Mow it shorter

[Bob Minney]

What kind of reasons/request have you had for cutting shorter. I have had both of these happen more than once.
I'm cutting BG at 2 1/2 to 2 3/4.

1. You need to cut it shorter because some of my sprinklers wont go up high enough to work.
( its always too expensive to correct the real problem)

2. You need to cut shorter, you're not getting the dandilions.
(don't want to spend any money on spraying)

I've never been able to convince any of them that mowing shorter is not the solution. All that I get is the blank stare and "so you're not going to do it?" My only response left is-
Goodbye

[Big G]

You always have the conflict between doing what you know is the correct thing to correct a problem and what the client may want. I personally do not want to be associated with any property where the client is not willing to do reasonable things to correct problems and maintain or improve their lawn.

If she refuses to spray for dandelions, I would not mow lower and hurt the turf to appease her. Right now it might not be deadly, but in the summer shes going to screw her lawn over.

If she is not willing to rely on your expertise &pay reasonable expenses to properly care for her lawn, maybe shes not someone to keep as a client.
:confused:

[Premo Services]

One of the best reasons that I have heard is that I am not cutting enough off and it seems like right after you leave, it is already growing back.This is in the spring with the unbeliveable growth. As hard as it would be for you lcos to think of this a customer did tell me this, and the real reason that he did, was because he wanted me to cut every two weeks. I tried to talk to him, but he wanted to get lower monthly payments. That was somethng I would never consider.
Right after that day I composed a letter stating that the lawn is cut weekly at the recommended height, and if it is growing back too fast, then I would need to come every 5 days. I lost a customer. I mean what do these people think, I am out there because of the love I have for it, and the obvious reason, to save them money. :eek:

[awm]

had two of my regulars tell me yesterday that they didnt like stripes and wanted it shorter.guess a persons got a right to like stripes or not. it did look like deep green carpet when i left.
still cutting over three inches.

[Doc Pete]

People actually think if you cut the grass shorter it grows slower. On occasion, when I'm in my "devil" mood, and the customer wants the lawn mowed lower, I do it, especially if it already really needs a good cut. After not worrying about where the grass goes, tons of it, they quickly "decide" it might be better to leave if longer.
Pete

[sheppard]

My largest account has bahai (sp?) and they want it cut @ 1.5 ". Throught the winter and spring I wanted to cut it an inch hihger to establish better root depth for over all haelth of the lan. "No way"! they said. Even say the grass does not look cut at 2-2.5 ".

What to do, what to do. I can tell that much of the grass has almost no depth in the ground so that cannot be good for anything. But the customer is always right untill one of my competitors comes along and makes better sence than I do and gets them to rethink everything. Scary thought.

Cordially,
Sheppard

[Columbia Turf]

Same as SWITCHLESS, had a customer this year want "to save some money" wanted the lawn cut everyother week. Sent a crew to the property at 10 days and they were turned away" Told your boss every 14 days". Sent them back at 14 days and told them to leave it alone after the 1st cut. The owners wife came out and brought bottled water and said "your boss was right, we need to cut each week". I think they learned their lesson. The thing that really gets me, These are $500,000 - 750,000 dollar houses! I guess maybe we all live hand to mouth sometimes. Just got to laugh sometimes!

[Andy Miller]

My largest and best customers complained that I need to cut the grass lower. In four days, it looked like it was not cut was their comment. Pressure around here is to cut cost from all my customers. Lost another account because the customer wanted me to clean up fallen tree limbs before I cut his 2 acre hill yard for the total cost of $30. Most (all) my customers are elderly and do not understand that the work can not be done for $10 per hour.

[LJ lawn]

yeah i've had that happen befoe.lady kept complaining that she can see the white clover heads in the lawn.didn't want to listen to reason.people think just because you're there with the mower that you're going to do a cleanup for the same price.it sounds like-"well you're mowing the lawn anyway can't you just suck up all the leaves?" meanwhile theres a t least 6" of leaves from last year imbedded in the lawn.

[eslawns]

This is similar to the "don't mow stripes" thread. IMO, you need to decide where to draw the lines between what they want and what reflects badly on your business. Stripes? I couldn't care less. It takes longer to not leave stripes, but it's their money.

Shorter? Usually this is somebody who knows nothing about lawns and usually wants you to cut every other week because they think if you cut it shorter, you won't need to cut it as often. I price the lawns for a weekly cut, and a less frequent cut, I only bag weekly accounts, and I won't ever, EVER, EVER do something with my truck parked in front of it that I am ashamed of. Period. Maybe some of you guys are starving for work, but I would rather deliver pizza than be ashamed of my work.

[Columbia Turf]

ESSLAWNS, I am in total agreement with you! My mowing crews know that I do not like complaint phone calls. My trucks do not do any work that I would not be happy with. Perhaps to keep my message short, I didnt mention the 30 minute phone call and the personal visit i made to the customer trying to convince him not to try every other week. You are right, these people can switch organs in our bodies, grow sheep from a test tube, own world wide companies, but know absolutly nothing about "cutting the grass". I told him I would try it one time, If I was not satisfied, I would drop him because we can not mow bi-weekly for the same price as weekly. We mow three of his neighbors and the common area in the subdivision. One thing you can not do in this business is let your customers make your schedule for you. :D I would rather pass him up than do somthing I would not be happy with. His original intention was to get a bi-weekly cut for the same price as a weekly cut. Well, sorry, can't be done. I dont think i fall into the "hurting for work" catagory. Seem to have plenty of grass to throw in front of my guys.

[KirbysLawn]

I mow all my lawns at the height I decide. I factor weather, forcast, and watering practices in how high and how often I mow. If they want it scalped then they find someone else, I try to maintain the best lawns and kiling them in these temps is not part of it.

[BigJim]

They want short,they get short:D

[Tom_B]

The People i work for Want it low,Like 2-1/2 and yes there are some dead spots but hey i give them what they want.

[GarPA]

b4 they sign the annual contract, I tell them I will decide the proper cut length based on the factors you other guys said. Usually thats around 3.25 to 3.5. Lower than that and I have to adjust the rollers...and besides, in the summer I explain the benefits. I do however come back and mow in 5 days if I have to. I sell 'x' number of mowings per year...some balk at this, but most say "I like that idea". I tell them right up front....This is your property, but my business signature is on it...and it will look professionally done. If not, heres a mowandgo kid you can call...have a nice day

[Garry]

Kitzy,

There you go, my brother!

That's the best I've heard yet....................You will live long and sucessfully in this business of a science.