like a quilt. I have been a member of this board for only shy of 2 years, but owned my full time business for 9. Stripes like mentioned earlier are sort of a "trademark" for the industry. It's damn hard NOT to stripe if your using good commercial equipment.

BTW, the guy with the yard that tried hard setting that yard up for striping....how did you get gid of them? Rum over them the opposite direction?....at least that's what almost ALL of my new employees do sometimes! lol