You mis-priced a job. What next?

[crawdad]

You mis-priced a job. We've all done it.
You gave a price to mow 35 bucks, and the lawn took way too long, and dulled your blades from all of the rocks. This lawn needs to be at least 50 bucks.
What do you do next?
1)Mow for the rest of the year at the too-low price, and adjust it next year.
2)Stop showing up
3)Give the customer a new price, and take it from there.
Crawdad

[Splicer]

Number 1...

[crawdad]

Originally Posted by Splicer

Number 1...

Continue to lose money?
Why?

[topsites]

Originally Posted by Splicer

Number 1...

Same here, because my reasoning is:
1) Chalks up a ton of experience, education is not free and this is the price we must sometimes pay.
2) You win some, you lose some.
3) A deal is a deal.

The only way I would not show up is if I felt I was tricked into giving the too low price.

As far as quoting a higher price, that won't fly with me but I have been known to raise the price by $5 mid-season, just kinda slip it in there, it's still too low but it does help... Still, it's a tricky gamble. I have also been upfront about it, finish the job and come time to get paid, just let it out, let them know I made a mistake, sometimes it works.

[Runner]

How long have you been doing it? If you just started, I would just simply tell them..."Look, due to this ground being as rough as it is, and with all the oblects and such, I'm sorry, but I just cannot continue to service your lawnnfor $35. It would take a minimum of $50, and if you choose to try to find someone else to do it, I fully understand."
Just be honest, open, and upfront. They will understand, and it either gets you off the hook, or it gets youthe ompensation needed to make up for the extra time and care required to do this job at a profitable rate.

[KeystoneLawn&Landscaping]

I say number 1 also. In my opinion, when you give a customer a quote you stick with it. I'll bet when you give a quote and it takes less time, you don't lower your price! It's part of doing business, take the good with the bad, learn from both and adjust for the next quote.

[olderthandirt]

#3 Nothing to lose, Customer don't accept at least your not working for free

#4- sell the account to someone with "no overhead" they profit on all jobs

[noseha]

Originally Posted by olderthandirt

#3 Nothing to lose, Customer don't accept at least your not working for free

#4- sell the account to someone with "no overhead" they profit on all jobs

#3 what do you have to loose a cus. that you don't want?
#4 do you have someone to give acct. too?
#5 clean up the lawn for a price!

[stumpjumper]

One thing to consider is that your efficiency may improve after a couple of cuts. I have a couple I thought I had under bid, trimmed a few limbs, picked up a few things and talked to the customer about keeping it that way. The result was almost a 30% decrease in mowing time. Kept the account for the year so the time was well spent.

[topsites]

Originally Posted by stumpjumper

One thing to consider is that your efficiency may improve after a couple of cuts. I have a couple I thought I had under bid, trimmed a few limbs, picked up a few things and talked to the customer about keeping it that way. The result was almost a 30% decrease in mowing time. Kept the account for the year so the time was well spent.

You know that brings up an excellent point as well, it has been some time since I practiced what you preach, but underbidding forces you to become leaner and meaner, and if you can figure out how to still make a profit at the new low price, you got yourself an edge that is hard to beat.

Far as dull blades, that really don't bother me but so much...
Way I look at it: Let them get dull, sharp ones go on every day, and this is the reason why.

Try and remember the trouble spots and feel free to throw or move certain rocks out of the way (if feasible). Trust me, I got a few yards worthy of mountaingoats lol, it takes 2-3 cuts until I'm used to it, then all of a sudden like was quoted, it becomes peachy and I'm making out decent.

p.s.: I have been known to schedule the tougher yards later in the day and my class-A lawns early on, but still sharp blades daily and don't do the scheduling trick too much, let everyone get sharp blades first cut I always say.
p.s.s.: A light-weight fixed deck Wb really makes a difference when you're constantly having to lift the deck, as does having two mowers (an older and a newer one heheh).