id like u to skip this week!

[bobbygedd]

customer sends me an email: please skip mowing this week, ill see u next week. now, its been raining here 2-3 days a week, grass is growing, and her contract states :your lawn will be scheduled for weekly mowing, any missed cuts due to "non growth, or heavy rain" will be at our discretion. never had this happen at this time of year. she originally asked for "every other week", i said nope, cant do it, weekly or nothing, and after i explained y, she agreed to weekly. now she pulls this ****. how many of u would dump her? this really upsets me, i try to keep a tight schedule, and we were scheduled at her place tommorow. im afraid if i let it go this time, it will become a regular thing. and i know if i skip this week, the grass will be up to my ears next week. dump her? talk to her? blow her off completely?

[SLS]

When this happens to me I explain to the client that because the grass gets so tall (especially during the rainy season) that I am forced to cut it at least twice...therefore the price would be double the standard "weekly" rate. Coupled with the fact that cutting too much off at one time is VERY stressful to the lawn they would be just as well to leave it at the AGREED TO 'weekly' schedule.

If they balk at this point it means that they are trying to use YOUR time to save THEMSELVES money...and dump them immediately.

I am not in the "saving people money" business.

[Harvestman]

I agree with SLS. Don't let them start this bull. If it wasn't for the people this would be the perfect profession.Lots of laughs

[65hoss]

Before you jump to any conclusions, call her first. Find out if there is any reason other than what your thinking. If not, then explain again to her, then you have enough info to make an educated decision not an emotional one.

[TGCummings]

Good reply, Hoss.

I would explain to her the importance of the 1/3 rule, and the damage you could be doing to the lawn leaf if you have to cut too much off next time.

Also, I would set up monthly billing that's fixed. That way even if you do skip a cut by their discretion you're still getting paid for you scheduled time. I've had people ask me to skip from time to time but I've never discounted their fee for doing it...

[Premo Services]

I had a new customer last year and he would do that to me a lot. It was in the spring and his lawn was growing at unbelieveable rates. he would say he spread some seed and skip this week see you next week. Then about 2 weeks later he had another excuse for me not to cut. You know what I FIRED HIM!!!!!!!! He freaked out, and said it must be nice not needing the work. I told him my schedule was full and had no time to cut his overgrown lawn at his descretion.:D

Early this year another customer sends me a note saying that she heard of my raising of prices, and about the contracts. she stated in terms that she didn't need a price increase and did not need a contract.
I copied the note to my letterhead and kindly told her that with all the things she said she didn't need, she forgot to mention that she didn't need me to do her lawn this year.
I have had it with people thinking I am in the business to save them money on their landscaping services.:angry:
All the rest of my customers are great just, had to weed out the tough ones.

TGCummings Good reply, Hoss. I would explain to her the importance of the 1/3 rule, and the damage you could be doing to the lawn leaf if you have to cut too much off next time.


I do agree with this, but some people just don't care aboutthe looks of the lawn, they are thinking about their money.. I also think about my money. I GOT MY MIND ON MY MONEY AND MY MONEY ON MY MIND!!!

[parkwest]

We always give the customer what they want.

We just explain that cutting every other week will take us twice as long so the price will be twice as much and then let them decide.

[TOSLC]

I agree, explain the 1/3 rule, then if she still wants it cut every other week = charge twice as much, or drop her. Once you let her run your business, you'll never be happy!

[Brickman]

The ONLY time that I don't mow weekly is in the spring when grass is slow, and the fall when grass is slow. Other wise we do not do two weeks. PERIOD, end of story. When people ask me for two weeks I tell them company policy. I have had people call and leave a message looking for a two week price, I just erase the message and don't bother calling them back. If some thing is going on that we can't mow and they let us know that is one thing. I try very hard to work around customers events. But mowing every 2 weeks just because, we don't do.

As has already been said I am not in the money saving business, I do my best to give full dollar value, but I have no time for cheap skates.

[LawnLad]

If a customer has a legitmate concern - driveway being replaced, etc., we'll work around 'em. And we appreciate the heads up so we don't show up and find that we can't get to the lawn! Or that the seal coating company was there 1 hour before we got there for our weekly cut. Have I billed people for not notifying us - yes. Do they like it and do i like to do it... no.

We only do weekly service - you can't be proactive and attentive to the landscape's needs without being there regularly.

[ADMowing]

What really floors us is when prospective customers tell us that we don't need to mow every week and that should make us charge them LESS! Uggghhhhh!!!

We kindly explain to them that the grass doesn't quit growing just because we're not there. Then the light goes off in their head and they understand.

We've got one guy who owns a nursery who had us mow every week at $50/mow. Then he had us mow every two weeks, which was okay because we had a drought here in Florida (still do actually). Now, he's wanting us to mow every three weeks. I said, "Sure, but it will be $70/mow for wear and tear on our equipment and the fact that it will take us twice as long to do it. We are actually cutting you a deal." He said that he didn't want to pay $70. I told him to have us come every other week and he wouldn't have to pay $70. End of story.

We started talking about tomatoes and other stuff and he was very understanding about our concerns. He is struggling a bit and we want to be kind to him, but we are in business too!

We get the sob stories on pricing all the time! Anyone else??? That is when we nicely tell people that there are lots of other services in the area and they are welcome to call them.

[bobbygedd]

well we cut her neighbors today, and her grass was in definite need of a cut also(we fertilize there too) i knocked but she wouldnt answer(car was there). i didnt cut, im gonna explain to her y it is our policy to cut weekly(again) and see what happens.

[keifer]

Clump it up and leave it. only cut it once then tell her it was from missing last week. Then maybe she will get the point!

[bobbygedd]

talked to her today, explained to her the whole lecture(in a nice way). i also told her if she really only wanted every other week, i may be able to find someone for her. she said, o, u r right, i dont know what i was thinking, please continue every week, and if u cant get here till next week, just charge me extra. sooo....it worked out, thanks guys

[eslawns]

Originally posted by keifer
Clump it up and leave it. only cut it once then tell her it was from missing last week. Then maybe she will get the point!

I wouldn't do this, if this lawn is somewhere in a neighborhood where I want more business. The potential clients driving past will only notice that the lawn looks bad and associate it with you.

As long as they contact me before I get to their house, I don't care unless the lawn really did need to be cut. If they make a habit of doing this, I try to find out why. If they're having budget problems, I put them on a 12 month plan. If the lawn needs cutting weekly and they can't pay, I thank them for their business and suggest they get a kid in the neighborhood or family to do it.