The Green Industry's Resource Center

Icepuck72 · #1 07-31-2008, 04:57 PM

Is it just me, are they a major pain? I just dropped an old lady this morning because she is a major PITA.

Long story short, 2 months ago she responded to my ad, went out did the estimate, easily a $50 yard with trimming, edging and blowing. Said she couldn't afford it due to her husband passing 5 years ago and she's on social security. I felt bad, she said she could afford $30. Me being a nice guy, fell for it. Told her she's getting a really good deal and she totally agreed.

Explained to her I am a Firefighter, do my business part time, made her understand I would not be coming out the same day every week or every other week. It would be a day or two off, and I would let her know by phoning her. We agreed.

She called me up yesterday screaming at me...I'm not exaggerating here, asking why the lawn wasn't cut. I simply said, "Good luck finding someone cutting your lawn at $30, I will no longer be doing it. I guess that's what I get for being nice.

ambersLawnmowing · #2 07-31-2008, 05:25 PM

We never cut on the same day. We set up a route every week, most of my customers are on ever 11 days some are weekly. The biggest thing i find wrong with this you left her because she yelled? man if i did that i wouldnt have any work. My customers, well not all of them but most of my gated ones think that i owe them the world. Tell you what as long as they pay me on time i will be there for the half hour or hour i am there. There is nothing good about droping a customer because she called once.Word of mouth is the best advertising and old people have big mouths and they never seem to forget things like this they may forget your name but never forget leaving them high and dry.

jkilov · #3 07-31-2008, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ambersLawnmowing

There is nothing good about droping a customer because she called once.Word of mouth is the best advertising and old people have big mouths and they never seem to forget things like this they may forget your name but never forget leaving them high and dry.

Some old granny's can be such a pain. Utter disasters that never stop blabber mouthing until they die. I swear old men mostly are'nt like this.

What's gonna happen now is she's might start spreading bad words about you all over the neighborhood, adopting the story so you'll end up looking a very bad person. It's just impossible to defend yourself against someone that spends 5 hrs a day gossiping the same story all over again.

I apologize for this statement but if there's one thing better than cold whiskey it's (in some cases) a cold M-I-L.

topsites · #4 07-31-2008, 05:58 PM

Then you get the ones who act like you're the 8-year old boy

But I will say about them stories they like to tell...
I recently had someone tell me they both had a terminal disease (specifically).
And I felt bad, but more because things are tough all over than for the customer...
Guess they miss-interpreted that

Now ...
Way things have gone, it's usually them who drop me nowadays.

Icepuck72 · #5 07-31-2008, 06:30 PM

I seriously doubt granny who is around 80 is going to go around and gossip about her lawn boy.

I didn't mention that she would call me every week to make sure of the day, would leave countless voice mails over and over. Just got old.

To put it bluntly, I don't need every single customer that comes my way. I'm fortunate that I don't have to take every single person. I live in an area of a little over a million people, so there is plenty of work to do. This is my second job, and I told my wife that I would not be stressed out over it.

I cut her a break, I do an outstanding job, show up when I say I show up. You yell at me, I say bye-bye. It was $30 every two weeks. Not a deal breaker.

abcfamily · #6 07-31-2008, 06:34 PM

At least the people paying you are the ones complaining!
Last week I had 3 complaints from neighbors of my customers, 2 saying my mower is to noisy and one who said I mowed 18" into her property. This was all three properties in the same night. I thought holy smokes, now I have to please the neighbors as well as the customers!! Give me a break

jkilov · #7 07-31-2008, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abcfamily

At least the people paying you are the ones complaining!
Last week I had 3 complaints from neighbors of my customers, 2 saying my mower is to noisy and one who said I mowed 18" into her property. This was all three properties in the same night. I thought holy smokes, now I have to please the neighbors as well as the customers!! Give me a break

Did the customer measure it with a tape or something ?

. Let me guess, he also took pictures (with a newspaper proving the date) and included a property chart.

I have cut over the border several times. Misunderstandings happen. It's not a tree but grass that grows back in 5 days so I hate when people make a big deal out of it. Dealing with such people is the #1 thing I hate about the job.

johnnywill08 · #8 07-31-2008, 07:14 PM

i like the senile ones..... "um, no, you didn't pay your bill last month. g'head and fwd a check."

just kiddin.

South Florida Lawns · #9 07-31-2008, 07:50 PM

I have had them all. How about some one that is nice one second, then flips a s*%t a minute later for no reason at all. They get mad at me every time I shut the mower off, and say I miss spots all along the house. Guess they never had trimmers back then

OH AND FORGET EXPLAINING THAT A $10 GRAND MOWER WILL CUT NICE AT 10MPH

ambersLawnmowing · #10 07-31-2008, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abcfamily

At least the people paying you are the ones complaining!
Last week I had 3 complaints from neighbors of my customers, 2 saying my mower is to noisy and one who said I mowed 18" into her property. This was all three properties in the same night. I thought holy smokes, now I have to please the neighbors as well as the customers!! Give me a break

I had something close to that. I have a guy that i mowed for since i started and he has a ditch that i cant drive across the guy next to him put in a culvert to cross so he could mow on the other side of the ditch well the guy next door called the cops on me one day because i drove my mower across his little trail to get to the other side to finish the job for my customer there was no other way to get to it the next time i mowed i didnt feel like talking with the cops so i got a running start and launched my mower through the ditch well got stuck. the next door dick watched me the entire time i tried to pull my stuck mower out then had the balls to say why didnt i cross by his little path????????? WTF if he is ever in his yard while i am mowing i will make sure and see how well my insurance is and run something over that will launch at his head......