I hate when this happens.....

[orangemower]

Originally Posted by ashgrove landscaping

Yup time to take charge . I'm sick of the "oh i'm on social security and fixed income BS along with the "yeah i got out there with my push mower this week" BS Ya know what sorry Yer getting a bill for me showing up! Try that $h1t with the cable, phone or electric companies. Respect me or go fu% yourself ! You asked for the service, no pay up!

It's funny you mention that. I have a couple that are older but still are very active and she still has a job. He tells me that they might have to cut back because of their "fixed" income. Yeah right. He travels ALL the time on "business" to Philly and bought a mint Corvette! He complained about a $2 raise in price but still has me doing the lawn. He's cheap. He even told me to just blow the grass in the street because they (city) come by and clean with a sweeper. I obviously told him that's not my style.

[MOturkey]

I have a bi-weekly, vacant property I mowed all last season. When I started up this spring, I drove by to check and see if it needed mowing, and it had already been mowed. Kind of ticked me off, but it was only a block or two out of my way, so I called the lady, who lives in another town, and left a message on her phone asking her to contact me if she no longer needs service.

She calls in a few days and says she has no idea who mowed, but that, yes, she wants me to mow. I've been doing it since with no problems. Still don't know who mowed, but I did notice one of the neighbors has a new Craftsman rider, so I'm wondering if he got home with his new mower and wanted to try her out.

[Weekend cut easymoney]

Originally Posted by SSmith

This is why you have a contract. Even though the contract might not be worth much more than the paper it's written on, it will certainly deter people from doing this 99% of the time.

I agree, I worked without contracts for 10 years and the whole idea that I am committed for almost an entire year to mow on the same day every week, but my customer is not committed to me is crazy-

[Landscape Poet]

Originally Posted by orangemower

It's funny you mention that. I have a couple that are older but still are very active and she still has a job. He tells me that they might have to cut back because of their "fixed" income. Yeah right. He travels ALL the time on "business" to Philly and bought a mint Corvette! He complained about a $2 raise in price but still has me doing the lawn. He's cheap. He even told me to just blow the grass in the street because they (city) come by and clean with a sweeper. I obviously told him that's not my style.

Anyone who give me the sob story of they are on a fixed income get a rude look from me and a question from me, isn't most of the people you know? I mean my wife gets paid a "salary" so her income is fixed and you paying your monthly part of my income so my income is fixed.
People explaining that they are on "fixed" income make me go WTF, because most people are.....but let me just tell the power company when they come to shut my power off.....wait you can't cut my power because Mrs. Jones is on a fixed income. I buy services and goods based off my income I do not see why some people seem to fail to understand that is how life works.

[Darryl G]

My trip charge is $30 and it's in my contract that I have the right to charge it if I am unable to cut the lawn for any reason. It's usually something like another contractor in my way, but occasionally I'll show up to find a lawn has already been mowed. Then I have a hole in my schedule that I may not be able to fill on short notice. You could always just mow it anyway too.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by lawnboy dan

kills me you guys who think you can charge extra if there is dog poop in the lawn and now a trip charge? try this here in florida where the compotition is feirce

yeah I know what you mean.

this is where I try to capitalize over my competition. by not charging extra because there's dog poop in the yard or an excessively high trip charge if I drive out and don't cut.

the way my route is set up everyone is "on the way". I drive maybe 15, 20 min to the first place in the morning and make a circle back to the shop. most places are 5 min apart from the first stop.

I gotta go by client B to get to client C so it's not really wasted time if I end up skipping client B.

[Weekend cut easymoney]

Had a landscaping customer yesterday who asked me to take payments over 4 months on a sod job, because her mother is on a 'fixed' income (this is sod for her backyard)...the daughter who is a doctor asked me to do it as a favor to her (i don't know her at all)--this is for her backyard-

I suggested that they charge it to a credit card and make payments to the credit card company instead of me...she says that all they have is a debit card--...so next I suggested that they save the mone and I could do it in the winter when they have the money--

[MOturkey]

Originally Posted by Weekend cut easymoney

Had a landscaping customer yesterday who asked me to take payments over 4 months on a sod job, because her mother is on a 'fixed' income (this is sod for her backyard)...the daughter who is a doctor asked me to do it as a favor to her (i don't know her at all)--this is for her backyard-

I suggested that they charge it to a credit card and make payments to the credit card company instead of me...she says that all they have is a debit card--...so next I suggested that they save the mone and I could do it in the winter when they have the money--

Aww man, don't you know professional people are feeling the recession too?

[herler]

It's all fine and dandy until it happens three times in the same day but as irritating as I can find the affair I also find it absolutely essential to keep one's cool and go talk to the customer first because I don't always know what happened, but I do find it frustrating at times.

[Duekster]

I know how to charge interest and get a contract. They will not even know they paid intrest.

and do her the favor.