Rain and response from clients

[trooper8870]

Originally Posted by dieseltech

Amen! I blew around dust all day today at the gas stations i service. I wouldnt have touched em but the higher ups are coming in this week and the guy i report to wanted them done. They are crispy crispy!
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We have been blessed here in West Tennessee. In my area we have had about
6 inches this week. I just hope it doesn't dry out again. Thank God for what we have had though.

[sgl41377]

Our problem was it was heavy thunderstorms. Lightening was all over. It did rain a lot but it was scattered. Hopefully we will get everyone taken care of next week with no weather issues.
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[dieseltech]

We had some rain today but it was 15 minutes or so at best. Watching the doppler, the cells seem to split right around me and they get rain just north and south of us...i swear it does this with both rain and snow.
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[coolluv]

Originally Posted by sgl41377

I could not cut a few homes last week due to rain. Most of the yards it will not really make that big of a difference. One client sent me an email asking me if he was going to get his lawn cut. I think his lawn will benefit from skipping a week. He is under a contract so I understand he wants his service. We did blow off his lawn because he has a birch tree that sheds leaves all the time. What would you do?

I have in my contract that if we have to skip due to rain then we will get to it as soon as possible. But if it rains for a few days straight and it is too wet to mow then it will have to wait until the next week. No refunds or discounts will be given for skipped cuts. But If possible I will take care of other things that day. Trimming bushes or like you said, cleaning up leaves etc.

A reasonable customer has no problem with that and they appreciate that you will not rut or damage the lawn just to cut it. If the customer does not understand this after you explain it to him then I personally would drop that customer.

I don't charge extra when I have to mow it two or three times in the spring. I don't expect to be harassed when I can't cut it due to weather. I have been skipping cuts due to drought stress on some contract customer lawns and none had a problem with it when I explained the situation.

But I did perform other services while there. I didn't just do nothing. My customers expect me to make a judgment call on things like that.

Its good to see that you are using contracts and growing. I know it can be done and that is the course I have chosen but you just confirm that fact. I also have a 4 day mow schedule so that I can make up missed cuts on Friday or Saturday. I also leave Friday and Saturday open for other work, like fert and squirt and extra projects.


Dave...

[Duekster]

Originally Posted by coolluv

I also have a 4 day mow schedule so that I can make up missed cuts on Friday or Saturday. I also leave Friday and Saturday open for other work, like fert and squirt and extra projects.


Dave...

What do you do with your squirt when it says to wait two days before or after mowing and you mowed a client on Thursday. There are pro's and con's to spraying on a Saturday.

[coolluv]

Originally Posted by Duekster

What do you do with your squirt when it says to wait two days before or after mowing and you mowed a client on Thursday. There are pro's and con's to spraying on a Saturday.

I just schedule it for another day or the next weekend. It is usually not a problem.

Dave...

[Duekster]

Originally Posted by coolluv

I just schedule it for another day or the next weekend. It is usually not a problem.

Dave...

You are running solo? I have a small crew that handles the mowing.
I do the sqirt and fert so I have flexibility to go early in the week different from when the guys mow. I also do irrigation repairs.

I do have a fair amount of free time to manage/sale the business but I also do work not related to landscaping. Some times it takes me away from the office for days on end... so my crew is vital to me.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by sgl41377

I could not cut a few homes last week due to rain. Most of the yards it will not really make that big of a difference. One client sent me an email asking me if he was going to get his lawn cut. I think his lawn will benefit from skipping a week. He is under a contract so I understand he wants his service. We did blow off his lawn because he has a birch tree that sheds leaves all the time. What would you do?

any time there is an issue of cutting or not cutting whether due to rain or lack of I explain the benefits/consequences of waiting or not waiting.

if after that they insist on me cutting or not cutting I proceed with there wishes.

right now we are in a severe drought. I have clients who insist on me cutting every so often to even it out with the stragglers that grow or weeds that come up. they know the consequences of me cutting but still have me cut.

it's there lawn, there money.

[coolluv]

Originally Posted by Duekster

You are running solo? I have a small crew that handles the mowing.
I do the sqirt and fert so I have flexibility to go early in the week different from when the guys mow. I also do irrigation repairs.

I do have a fair amount of free time to manage/sale the business but I also do work not related to landscaping. Some times it takes me away from the office for days on end... so my crew is vital to me.

Yes I'm solo at the moment but would love to have enough work for a helper and then eventually have a crew for the mowing and I would do the fert and squirt. I actually enjoy the fert and squirt more. I'm also gearing towards that as my main business. I will still take on maintenance work but If I could just do fert and squirt I would.

Maintenance to me has become too saturated and the prices are just continually falling. The fert and squirt game doesn't have nearly the competition and the prices are not falling because every Joe Blow has a spray rig.

Dave...

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by coolluv

Yes I'm solo at the moment but would love to have enough work for a helper and then eventually have a crew for the mowing and I would do the fert and squirt. I actually enjoy the fert and squirt more. I'm also gearing towards that as my main business. I will still take on maintenance work but If I could just do fert and squirt I would.

Maintenance to me has become too saturated and the prices are just continually falling. The fert and squirt game doesn't have nearly the competition and the prices are not falling because every Joe Blow has a spray rig.

Dave...

one time when requiring a license is a good thing and helps.