Homeowners are Cheap!!

[sms8921]

Today I had a misunderstanding with two of my clients. The first....This persons yard hasn't been cut in 3 weeks. The growth on the front was minimal, but the growth in the back was extreme. The owner asked me last week to please skip till next week, so I did. This week I tell the owner, there is an extra 5.00 charge due to extra time it took me to mow the back yard this week. She didn't understand why she had to pay because the back yard grows faster than the front....??? Ok, the second. This owner hasn't had their yard mowed in 4 weeks. The yard as a whole had minimal growth but the edges were plush and green around all mulch beds, sidewalks and driveways. To complete the yard today took me an additional 15 minutes due to extra trimming that needed done. I also told this owner there will be an additional 5.00 charge. The owner thought it was the same price every week no matter what happened. I then said well normally when I am there weekly the growth is the same every week and the time usually is also. The owner didn't want to pay the extra, but agreed after a long silence. What I don't understand is the first client saved 105.00 for me not cutting for 3 weeks, and the second saved 140.00 and they both cannot pay the extra 5.00 charge??

[Grasssales2001]

So, are you willing to lose a customer over $5.00?

[LandFakers]

From a business stand point you are right, they saved a lot of the past few weeks and shouldn't feel that the extra $5 is ripping them off. But from their standpoint you did the exact same thing as usually ( I know you did extra but to them it's just you came and mowed the lawn). And why they can't understand why there is an extra charge, it is still necessary. It definitely should be you put in more work you get paid more, and $5 sure isn't a lot!!! But like I said, to them... You just mowed the lawn.

[sms8921]

By no means am I willing to lose the customer over 5.00. I just am finding it hard to see thier reasoning behind it. You can't get alot for 5.00 today and I thought I was being fair...I don't know..I have been doing this for three years full time and I learn something new each and every day. Commercials sometimes have more headaches but if you put an extra 5 or 10 dollar charge on their bill and explain it they dont even ask why its there.

[Big Wes]

$5.00 is cheap.

My new policy is if a client tells me to skip their lawn because it has brown patch, or it's just been so dry even though they have irrigation system, or Bermuda grass, and as of lately God has given us rain at night a few times and there hasn't been a reason to skip a cut. I now inform them that when they ask me to skip that there will be a 50% surcharge added to the next mowing due to excessive growth, which has been the case around here.

[Grasssales2001]

Do the work and quit bitchin about it. $ 5 - 10 dollars? Really guys? And Big Wes, you'll be bitchin when they find another provider.

[Mahoney3223]

people are cheap because timmy the neighbor boy or neighbor bob who just got laid off will mow the lawn "professionally" for 15.00

[Golfpro21]

I would suck it up this season, take it as a learning experience.
Next year put it all in writing before you agree to service the property.......seriously consider a seasonal price.....up here we usually have 27 weeks of cutting, so we offer a seasonal price that accounts for 25 weeks, then the client knows we are coming 25 times, unless we get steady rain every week then it might be 26 times, but they are also told there will be a week we do not come regardless of conditions as it is a week off for us, and it is upto us when that week is.

[FLCthes4:11-12]

Thats what happens when you do it by the cut. Before you perfromed the work did you knock on the door and tell them that it would be $5 more this time? If you didnt let them know in advance then its on you. Its just work it took you 15 minutes. I could understand hours. Suck it up it goes with the business.

[knox gsl]

Suck it up and go on, its the cost of doing business.
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