what do you do with this customer?

[grasscutt]

i have a customer who puts a note every week of extra stuff he wants done. he doesn't tell me in advance he just leaves a note on the back rail of his big deck. this week he raked out his back flowerbed and leaf two little pile of weeds and leaves and the not says please pick up piles. last week his note read weedeat garden, and trim all bushes. well i don't know about you guys but i have a list a mile long with customers waiting for extra stuff to get done. i will trim his bushes but he goes on my to do list but not my prority list. i really don't like customers who think because they pay you to mow and trim and do the blow down thing that 50 other services are included can't they read the maintenance agreement. next week he'll probably ask for the dog poop to be cleaned up

[Brickman]

When you send the bill put on there the extra charge for you fill in the blank for what ever it was that he wanted. Either this will stop it, or you will be getting paid for your work.

[MOW ED]

You should have a minimum hourly rate for things that pop up. If they aren't in the agreement then they revert to the hourly rate. I.E. picking up the piles results in a $35.00 charge for the minimum rate. (this will either deter the work or put more bucks in your pocket) I do this and it is quite successful. I actually get about 60 an hour but for these little piddly jobs I will settle for 40 if it is a decent customer. Most of them have no trouble paying and they understand that I have other customers. If they don't like it then they find someone else and there are no hard feelings.

[ronslawncare]

you gotta be kidding you did all that stuff for free .dammmmm

[We do 4 U]

Grasscut, what is the name off you biz? I live in Gloucester and cut in Neport News, Hampton and York County.

[grasscutt]

j.g. landscape i work primarily in york and newport news. used to travel to willamsburg and hampton but two much travel time. what is your business name

[We do 4 U]

Grasscut, We do Lawns is the bisiness name but I don't have signs on my truck yet. We may have to met up some time and compare notes.

[grasscutt]

are you running your biz ligit or are you just doing a side kick to make extra $. how many lawn you got

[We do 4 U]

I for got to ask you in my last post. Are you a firefighter by chance? I know alot of LCOs ar around here. I work for Newport News FD full time and cut grass part time.

[We do 4 U]

My biz is only part time but it is legit. I have insurance and a biz license. I had a partner up until this year but he didn't need the money anymore so now I am on my own. I have 20-25 customers. How about you?

[Bob Minney]

Charge them for the extras
If you don't want the extra's -decline the work-your schedule is full

[maple city]

If this was my customer, I would not do any extras that he left on a list for me.

I would call him and explain that I have several accounts that need to be done in a timely manner, and I will schedule his extras to be done at another time for an hourly fee ($20-40/hour.) Explain that your services include mowing, trimming, and blowing. Anything beyond that is extra. You are not his personal gardener, are you?? It is not fair to your other customers to be neglected while you do all his "extras". (I'm not saying that you are neglecting people, but there are only so many hours in a day)

If he is so unreasonable that he won't understand this, drop him! It's not worth the headache for one account (unless it's a big $$$ deal).