holy PITA

[Jimslawncareservice]

This lady has been quiet for a while and easy going. Tell her I'll br there today to get her stuff trimmed. She's been calling every night to remind me. Calls at 815 wondering where I am. Tell her getting diesel and I'll be on my way. Go to start truck and its dead. So I give her a call to tell her it will be a little later. She tells me I have personal problems, and demands I give her a time I'll be there. I simply couldn't because I don't know if its a simple fix or not. Then I tell her tis find someone else to do her work. She said send a worker or another company. I am solo in summer and fall, so there's no one to send. It's up to her find someone else. Then she said not everyone would give me a second chance. I tell her not everyone is as impatient as her. I was really getting pissed at her because she just keeps rambling on telling me that I'm not dependable and its one thing after another. I said I'm done with this shat and find some one else. She mumbled something about my wording. I don't remember what I said. So she asked again what time I would be there. I tell o don't know and I didn't plan on this. She tells me it gets dark at 7. I say its not an all day job. She says it takes forever. I tell her that I've done this many times. She says not here you haven't. I said I've done many jobs and cut the same, so I know how long it takes. Then she tells me how to proceed. I said yes you've made it clear at least 10 times already. And that was the end of the conversation. I think I need to type something up because this is terrible. I just couldn't get through to her, and she made me into someone I'm not.
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[Jimslawncareservice]

Sorry for the long story. It just pissed me off so bad.
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[ncnurseryman]

I say run and run fast far away from her. That's not worth it.

[Weekend cut easymoney]

older folks have to be treated with kid gloves many times ...many have nothing better to do than expect you to show up as you are the entertainment for the week--

I don't make appointments and don't give customers that level of direct communication...

I use mostly email so I can document everything and have an answering machine that people can leave a message...it gets text messaged to me immediately, so I can decide what calls are important to return immediately or which ones can wait until I am in the office in front of a computer so I can answer scheduling questions or billing-

many folks on here will argue about how important it is to always answer the phone immediately lest you miss out on a sale...somewhat true, though as a single operator, you need to be efficient with your time...talking on the phone all day instead of working is a rough life and not very efficient as people tend to go on and on about non work related things...I used to answer phone calls twice each day, noon, 5/6 pm

---email is so much easier and folks using email don't give you as much gruff

[Jimslawncareservice]

Originally Posted by Weekend cut easymoney

older folks have to be treated with kid gloves many times ...many have nothing better to do than expect you to show up as you are the entertainment for the week--

I don't make appointments and don't give customers that level of direct communication...

I use mostly email so I can document everything and have an answering machine that people can leave a message...it gets text messaged to me immediately, so I can decide what calls are important to return immediately or which ones can wait until I am in the office in front of a computer so I can answer scheduling questions or billing-

many folks on here will argue about how important it is to always answer the phone immediately lest you miss out on a sale...somewhat true, though as a single operator, you need to be efficient with your time...talking on the phone all day instead of working is a rough life and not very efficient as people tend to go on and on about non work related things...I used to answer phone calls twice each day, noon, 5/6 pm

---email is so much easier and folks using email don't give you as much gruff

Email doesn't fly with most older people. I get text on occasions.

Here's an example.... Wtfay? Mgisl. Untbhasap. Anyone want to decode that?
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[TNGrassCutter]

Originally Posted by Jimslawncareservice

Email doesn't fly with most older people. I get text on occasions.

Here's an example.... Wtfay? Mgisl. Untbhasap. Anyone want to decode that?
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I'll take a stab at it. Where the f are you? My grass is so long. U need to be here asap. If that's correct these people would not be my customer any longer nor get a reply. I'm not going to have someone talking to me like I'm their 16 year old son.
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[Jimslawncareservice]

Originally Posted by TNGrassCutter

I'll take a stab at it. Where the f are you? My grass is so long. U need to be here asap. If that's correct these people would not be my customer any longer nor get a reply. I'm not going to have someone talking to me like I'm their 16 year old son.
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Yes you are correct. She might get a cancelation letter for next spring. By the way it was all weeds not grass. That was my reply back.
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[jrs.landscaping]

Customers need to understand stuff happens. Even though we have backup trucks/mowers/trailers sometimes they won't cooperate either. Any customer that can't understand that... I refuse to work for.

[rbljack]

this is very true of older customers. Sometimes they can be hard to deal with. I was asked last month to put down fertilizer for a customer, and took care of it in a timely manner. This couple has also had their lawn sprayed professionally in the spring to treat for weeds. Well, last time I went to mow, he asked me where I bought the fertilizer because there were weeds in his lawn and he felt like the weed seeds were mixed in with the fertilizer. Well, you can imagine how the rest of the conversation went, but i had to reassure him that it wasnt the fertilizer that brought the weeds in.

No amount of talking will change their mind. They are set in their ways. Additinally, its true that they dont get out much, and we are their entertainment, or people to talk too. I have to plan when I mow this partilcular yard, because its guaranteeed that I will be talking to this cpl after mowing for at least 15-20 minutes. Thats time I could be spent mowing. These are just a few examples of unforseen problems that can come up..LOL. But, its all part of the customer service. They arent just paying me to cut their lawn (in the case of this couple). They look forward to me showing up, so they can tell me im mowing too fast, or missing spots, or not cutting it short enough.

He blames me because I havent been there in a week, and the grass is taller around the concrete then the rest of his yard that is burnt up in the middle of summer, even though I have suggested that he let me leave the lawn a bit taller in the heat of summer...LOL..its never ending.

[Weekend cut easymoney]

Originally Posted by Jimslawncareservice

Email doesn't fly with most older people. I get text on occasions.

Here's an example.... Wtfay? Mgisl. Untbhasap. Anyone want to decode that?
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I focus on professional folks...not older folks..just a difference on where too focus
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