How Could This Not Make Us Angry!?

[cranky44]

Do a great job, look professional, be courteous and dependable. You will not lose any "good" customers to lowballers. I get premium dollars for my accounts and have even received raises without asking from multiple customers.

[orangemower]

Originally Posted by MOW ED

It is an absolute scumbag who puts a business card on a US mailbox to advertise in the first place. He should have at least put the card in a plastic bag with a rock in it and thrown it on the driveway!

You will find a load of turds in the mowing world, get used to it or it will really get you. Its America in hard times, it doesn't take an 8th grade education to cut lawns. Thats not taking anything away from the legit business person who knows margins and numbers and gives a good service for the money earned. Not everyone can run a lawn business but anyone can cut lawn.
You know as well as I there are people who will charge low prices and there will be those who hire these goofs. I don't want them as my customers. The lowballer can have all of them. Its not worth the headache of trying to constantly justify yourself to someone who just cares about price. I know this isn't the situation for you right now but it is worth talking about.
You seem to have a good relationship with the daughter and you are getting paid what you believe is a fair wage for work. If thats the case you still have to constantly be aware of the scumbag lowballer but sometime price alone isn't the deciding factor.
If you want to give this lowballer hell, go to the post office and file a complaint about them avoiding postage and advertising on the box. It may not be a popular thing to do but then again neither is trying to lowball and steal your customers.

Thanks Ed for saving me the time from typing all that. Couldn't have said it better my self.

Originally Posted by Duekster

I had a client call me to re-activate after a few years off. They had a layoff in the family so some was mowing, it happens I lost a few that way over the last few years.

Anyway, We were talking and a teen with a little red wagon came down the block with his mowing equipment. I looked an chuckled and said there is my competition you want a quote? The guy laughed and said I don't think so.

It is what it is. You have to figure your price, be competitive and stick to your guns. You will survive but every year there is a new crop of teens and a new crop of low ballers as well as a new crop of good competition.

Yeah but there's also a percentage that closes shop that did good work as well as the bottom feeders that fall out in the heat or cut enough to get a few cases of beer. I KNOW I'm not going anywhere. I don't worry about others. I focused this spring on gaining some new customers and it's to the point I almost need to go to a full time guy and get all the crap that goes with it. I'm a good 2 months out on work and still have calls coming in. I'm having to turn down hardscape work to a point I'm considering getting a contractors license. A few would have been a easy 10-15k jobs that I know how to do.

[Blade Runners]

Originally Posted by cranky44

Do a great job, look professional, be courteous and dependable. You will not lose any "good" customers to lowballers. I get premium dollars for my accounts and have even received raises without asking from multiple customers.

Absolutely the truest advice I've read on here! Those 4 things alone will contribute more to your success than anything else. You won't have to worry about lowballers because your customers won't want to lose you!