The Green Industry's Resource Center

Ticolawnllc · #1 08-27-2012, 07:31 PM

So I one of my customers asked for us to plant six 5-6 foot giant arbs. We came up to that because of price of plant and labor

We get there and she flips. The trees are to small. So we up grade. All it takes me is till 1 pm to get done making the swap. Most of my. Day lost. That and now i have to plant trees with 400 lbs root balls. We get planting and stumps every where. Two days of work for two men and I got $450 for the labor. And she complained the whole way.

From now on the customers picks the trees they pay for the trees and they pay for the delivery. I will show up when the materials are ready. Never again will I lose my time to help an ungrateful pia customer.

93Chevy · #2 08-27-2012, 07:38 PM

While some customers can be annoying, another side of the token is that the professional landscaper's job is to educate and inform the customer about proper plant selection which possibly includes a visual representation of what the finished product will look like, so as to eliminate confusions and lacks of communication.

grandview (2006) · #3 08-27-2012, 07:44 PM

That's why I'll meet the customer at the nursery to pick stuff out if they aren't sure. At a charge of course.

Ticolawnllc · #4 08-27-2012, 07:55 PM

Do you get paid for your time. I have yet to have a customer be ok paying me for my time at the nursery and I have plenty training and experience. I spent 3 hours going over plant over 3 months. Also the fall pricing leaves no room for mark up. Customers get my price in the fall.

grandview (2006) · #5 08-27-2012, 07:59 PM

If they are not meeting me there ,then I'll add an hour of labor for pick up of supplies. Customer never gets the good guy price. They get charged the price on the plant tags not what I'm charged. Then I charge them for all the labor and other things.

Ticolawnllc · #6 08-27-2012, 08:08 PM

From now on the nursery can do the heavy lifting.

I have had such a hard time over the past few years selling plantings and designs. I've been getting into other fields that I find much more profitable. The time put in educating the customer and in the end they dump you for the cheep guy. now that I showed them what to look for they think they don't need me.

Funny story: a customer asks me for a tree removal estimate. As I give it to her I mumble to my self " the tree should fall away form the house". That Sunday she calls me yelling that I f-Ed up. I run over thinking the tree fell in a storm. Turns out the husband cut the tree down the wrong way and almost took out the house. How is that my fault ? Man I was pissed I took 45min drive to find that put.

PerfectEarth · #7 08-27-2012, 08:23 PM

Another example of the massive difference between mowing grass and landscaping.

HLM HustlerZ · #8 08-28-2012, 05:37 AM

Ticolawnllc,

Earlier this year we did a job similiar to this one, meaning same pia customer on 3 12-14 ft. tree plantings. Only thing with our job was she was ok with the size and plants by we didn't "line the three trees" straight enough to suit her...each one was only inches off so we had to man handle those 400 lbs. root balls on another day to replant them (straighten) so she would be satisfied and pay us. Would have been great money if we didn't have to come back that second day and spend 4 hours replanting the 3 trees just so they were EXACTLY lined up to the inch. PIA job of the year, my brother and I agree.

Like you, we're going to ask way more questions next time because on the day of the quote she just said "Put them right here, there, and over there." Didn't seem like a big issue at the time. Oh to live and learn.

humble1 · #9 08-28-2012, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ticolawnllc

So I one of my customers asked for us to plant six 5-6 foot giant arbs. We came up to that because of price of plant and labor

We get there and she flips. The trees are to small. So we up grade. All it takes me is till 1 pm to get done making the swap. Most of my. Day lost. That and now i have to plant trees with 400 lbs root balls. We get planting and stumps every where. Two days of work for two men and I got $450 for the labor. And she complained the whole way.

From now on the customers picks the trees they pay for the trees and they pay for the delivery. I will show up when the materials are ready. Never again will I lose my time to help an ungrateful pia customer.

I would have said oh let me go get my tape measure. Yup 5ft arbs that is Exactly what you asked for and I have here today. If you wanted 6 or 8 footers then that is what YOU should have requested. Now I understand that what you ordered might be smaller than what you thought, we can do one of two things. I can install these 5 foot arbs that you orderd right now for the price I quoted, or I can bring them back and get bigger ones and plant them. Of course I would have to charhe you for that extra time to do that, plus the extra cost of the bigger plant material, plus the extra cost to plant them due to their size and weight. Or I can just plant these ones the ones YOU ordered let me know.
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Ticolawnllc · #10 08-28-2012, 07:37 PM

Humble 1

Even with a deposti she still has the option not to pay the rest. Then the nieghborhood gets a hold of your name and you're done doing buisness there.

I'm considering not doing this kind of stufff.

earlyer I had a customer ask me for emerald green arb taller than his 6 foot fence I got him 8 footers and affter they went in he claimed they were to big. WTF. How can i win with this kind of customer.

I have an other customer tell me to put in begonias but THEY HAVE TO BE green leaf pink flower. the next year some another landscapers plants them and they get to use the whole rainbow. I guess she realy didn't like Green leaf pink flower begonias.