MOturkey
06-09-2011, 12:13 AM
Mow for an elderly lady whose house used to sit just off a 90 degree corner on a busy highway. Fall of '09, I think it was, the state finished some road improvements, taking out the sharp turns, which moved the highway a couple of hundred yards farther from her house. She is located almost exactly half way to many of my other accounts, which is about 10 miles from my house.
She always brings up mowing close to the weekend several times a year. Last year, we did hers on either Thursday or Friday, because we passed by her place on those days. Well, this year, we've made a few changes and tried to eliminate at least one day of travel, which saves over 40 miles. Early in the season, we mowed hers on Wednesday, and she mentioned the weekend thing. I nicely exlained to her that I had not raised my prices even though fuel had gone up considerably since last year, and that making fewer trips is one way I am watching expenses and was able not to raise her price.
Well, we had a lot of wet weather for several weeks, and stayed a couple of days behind many weeks, which meant her lawn was mowed on Friday a couple of times, then last week got moved back to Thursday. Today, we did hers on the way back home late this afternoon, getting her back on the Wednesday schedule and eliminating the need to drive back tomorrow just to service her property, saving me 20 miles of driving and a couple of gallons of gas.
There is an island in the middle of the road between her and her neighbor, which used to be the site of an old general store way back when. Still has some foundation and the well house on it. Anyway, it is maybe a third of an acre, and she has us mow it about every two or three weeks, to keep it looking nice. I charge her $10 extra for this.
Today, when I went to get paid (has to pay every trip), she told me that I was early this week. I said, no, actually we are on schedule, and that Wednesday is your normal day, we just got behind because of all the rain some weeks. She said that last year we mowed on Thursday and Friday. I said, well, yes we did, but I've cut down on the number of miles I drive, so don't mow over this way again until usually on Sunday. She said that when the yard is mowed on Wednesday, that by the weekend, it just doesn't look like it has been mowed at all. :)
Then, she asked what she owed me. I told her I mowed the island, and said it would probably be 3 weeks or so before it needs it again, especially if we don't get some rain soon. She told me to just not mow it anymore, because, get this: NOBODY DRIVES BY HERE ANYMORE SINCE THE HIGHWAY CHANGED, AND I REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! Thirty seconds earlier, she was complaining that the lawn didn't look mowed by the time the weekend rolled around. If nobody drives by, and she doesn't care what it looks like, what difference does it make when I mow it?
One of these days, Alice. Right to the moon!:)
She always brings up mowing close to the weekend several times a year. Last year, we did hers on either Thursday or Friday, because we passed by her place on those days. Well, this year, we've made a few changes and tried to eliminate at least one day of travel, which saves over 40 miles. Early in the season, we mowed hers on Wednesday, and she mentioned the weekend thing. I nicely exlained to her that I had not raised my prices even though fuel had gone up considerably since last year, and that making fewer trips is one way I am watching expenses and was able not to raise her price.
Well, we had a lot of wet weather for several weeks, and stayed a couple of days behind many weeks, which meant her lawn was mowed on Friday a couple of times, then last week got moved back to Thursday. Today, we did hers on the way back home late this afternoon, getting her back on the Wednesday schedule and eliminating the need to drive back tomorrow just to service her property, saving me 20 miles of driving and a couple of gallons of gas.
There is an island in the middle of the road between her and her neighbor, which used to be the site of an old general store way back when. Still has some foundation and the well house on it. Anyway, it is maybe a third of an acre, and she has us mow it about every two or three weeks, to keep it looking nice. I charge her $10 extra for this.
Today, when I went to get paid (has to pay every trip), she told me that I was early this week. I said, no, actually we are on schedule, and that Wednesday is your normal day, we just got behind because of all the rain some weeks. She said that last year we mowed on Thursday and Friday. I said, well, yes we did, but I've cut down on the number of miles I drive, so don't mow over this way again until usually on Sunday. She said that when the yard is mowed on Wednesday, that by the weekend, it just doesn't look like it has been mowed at all. :)
Then, she asked what she owed me. I told her I mowed the island, and said it would probably be 3 weeks or so before it needs it again, especially if we don't get some rain soon. She told me to just not mow it anymore, because, get this: NOBODY DRIVES BY HERE ANYMORE SINCE THE HIGHWAY CHANGED, AND I REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! Thirty seconds earlier, she was complaining that the lawn didn't look mowed by the time the weekend rolled around. If nobody drives by, and she doesn't care what it looks like, what difference does it make when I mow it?
One of these days, Alice. Right to the moon!:)