Sick.....

[FrankenScagMachines]

Of all the old, cheap, nit-picky customers who have nothing better to do than chat, nit pick about anything and everything and then expect you to do it for $5 less than the last old guy using a push mower!!!!!!:angry:

I had this one old lady who is allergic to the grass clippings but likes to work in her flowers. Apparently the kid that was doing it was bagging and it was doing ok for her, then he moved and she called me. I suggested try mulching once and see, well that was for $25. It took alittle longer than I thought, 40 minutes the first time I did it double cutting only the front (3 extra minutes) but it's only a block from another one I do that is more profitable, so Ok that I can deal with... well... she calls me up and says it's not working I'm still sneezing. I said OK I can bag it for $30 (I can take a loss right :rolleyes: ) she said no they charge $20 to leave it lay (discharge) and $25 to pick it up. I was thinking Ok yea the kid down the street is not the other pros. I said well $30 is it thats all I can do. She is like well then I'll be looking for someone else but thanks for coming out anyway. OK.... bye!

Then another old lady (92 y.o.) has always griped about the big mower on her yard. I charged her $25 and it took 20 minutes or so and it's a corner lot with edging bi-weekly (lot of sidewalk) but still a profitable account. She has always griped about the big mower (52" w/b) and always comments on the short amount of time it took.... well apparently the guy she used to have dumped her because he was getting so many commercials that he didn't want to do res' anymore and apparently he used a 21" on her yard. Well the last time I was there I could see rain coming so I went alittle faster on the mower. Loaded it up grabbed trimmer and I'm running between obstacles as it's getting very dark and can hear thunder. Put up trimmer, grab edger and am running to do the edging and sparks flying everywhere. Ok I'm not gonna go home just because it's starting to rain then come back later.... ok so it starts raining big heavy cold drops as I'm putting the edger back on the rack and grab the blower. Clippings and dirt from edging are getting wet. Start blower strap it on and the tube comes loose and off of the 90 degree elbow by the blower housing. So I'm holding it on with my right hand and holding the tube with my left while trying to quickly blow clippings off the sidewalk while I'm getting drenched with cold water. Ok I can deal with this... she should understand alittle if it's not perfect right? Well I go to the door for my check (doesn't want monthly) and she takes like 3 minutes to write a stinking check (why don't they have it written before I come to the door?) but had asked me in on the doormat. I'm dripping wet my boots are muddy but she said thats ok. Well that was last Thursday. Today she calls me (5 days later) and says that I left grass clippings on the garage door, which I know for a fact I didn't because I didn't get close enough to it due to the layout of sidewalk, etc. and that it took her an hour to clean it off and she found a pinhole in it? I know for a fact none of that happened. She also says she wants me to trim slower (it looked just as good as if I was walking thats why I have a commercial machine that spins 9600 rpm, so I can hurry if I need to) and that she doesn't like the way the big mower cuts (looks better than a 21" and cheaper for her) gripe gripe gripe gripe!!!!!!!! She tells me she has found an older guy to do it with a push mower. OK good luck.... thanks for leaving me, what a relief!!!!!

Most of my other customers are younger and more than happy with my work and prices. They understand that this isn't 1910 when you can get your yard mowed for a nickel. They also understand that I have better things to do than sit and chat (and so do they). They appreciate quality work instead of looking for or making up faults.

I would love to go buy a 60" ZTR and only take on yards at least an acre and the customers no older than 50 y.o. This way they can't help but like the cut of my big mower because there is no kid with a push mower going to do it and they know it. There is not going to be many retired guys with a murry rider and a push mower on these properties either. It will keep out the riff-raff so to speak. When I start making money off of these and can dump some of the small accounts that I don't want I would sell the 52" for lack of place to put it and get a 72" ZTR. When I get past that, a 12' Toro Groundsmaster! Be doing large residential and commercials with less scrubs in it and you wouldn't have to worry about a little clump of grass here and there.... just sheer production mowing with machines lowballers and scrubs aren't as likely to own (in this area anyway).....

Yes I'm dreaming but wouldn't it be nice to grow into that as I know many of you have. You can hold back the "I told you so" comments. Yes you were right :o

Then if that one got succesful start another crew to run a Dakota, S10 or Ranger with a 21" s/p in the back with a bagger just one guy, small truck, mower, trimmer and handheld blower. No edger just mow trim blow and go. Charge cheap with low overhead. I am over the quality work charge high stuff on these little properties. A couple months ago I thought little properties were best. Maybe they are if you find the right kinds of customers and have them close but that is no longer my style. Let the kids and old guys with 21" mowers fight over the little places while lowering prices. I'm "moving out" of that if I can.


Sorry this is long, just had to get it out of my system. Feel free to express thoughts but don't expect a reply.

[65hoss]

BHB, welcome to the real world. We all get people like that at some point. Its called weeding out the junk. I use to take offense to things like that also, but not any longer. Write it off as a good learning experience. Start paying attention to what people say when you first talk with them. If you listen attentively they will usually tell you in some way they are a pain in the butt. Eventually you will be able to pick these people out and refuse to work for them before you get irritated.

[landscaper3]

Well when you have been in business as long as we and others have been you will be able to pick and choose who you want to service and who you dont! It took us years to find our nich and customer base. We all have to start somewhere and to make $$$$ for new equipment to help get jobs done faster. I ask new customers that call me for an estimate who did your lawn care before? If another landscaper did I ask why are you changing? If they didnt like the service I will go bid on it if they ask me looking for better price I kindly tell them not interested in competing in price in fact we are pricey and you get what you pay for. BHB hang in there those 1 million doller homes will be calling you!!!!!
The customers you want are the ones you can UPSELL other services too, thats where the $$$$$$$$$$ is!!!! BHB Look for those accounts!

[FrankenScagMachines]

I Know Hoss, I almost didn't post that but after I had all that typed out, well, LOL it took a while to type. Just need to vent, but I'm glad to be rid of these customers. I had another one kind of like these but younger. She outright said that she didn't like the marks my big mower left and that I would do good on large lawns but she didn't want that on hers and she outright said that she just wanted a kid in the neighborhood to come use her mower for $15 or so! The nerve! LOL Oh well i was glad to be rid of her too!

Brian, thanks, I have bid a few commercials and the people in charge seemed to like me but I guess I overbid quite a bit, almost twice what one guy did on one and the other wouldn't tell me. The third they are trying to do it in-house this year. With a larger mower I would be able to take on these places with prices more like what they are currently paying. Funny thing is it seems like some residentials you can sell on quality but not commercials LOL. Well if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I guess I can lower my prices some and lower my own expectations alittle and maybe pick up some commercials. Dont' get me wrong I wont' do a bad job, I just will not be quite as picky as I have been about my quality.
These kinds of customers I kinda had pinned from the beginning, I mean I could tell alittle that they could be pains but I thought hey I need the money maybe they've just had a bad past experience and maybe we can make it work. I guess not!!!! Well I learned from it...
Thanks for letting me whine... maybe someday I will just start a fabrication shop specifically for the green industry where I won't have to deal with the same kinds of customers (haha yeah right I know better having talked to you guys your cheaper than my customers LOL).

[landscaper3]

In one of the magazines we get, Turf, Landscape management, Pro and tons more. I remember reading that if you get back 70% of your bids your bidding to high!

[crazygator]

BHB,

Please try and remember your very young and have a very long way to go. Just because your getting better equipment, or have some knowledge now after being here at this site for 6 months or a year does not mean you are Mr. Big Time Green Industry Business Man. You cannot expect to have a huge thriving business yet.

I am not trying to put you down, but all things take time. We all went through and still go through the customers that when we pull up we tell ourselves "Why did I tell them yes?" Just learn, but stick through your verbal or written contract for the year. This will help you the most. Let your Yes mean Yes! Dont take the job, find out you bid it wrong then dump them and run. Not good business that way.

Try and help this customer see all the benefits of mulching. If she dont like it, tell them your new bagged price, then go on. If they say yes then do it. It is their lawn and they do have the right to have the work done a certain way.......even if we dont agree!

[FrankenScagMachines]

Originally posted by crazygator
BHB,

Please try and remember your very young and have a very long way to go. Just because your getting better equipment, or have some knowledge now after being here at this site for 6 months or a year does not mean you are Mr. Big Time Green Industry Business Man. You cannot expect to have a huge thriving business yet.

I am not trying to put you down, but all things take time. We all went through and still go through the customers that when we pull up we tell ourselves "Why did I tell them yes?" Just learn, but stick through your verbal or written contract for the year. This will help you the most. Let your Yes mean Yes! Dont take the job, find out you bid it wrong then dump them and run. Not good business that way.

Try and help this customer see all the benefits of mulching. If she dont like it, tell them your new bagged price, then go on. If they say yes then do it. It is their lawn and they do have the right to have the work done a certain way.......even if we dont agree!

I understand and agree 100% with you! We are using written agreements and I tell them it's this price for mulching, this much for bagging. I tell them why mulching is better and explain that it will also be cheaper. I explain why it's cheaper too. Cut and dry, simple as can get, they still don't get it! I have another job I'm not making alot on but I am still sticking to what I said.
Also, it's not that she has anything against mulching but she is allergic to it and is very sensitive to it. She was just sure she could find someone to bag it for $25. And I hate that EVERYONE complains about the dandelions "not getting cut" well they were when I was there (I've gotten my mower to cut them alittle better BTW) but since you are calling several days later, of course they're going to be there again, but hey it's not my fault you have dandelions.
Man I've got to find something else to do to take my mind off this. It's not bugging me that I lost these customers, I'm glad I did because I was tired of their constant nit picking, but I'm still irritated about this kind of stuff. I'd go do something else but it's dark and storming out...

[CMLLawnServices]

I`ll tell u something right now there are alot more people gunning for those big commercails than the little stuff. I had a 6 foot toro grounds master lined up if i got these big commercails i bid on ( total 35 gs) and go fulltime after school and have an hire my sister to run my ZTR to trim ( I have found that women are alot easyer and cautious running stuff like that) but there was alot of people gunning for them and the guy got them for $16hr, now i`m looking for a 48"-36" W/B to add to my trailer cuz now I have to get some residentals which I hate. i`ve got 3 ball Diamonds and a few residentals and a big farm property. Now looking for some residentals , hoping the commercails come up for bids in a few months when this guy goes bankrupt, and there is another were the guy is doing a real bad job were i might try to get. all I can say is don`t plan your whole year on the contracts you might get.

[Scag48]

Lost bids to 3 lawns this week. I guess my pricing is where it should be! :) I'm dissapointed on the other hand, I need the money, but not bad enough to lowball.

[crazygator]

Originally posted by CMLLawnServices
now i`m looking for a 48"-36" W/B to add to my trailer cuz now I have to get some residentals which I hate.

Its very similar around here. I have only 1 commercial account, and when I lose them I aint looking for anymore. I do much better with residential.

Your response above is why I keep a 36" on the trailer. I have gained several accounts this year due to everyone only getting a Z, and nothing for the gated yards. And believe me some of these are nice places too. If I can get more in this one area I can make $60 per 50 minutes......and this is solo.

But for you BHB and any others, it all takes time to find what you really like to do and what you are really good at in this business. What I like and can do really good isnt what your all about. You might find one day you are good at shrub pruning - in a fancy design sort of way. Or that you can grow grass on concrete (just an example).....these things take time to come out of your and my personalities. Take this time to learn all you can about this business, and in all areas.

Do a search on the internet about fertilizer, different types of grass seed, shrubs, mulch, equipment, aerating and so on. You can learn so much about very specific areas then your niche will be found, and if you look long enough you WILL find it.

And with all this other stuff, just be like a duck and let it roll off your back.......or you will quack up!......hahaha :cool:

[mowerman90]

I tell them why mulching is better and explain that it will also be cheaper. I explain why it's cheaper too. Cut and dry, simple as can get, they still don't get it!

Back around 1995 I told ALL of my customers I wouldn't be bagging anymore. End of story. Best thing I ever did.

[C & T]

I have this one account that I picked up this year and all this 72 year old lady does is nit pick,complain, and watch me, and I am not even done with the lawn.
The first time I mowed her property I had to cut it twice with my 48" wb, the grass was so high. I told her I don't bag normally but I do charge extra for bagging and hauling. She didn't seem happy and I wasn't going to budge. After my first pass with the mower she complains that the cut grass is laying on the lawn and it's going to kill the grass underneath. I told her I had to mow it again and then blow the lawn with my back blower. Then she complains about the grass on the sidewalk and I told her I still have yet to blow the area off. I spent more time telling her what I was doning than actual mowing.
To cut the lawn, trim, blow and edge I get $40, bagging and hauling the grass is another $20 (her sons pay me). The property is of good size and it doen't take more than 20 minutes to do everything. I've made extra money with landscaping the walkway, planting shrubs. etc... bottom line the property is a money maker regardless of the headaches that come with it. This is why I keep a bottle of advil in my glove box.

[LawnGuy73]

That really sucks, I feel for ya....

[Swampbeast]

Dont worry BHB, as long as you mow, there will be people like that. Once I started mowing a yard, back a long time ago, when all I had was a 48 inch SCAG and a 21, a trimmer, an edger, a blower, and the back end of a truck. Well, I whipped that SCAG around and started mowing her front yard. About 5 feet into the grass, she comes flying out the door screaming at me to stop! So I stop, and she asks me just what I think I am doing? So I tell her I am mowing. Apparently she had never seen anything bigger than a 21 inch mower before, and she thought I was plowing her yard or something?? :confused: ?? She never was comfortable with the big mowers.
I also find though that most people like how fast we get the yards done. One old man just cant get over how quickly the 61 inch ZTR's will cut. He loves it, and even gives me a $50 check every Christmas. I like him! It takes us about 10 minutes to completely finish his yard, and we make $40 off of it. Easiest yard we have!

So hang in there, its not that bad.

:cool:

[FrankenScagMachines]

CML there is alot of them around here but maybe not quite as much as in the little yards. Also the ones gunning for com's here are usually properly equipped to do the job correctly. This meaning they are required to have ins, and almost always have commercial mowers, etc. it's like the scrubs don't know how to get these types :p

Thanks for the encouragement crazygator :)

C&T you have more patience than me that is all I can say!

Swampbeast, I know they'll still be there, I just don't want them!! LOL....
No one has really commented on the speed because well, when you have an underpowered machine with a bad deck design, or lack of, and have to double cut everything going slow the first pass, well it seems it might be faster with that 48" hydro 20hp garden tractor in the shed! LOL maybe it would be... well many of my customers aren't even home when I do it so they could care less....

[Gravely_Man]

Eric, Just hang in there and keep going. This is the pain that we all have to go through and learn the hard way in the line of work. The key is to not make the same mistake twice.


Gravely_Man

[slowleak]

Originally posted by crazygator
Its very similar around here. I have only 1 commercial account, and when I lose them I aint looking for anymore. I do much better with residential.

Your response above is why I keep a 36" on the trailer. I have gained several accounts this year due to everyone only getting a Z, and nothing for the gated yards. And believe me some of these are nice places too. If I can get more in this one area I can make $60 per 50 minutes......and this is solo.

But for you BHB and any others, it all takes time to find what you really like to do and what you are really good at in this business. What I like and can do really good isnt what your all about. You might find one day you are good at shrub pruning - in a fancy design sort of way. Or that you can grow grass on concrete (just an example).....these things take time to come out of your and my personalities. Take this time to learn all you can about this business, and in all areas.

Do a search on the internet about fertilizer, different types of grass seed, shrubs, mulch, equipment, aerating and so on. You can learn so much about very specific areas then your niche will be found, and if you look long enough you WILL find it.

And with all this other stuff, just be like a duck and let it roll off your back.......or you will quack up!......hahaha :cool:

[John Gamba]

Welcome To The Real World Eric!!
John

[bscill]

I have an account with an older lady in her 80's and she calls all the time to come up a mow. I tell her she is on a schedule and can not mess any thing up, but she doesn't understand. She also doesn't like the big mower (60" ZTR) on her lawn. I know its the real world, but I keep pulling out my hair everytime she calls...:blob2:

[SLS]

BushHogBoy states:

"I would love to go buy a 60" ZTR and only take on yards at least an acre and the customers no older than 50 y.o. This way they can't help but like the cut of my big mower because there is no kid with a push mower going to do it and they know it. There is not going to be many retired guys with a murry rider and a push mower on these properties either. "


Almost all of my client's are residential 1 acre lots. Practically all of my customers (36) are seniors. They are all in a 5 mile radius of my base. I use a 60" Lazer Z as my primary mower.

Now, although I do not see many kids with push mowers in my AEO (area of operation)...I DO see ton's of retired old guys humping Murray and Craftsman riders around on tiny trailers (or in the bed of their pickup trucks) mowing these same 1 acre (or larger) lots. And I mean TON'S of them too....as well as younger upstarts who got a deal on that Yard Machine 42" over at Lowe's.

1 acre lot's, younger clientele, and a 60" ZTR WILL NOT eliminate the "old guy on a tractor" blues for you. Sorry.


Only quality of service, value of service, dependability, customer skills, and a working knowledge of marketing and your costs of operation will save you. :)

Hang in there, pal!

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Originally posted by John Gamba
Welcome To The Real World Eric!!
John

All that blah blah blah, and this sums it up in 6 words.

You got to take that junk to build till you can cherry pick, you can't expect to get all good customers, they are still going to treat you like the 15 year old kid you are. That's why the old ladies are letting you cut their lawn.

[promower]

I feel for ya BHB. I've been tring to get into this very high end neighborhood for a while. (few homes under$1,000,000) Large properties with lots of awesome grass, thick green, no weeds. I finally got an account her and the neighbor. Told her $55 per cut and that was only if I was to do the neighbor also. Called me back said someone told her $30 and could I match that. I knew she was lying or why wouldnt she just sign with them. I'm a no name started late last year. Anyways I said I would do it for $35, and made an agreement for her not tell others what she is paying. I lowered just to get my foot in the door in this area. It takes a while and not very profitable. Hopefully this works out in getting more accounts here. I just cant belive that someone with tons of money couldnt imagine spending an extra $60-$70 per month is gonna break them. Anyways I'm not sure which is worse older people or super rich. She did say the lawn looked fantastic though. Next year $55 no questions asked.

[LawnMowerMan2003]

I just got a lot around an acre, and am mowing it with my 21". :)
I guess I should have measured it, cause I'm not sure how much grass I actually mow. It took me 4.5 hours to do, but this was partially due to the fact that I mowed the grass too low, in some areas. It was thick Zoysa (not sure about spelling) grass that caused even my 21" to sink down in it. I currently do 1 hour lawns for $25, since I need work really bad (only 10 customers, so far) so I figure I can do this lawn in 3 hours normally, on a higher setting, and charge $75. I'm guessing this is still a good price, cause some lawn services here won't do anything for less than $35.

[Rustic Goat]

Franken
Not that it makes any difference, I don't believe the first older lady in your story is being accurate/truthful.
It would be really difficult for someone to be allergic to cut grass only, and not the grass growing in the ground.
Unless she's out there with her face on the ground inhaling it, or it's being treated with something that gets put in the air for a while when cut.
This is just to say that no matter what age you get to be, there will be a new story/wrinkle everyday.
Mechanical equipment = Bigger/faster isn't always better.
Best wishes, don't let the day to day get you down as you search for your own gray hairs.

[KirbysLawn]

Welcome to the big time that's life.

[Tx Firefighter]

I have one customer that I freakin hate. She tries to jerk my schedule around. She asked for a break if she set up a regular schedule with me, so I told her I'd cut the price 10 dollars if she would allow me to do it regularly. She will call and say something like "The yard hasn't grown much, so just mow the high spots and weed my flower bed this week instead of mowing the whole thing." Negative ghost rider. No will do.

My wife runs a very succesfull construction company. She knows how to deal with idiot customers very well. I let her answer the phone the next time this customer called. My wife layed out the issues calmly and objectively and told the lady that we would not be able to service her any longer at this price if she wouldn't be reliable. My wife raised the price by 33% and the lady agreed to pay. I'm not near as good as her at bieng calm and rational when dealing with problem customers, so I let her do it.

Now, I still hate the customer, but, I'm smiling when doing her yard, because I'm making a killing on it.

I learned from this, never fire a customer. If the customer is a picky, hard to please person, just bid it high enough so that you can at least feel good about the job, even though you want to strangle the customer.

[LawnMowerMan2003]

I've stopped doing business with customers in the past, but I agree that that you should always try your best to keep them. Maybe I need more practice negotiating. There's some customers that are always trying to get extra things for free or get a better deal. I suppose I can't blame them for trying, but I feel every one of my customers is getting a good price from the start. One problem I've had is customers who don't have the grass mowed often enough, and then they complain when the grass doesn't all mulch. I get really tired of explaining that the grass does not mulch well when it gets past a certain height, and that if it takes me longer to mow I have to charge them more. I suppose I just have to be firm with my policy, and politely explain it several times, if needed. In the end though, I would rather not have a customer, than feel like I am being underpaid each time.

[mtdman]

I have lots of older people as customers. They are no different than any other customer, really. You get the good ones and bad ones. I weeded out the ones that complain about the big mowers and whatever else a long time ago. I think it's just a generational difference, nitpicking about the lawn and stuff. I dunno. My favorite thing to ask the nit-pickers is something along the lines of "With your days left on this earth growing shorter, I simply can't understand why you would bother to worry about something so trivial as your lawn." That usually shuts them up just fine.

I have also learned that you have to know when to say "no" to doing extra stuff for free, and to be firm when people ask you to do the impossible. I had an old lady that dumped me when I bought my first walk behind because she didn't like the bigger mower. Fine, whateva. The guy that she got after me ended up cutting the lawn with the same mower. She was a real PITA and nitpicker that I put up with when I was starting up. Always complaining about something, wacking, mowing, whatever. But then 3 years later when I started doing her neighbor, and she couldn't find anyone else to do it, I took great satisfaction in reminding her that she was a customer of mine a while back who dropped me, and that I was not interested in taking her back on. As Kenny Rogers says, you gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold them. :D

[Rustic Goat]

My favorite thing to ask the nit-pickers is something along the lines of "With your days left on this earth growing shorter, I simply can't understand why you would bother to worry about something so trivial as your lawn." That usually shuts them up just fine.

If everyone thought their lawn was trivial, we'd all be out of business.

[David Haggerty]

It's also the nature of people.

They want to tell you what to do.
They think.they know the best way to cut a lawn.
Old lonely people say or do anything to get you to stay longer.


The practice you get dealing with people now will help you from now on. It just doesn't change that much as you get bigger.

If you think it's diffficult crowding a WB onto a lawn, try to sneak a 16' batwing onto a lawn! It makes you want to say things like "I'm sure this golf course mower is going to tear up your little piece o' **** lawn!" You just learn not to say stuff like that.

I had a property manager who was responsible for five large properties in two separate towns ask me. "Could you cut a little lower?" Time to bite my tongue again, give a civil answer.:angel:

Same old Stuff-Different day.

Dave

[crawdad]

Originally posted by promower
I feel for ya BHB. I've been tring to get into this very high end neighborhood for a while. (few homes under$1,000,000) Large properties with lots of awesome grass, thick green, no weeds. I finally got an account her and the neighbor. Told her $55 per cut and that was only if I was to do the neighbor also. Called me back said someone told her $30 and could I match that. I knew she was lying or why wouldnt she just sign with them. I'm a no name started late last year. Anyways I said I would do it for $35, and made an agreement for her not tell others what she is paying. I lowered just to get my foot in the door in this area. It takes a while and not very profitable. Hopefully this works out in getting more accounts here. I just cant belive that someone with tons of money couldnt imagine spending an extra $60-$70 per month is gonna break them. Anyways I'm not sure which is worse older people or super rich. She did say the lawn looked fantastic though. Next year $55 no questions asked.
If you knew she was lying, why'd ya let her talk you down?
Did you get the neighbor, and for how much, if so?
Next year, she'll likely find someone else who wants into the neighborhood, and tell him to beat your price of 35.
Crawdad

[LawnMowerMan2003]

How big was this lawn (aproximately) ?

[mtdman]

Originally posted by Rustic Goat
If everyone thought their lawn was trivial, we'd all be out of business.

Compared to having 4 or 5 years to live, I would think it was very trivial. Old people need to have their lawn mowed, but I don't understand why they get so touchy and nit pickey about it. If your time is limited on this planet, you'd think the lawn would be the last thing to think about.

:D

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Many old women had their hubbies who had passed a way mow their lawns, now every time they look out at the lawn they sometimes see old hubbie out there mowing it, or still think about it, and the lawn helps them remember their hubbie.

This is what I found out most, in trying to figure out why the old ladies were so dang nit picky!!!!!!!!

[crawdad]

Originally posted by LawnMowerMan2003
How big was this lawn (aproximately) ?

I don't know, you'd have to ask the guy who's mowing it for 64 percent of his original bid. That would be Promower.
I don't haggle. I walk.
I'm wondering, if someone told her they'd mow it for 30, why she would pay him 35. Kinda proves she made up the 30 dollar guy.
I had an ol' gal tell me, after quoteing her 40 bucks for a steep hill, that someone else would do it for 25. I asked her who he was, as I wanted to hire him. She paid me the 40 bucks.
Crawdad

[bastalker]

LGF said it...I have an old lady that her husband passed away, and wanted it cut just like he used to do it. Horizontally along the back an front of the house. I started diamond cutting it one time, and she ran out an stopped me.

I have other old ladies that want the yard scalped, so they only have to have it cut once every 3 weeks(I refuse to cut any lawn short) have lost a couple clients because of it.

Had one old lady that I charge $30 a cut, complains that it didn't take long enough, the grass was to high when we were thru, and we should edge her bed to earn this $30. I gave her the explanations the equipment costs, ins...etc. So then she hands me a $50 dollar check for 2 cuts and tells me thats all it was worth to her. Now get this...This old lady was going nuts tryin to get me the 4 other accounts close to her which I did. So now I am in a catch 22. The list goes on an on. Just part of the biz....Suck it up!!:rolleyes:

[LawnMowerMan2003]

I've run into customers who try to talk me down, even though I already have a good price. I feel like saying "Go find somebody who will do it cheaper then...", but I know this wouldn't accomplish anything.

I had one guy who I told $35 and he offered me $32.50! I took it, of course, because the $2.50 wasn't even worth arguging over. I was shocked that it would be worth it for him to say anything, because he usually has only 2 cuts per month, saving him $5 a month. If it was that important for him to save money, he should have never hired somebody to cut the grass!

I'm beggining to think I should start bidding higher, just so I can leave a few dollars so those people can feel like they're getting a good deal.

[Gr grass n Hi tides]

Originally posted by LAWNGODFATHER
Many old women had their hubbies who had passed a way mow their lawns, now every time they look out at the lawn they sometimes see old hubbie out there mowing it, or still think about it, and the lawn helps them remember their hubbie.

This is what I found out most, in trying to figure out why the old ladies were so dang nit picky!!!!!!!!

Good point. It goes the other way too. I've got a 90 yo gentleman for a client (looks 70). His wife is in a rest home now, but it's easy to see looking at their property that they spent a lot of time and money on it when they were younger. He told me they won "yard of the month" a few times back in the day. He gives most of the credit to his wife. After giving the place some TLC it's kind of nice seeing the old fella doing just what LGF says.