I love calls like this!

[Turfdude]

Sunday morning 9 AM - doing a little paperwork before taking the day to spend w/ the family....

Phone rings and a woman asks if I can come right over and mow her lawn. No she's not a client, and we are booked for the season. I'm thinking sure, let me go out to the garage load up everything I need, run right out and make a quick $30 bucks or so - not gonna happen. I know that there are a lot of scrubs in this area, but come on - I don't think they even need the beer money that bad. It is a shame that so many still don't see this as a professional industry. We try to get done by 1PM on Saturdays as it is and don't work weekends July or August unless Mother Nature dictates otherwise.

It is a little enraging and disheartening at times when you get reminders of how low our profession is sometimes viewed. I know that spring and fall are more a crunch time for our industry, but some people don't realize that we too have lives, and families and need time off to relax. Sorry for the rant - just venting a little.

[GraZZmaZter]

So you never said exactly what you told her. ( or told her where to go) lol.

[LawnGuy73]

Ya, what did you say?

[kels]

I agree that people are inconsiderate, but when you are starting and do not have the money for bills, every little bit helps.

I personally would have said I would be there Monday in the a.m.

[Gravely_Man]

The sad thing that you are missing is that this call might have made someone' day! Most people do believe, as it is this is a service industry so when they call you come just like the plumber. Glad to hear that you schedule is full.

Gravely_Man

[cos]

I would have never even answered the phone. They should know that people don't usually work Sundays and should expect the answering machine to pick up instead.

It is true that people are inconsiderate. I did a fall clean-up on Christmas eve for a lady that ranted and raved and I finally gave in. I even pushed other customer's to the side to do this lady the 23rd and finished up on the 24th. I was the idiot for the day. I thought I was going to drop her for sure. She turned out to be one of the nicest and better clients that I have. I sometimes bite my tougue just so people don't get the better of me. This time it paid off and I now am being rewarded for it.

[grshppr]

I agree with Cos, just let the machine pick it up on the weekend. Turf dude I've had a lot of calls like that this spring. Usually they go like this...."my regular lawn guy can't cut my lawn, and it is really long now, could you cut it today? I'll be home for a couple hours this morning if you want to cut it....":rolleyes:

[gravedigger5]

cos, I hear ya. As much as I hate last minute calls or dread doing some bids or jobs, you just never know when one might turn out to be one of the best accounts you might ever have. Marc

[Runner]

Originally posted by grshppr
I agree with Cos, just let the machine pick it up on the weekend. Turf dude I've had a lot of calls like that this spring. Usually they go like this...."my regular lawn guy can't cut my lawn, and it is really long now, could you cut it today? I'll be home for a couple hours this morning if you want to cut it....":rolleyes:

That's when you say. "Yep! It'll run you about $900 dollars, and will include the rest of the season, at no extra charge!":cool:

[jsr2741]

Had the samething happen. My Doctors neighbor called and wanted me to cut her yard because her husband was out of town and she has RA (rumatoid arthritis).

I told her for me to justify me changing my schedual it would cost her double to cut it. She about dropped the phone.

She then says that her husband is going to be gone quite a bit this summer ( in attempt to get me to cut it with the promise of some work here or there). I tell her its still double but if she wants to avoid that she can sign the yearly contract and I'd be delighted to cut her lawn for whatever it would bid at.

She replied that she'd have to talk to her husband but she didn't think he'd go for it cause he likes cutting the grass so much... Go figure.

[JimLewis]

We get that every once in a while. I have always made a rule that I'll take on any job - for a price. Except on Sundays.

If it had been Saturday, I'd have done it. But not for $30. Maybe $100 or $200 depending on if it was a 1-hour or 2 hour job.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

I wouldn't have gotten the message till Monday.

Office is close on Sunday.

[longviewlawncare]

my home phone is my buisness line also. I am not here during the day so i just check messages. Poeple that know me and would want to talk to me on the weekends no that i screen all calls that come in on sta. night and sunday. The answering machine picks it up and see if it a friend or client. Kinda of a pain sometimes but i don;t work sundays.

[yardman1]

I had a lady call me on thanksgiving last year wanted me to come cut her grass that morning about an hour before I was leaving to go to my parents and eat, I said sure, gave her a price that was about $300 and she said, thats ok i will do it myself. It was not a regular customer, a one time deal.

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by cos
I would have never even answered the phone. They should know that people don't usually work Sundays and should expect the answering machine to pick up instead. .

On the other hand, "double-time and a half" (Sunday work) for a quickie ain't bad if you're just hanging around the house............ You guy's forget there's plenty of people (in other types of work) losing jobs every minute..........

[Turfdude]

I guess the point is this. I elected to answer the call. My business line is NOT my homephone. I was doing some data entry and figured what the heck. Normally if I answer on a Sunday, or after 9PM, people usually say - I thought I'd get the answering service but...
I just cannot get over the fact that there are people who still believe that LCO's are willing to "respond to a lawn emergency" at their beck & call. I kindly informed the caller that we do not work Sundays (except snowstorms of course), that we are only accepting neighbor's of existing clientele t this time since we're booked, but I did refer her to a competitor. I also told her that he doesn't work Sundays either. Hopefully she will be more tactful when she calls my buddy.

IMHO - its not good P.R. to hose someone for their ignorance as it could later bite you in the rear. I figure as someone else said long ago - "We're upping our standards - now its time to UP YOURS".

[bobbygedd]

phone gets shut off every saturday at 3 pm, except for 3 days after chemical aplications. NO BUSINESS ON SUNDAY! EVER. ive come to the conclusion, it can wait till monday

[michigangrass]

Last weeks rain threw me behind a little...so a customer that is scheduled for Saturdays but is now resceduled for Tues morning called last night at 9:30pm (Sunday evening) to tell me that this is no way for me to run my business...if I am scheduled to cut on Sat, I should be there on Sat, hell or high water...and if I couldn't be there on Sat I should have been there on Sun.

I told him that we do not work on Sundays and he threw a fit...I then told him that "I'd hate to lose your business but I may not be the right cutter for you...I will let you out of your contract and refund any money paid in advance"...the jerk-offs spine turned to jelly and he backed down.

Stand your ground and give the customers the impression that your services are in demand and that someone else will fill thier spot if they choose to give it up.

Taking something away from somebody has a way of making them look at it from a different point of view.

I was ready to ring his neck last night for throwing a wrench into what had been a great day so far.

[walker-talker]

I have had a bunch of calls like this. I have been mowing for 5 weeks now (this season) so these are the people that have not yet had their lawns mowed. I am starting to tell them flat out..."NO ONE TIME MOWING".....just not interested. I had one lady want me to mow her lawn for the season, but wanted me to come now and mow the fescue in her mostly bermuda lawn.....for free until the bermuda started to grow. Then after the bermuda was growing, she just wanted to to drive by every now and then and mow it when it needs it....not on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. All because her former LCO did this, which is out of business (I know this for a fact because I bought some used equipment from him). She kept asking if I could "help her out". I politely told her that I was not the man she was looking for. The only thing these people are good for is an interesting story and a little humor.

MATT

[Turf Technologies]

This problem is going on in every bussiness today. Pizza compainies offering free this for a large pizza but buy it here, Fast food who has the best 99cent menu. No payments and no intrest for three years for personal watercraft or motorcycles. Plumbers and a/c compaines open 24hrs. Rember who expensive it was to have a cell phone even to get one. Now FREE PHONE FREE PHONE just sign up for 3 yrs. And the cost for mintues and the amount they offer is unreal. Its all about getting the customers, its not about best service or better taste o best quality. Its only about whats cheaper and what eles comes with it for free.

And it goes down hill from here.

[GraZZmaZter]

4 words will sum it up for people in most situations.

" WE DONT DO THAT "

I set my standards, and i stick to them. Our minimum package is a mow, trim, edge, blow, snowplow, and we are there every week. If someone wants anything less ..... 4 words.

I think it does a few things. First, it says that we have our standards and are not just some guy down the road cutting grass for beer money. Second, it says we dont need your work unless you want to do it our way ( contract signed, on a day we set up, etc..)

A good example happened a few weeks ago. Doing a one time clean-up and a lady stops in her car to ask about weekly maintenance. I say sure, get the addy, and tell her i will be there to "look" at it when we were done at our current job.

I knock on her door, and she is talking through the glass like i am some criminal and not the person she just spoke with a half hour earlier. I ask for her name, full adress, and phone number ( standard with everyone-they dont give that info, they dont get service) She said "just give me a quote for the lawn, and can you do it now" (sat afternoon i might add) i said ma'am i need this info from you, than i can bring out the paperwork tomorrow for you to take a look at, and sign. " I dont want to give you all that info. Just cut the grass. "she said. Im sorry, we dont do that i said, and i left.

Simple and effective.

[AL Inc]

I got a call today (Friday). A neighbor of one of my regular customers called and said she would like a spring clean-up and some other work done.......tomorrow morning! I was laughing so hard I almost fell off my chair. We are so jammed with work right now, I told her we could probably have it done by early June. She said she would have to find someone else, and I wished her good luck. Well, it was good for a laugh, anyway :dizzy: Mike

[mike9497]

i don't pick up the phone after 5 PM on saturday

[Flex-Deck]

I am a dentist first - I consider dentistry a profession:

I keep hearing everyone here talking about being an LCO which is a quote "profession":

When I get a call from someone that is in pain on Sunday - It does not matter if it is a patient of mine or not - I go in and take care of the problem - I consider myself a professional - Our time as professionals is not necessarily ours - Our purpose is to provide a service to those in need of our services - Pay is a secondary consideration to the true professional - Not trying to say you should not charge or collect a fee, only saying that the first priority and responsibility is the service even when it does not necessarily fit the "schedual" of the "professional"

Now - If you people out there what to be considered Professionals, act like one!

Thanks, Brad

[AL Inc]

Flex- I was unprofessional because I told her I wasn't able to do the work until June? Because I didn't put this total stranger in front of good, loyal, long time customers, who have been waiting patiently for me to do their work? I don't follow your logic.

I also don't follow the comparison to dentistry. Of course you should help someone who is in pain. I doubt a person will have pain if their spring clean-up isn't done immediately. Mike

[GraZZmaZter]

AL

Nearly word for word what i was going to write.

Flex

Dentistry is in no way comparable to the green industry. (ever wonder why you had to go to school for six years for dentistry, and 0 years to cut grass?)

Think about it....

[MacLawnCo]

Brad,

Come on now...your annalogize is hideous.

I applaud you for taking care of your clients who just happen to have a tooth problem that just started that day. That is good business. Would you do the same thing if a new client calls sunday morning and asks, "can you clean my teath, by the way, i have not brushed in about 3 months."

That is what is agrivating to us. Clients call us, and expect us to ask how high when they say jump. I for one am not going to ask how high, and i hope that you would not either.

[The Lawn Boy Pro]

I hate my dentist.....

[brucec32]

Originally posted by Flex-Deck
I am a dentist first - I consider dentistry a profession:

I keep hearing everyone here talking about being an LCO which is a quote "profession":

When I get a call from someone that is in pain on Sunday - It does not matter if it is a patient of mine or not - I go in and take care of the problem - I consider myself a professional - Our time as professionals is not necessarily ours - Our purpose is to provide a service to those in need of our services - Pay is a secondary consideration to the true professional - Not trying to say you should not charge or collect a fee, only saying that the first priority and responsibility is the service even when it does not necessarily fit the "schedual" of the "professional"

Now - If you people out there what to be considered Professionals, act like one!

Thanks, Brad

First of all, I wasn't aware that guys who maintain lawns for a living took a hypocratic oath.

Second, are you driving over to the patients' house towing a trailer full of your dental equipment on Sunday morning to provide "professional service" ? No? Why not? Aren't you a professional?

Does a guy mowing lawns make $600 or more per hour for a "house call" ? No? Gee, I wonder why they might be a little less happy to do that.

"pay is a secondary consideration to the true professional". Gee, if that's the case, how come my doctor lives in a $2 million mansion? I

I can't even call a doctor's office during business hours and actually get to speak to one, much less have him come over to my house on Sunday morning. So please, spare us.

Can you not see the difference in someone in physical pain needing prompt medical attention and a freakin' lawn needing mowing that's needed mowing for 4 weeks but the person was too lazy or irresponsible to call ahead of time?

Dammit, I just called my insurance agent at 4am at his house this morning and he was so unprofessional. He refused to come over immediately and discuss my retirement plan.

All I can say is, Flex....When analyzing your ability as a businessman, I would say that you make a very good dentist.

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by MacLawnCo
That is what is agrivating to us. Clients call us, and expect us to ask how high when they say jump. I for one am not going to ask how high, and i hope that you would not either.


Big Mac,

I think there needs to be a little give and take with this whole issue.
I was already out mowing Saturday cleaning up late accounts from the rain when I got a call from a customer asking if it was possible to mow them today, if I got the chance. I knew the day was blown by my mowing, so what the heck if I did another lawn.

COMMON SENSE here is the issue. Sure don't "fall on bended knees" for the customer, but at least realize their "ARE" paying your salary.

Learning to "read" customers and differentiate between "smart marketing” and “being abused”, is “all” part of being a good businessman.

[MacLawnCo]

Pete,

You are correct....If im out in the area already, they will get added. But As Turfdude stated, it was on sunday that this call occured.

[cos]

Thanks Bruce. I didn't feel like typing a long response. But, I highly agree.

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by MacLawnCo
Pete,

You are correct....If im out in the area already, they will get added. But As Turfdude stated, it was on sunday that this call occured.

I think we both are in agreement, it's a judgement call, which can be different for each customer.
Pete

[MacLawnCo]

Originally posted by Switchless@aol.com
I think we both are in agreement,

And we are both in agreement on the bestest walkbehind on made today. SWB field review to follow in a few days when i get the pics off the camera. :D

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by MacLawnCo
And we are both in agreement on the bestest walkbehind on made today. SWB field review to follow in a few days when i get the pics off the camera. :D


So, it only took you 2 years to find that out???? That's pretty good:D :D Darn, the secret is getting out...........
Pete