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What a feeling

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#1 ·
Went down to the local Lake Shore Equipment Supply CO. (LESCO) yesterday morning to stock up on some supplies. I wiped them out on two different products, buying all they had in stock. Just as the two pallets of material were loaded on my truck, one of the local lawn scrubs pulled in, wanting to pruchase one bag of material. They told him that I was the man to see, as I had just bought it all.

In a sorry sounding voice, he said" I need a bag of that there stuff". Sorry buddy, early bird gets the worm.

Don't get me wrong, if it was someone I knew, I would have gladly helped them out. This was a scrub, in the scrubbiest sence of the word.
 
#2 ·
Are you proud of that? Just because you bought two pallets of the stuff you are better than him. I am so sick of this scrub thing. Everybody has to start somewhere. It might have been me that wanted one bag, so what. I work my butt off just as hard as the next guy. I may not have 120 accounts with 90% commercial but I do good work for people. I work a full time job and do lawn care during the day. Does that make me a scrub? I don't think so.
 
#3 ·
Man, I don't think that was too cool!! Great your better then him and all, but if you were running to Lesco to grab a bag of something you just found out you needed for a quick fix at an account, and you saw a guy leaving with the last 2 plallets of it, how would you feel if he wouldn't sell you one of them? Why didn't you just charge him double for it or something?

This goes beyond being a professional in the industry, it goes into being a good person. You summed this guy up by the way he looked/talked, fine, thats life these days, but he could have been licensed, insured, etc, you don't know that!!


I don't know why your proud of screwing up someones whole day?? That would piss my a$$ off for at least the rest of the day, and I'd probobly have some choice words for you too!


Sorry, but thats my opinion!

 
#6 ·
I probally should have made it a little more clear. I bought an assortment of products, including the last 6 bags of Dursban that they had. The Dursban was the product in question, and I knew that I would have all that material down by today.

I know that this fellow was not a licensed applicator. Our license numbers are required to be displyed of the sides of out vehicles, and he had none. If he did not have an applicators license, I am fairly certian that he would not have a pesticide application endorsement on his insurance policy. BTW it was a 70's vintage pickup, exhaust dragging on the ground, blue door, green bed, red front end... You get the picture.

I have been in that situation, on the other end. There have been times that I ran short, needed one bag to finish a job, and there was none to be found. I had to suck it up, and go elsewhere to find it. I learned long ago that you need to plan ahead, to avoid those situations at all cost. It has made me a better businessman because of it.

He is learning the same way as I did, the hard way. I'll bet that in the future he will keep suffecient stock on hand to take care of any unexpected problems.

Guido- I wouldn't blame himif he wouldn't sell me any, fair is fair, he got there first, and it would have been my fault for not pre-planning.

Larry- Thought about that, but I made a nice buck spreading the material.

Superior- I never said that I was better than him.
 
#7 ·
Hope you guys don't think less of me but I just bought a 71' Ford F-250 that is sweet. I must look like Fred Sanford going down the road but I love this truck. It pulls trailors like nothing and gets descent MPG with the 300 6 cylinder.
The thing sounds and runs like new, I parked the 93' Chevy for a while. It's like riding around in Marlboro country all the time.

OSC
(outdoor Scrub Cutter)
 
#9 ·
I would have asked him to show proof of a pesticide license before selling him any. My markup is usually 50% in a case like that, less if he acts like a gentleman or at least civilized.
Explain that you could get in trouble by selling to anm unlicensed applicator, & also a good time to fill him in on being "above board".
Larry, I now know how you've become "a man of large physical presence"-all your time & money saving ideas pay for your trips to Sizzler, Red Lobster, & old co. buffet as you've mentioned :)
 
#10 ·
I bet you were one of those guys that used to point and laugh at me when I first started out (scrub)....Driving a jeep and pulling a 16' trailer with only one 32" exmark. I was proud to be me and I bet I did better work too. I like to make friends not lose them and when I get big I will never be like you. I will always want to help the little guy out, Hell we were all there once!!!! I wonder if that poor guy with no fertilizer would have refered you to a customer one day?? Probably not BAD MOVE BUDDY!!
 
#11 ·
I can't believe all the bashing.

Actually, I could not have legally sold him that bag of material. A pesticide sellers license is required to sell any pesticide product in our state. I am only allowed to apply the material, not sell it. This means that I can't even sell any to my customers, the only way is if I apply it. So, in effect, I would be the scrub, if I had sold the bag to him. I would be the one not playing by the rules.

Look, guys, I never meant to have this turn into a huge arguement. I simply wanted to share why it is important to pre plan, and have an adequate supply.

This guys truck was one of the rattiest I have seen. I know for a fact, from my brief observation, that it would not have passed our states annual safety inspection. It should not have been on the road in that condition.

I never laughed ay anyones equipment or rig. I have seen some rigs out there that are pretty sad looking, and the lawn that they are working on looks fine. On the other hand, I have seen some brand new fancy trucks parked in front of lawns that could have looked much better.

Look guys, I wasn't putting this guy down. I needed that material in the next few days, and couldn't really spare any. If it is something that you are in such desperate need of, you should have some on hand.


 
#13 ·
Well...if anything...you shouldn't have posted here bragging about it. The way you put it, you were bashing him. Intentional or not. Thus the reason for us bashing you! I'd be wathing my back for himif I were you...and hopefully you never have to come to need his assistance for anything. (like being broke down on the side of the road while his "ratty" looking truck rumbles on by your shiny new one! Remember..."what comes around....goes around"!!!
 
#14 ·
HERE,HERE !! I agree w/ Scraper. Also you said in you first post you were stocking up on some supplies and then in your next post said you had to have the product down by that day and in your third post you said you needed the product for the next few days,,,,,, so which one is it ???? HUH? I think you just felt like being a BIG P@*$K to someone who didn't have it as good as you. Also did you take the time to explain to him why you wouldn't/couldn't sell it to him?
 
#17 ·
Sorry Guys, but I was correct on the name, only I made Lakeshore two words instead of one. Taken directly from the LESCO website @ http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=lsco&script=1800&layout=1

LESCO (formerly Lakeshore Equipment Supply Co.) is the
country’s largest supplier of products to the professional turf
care industry. For more details on who we are and what we
do, visit our Corporate Overview page.

All I wanted to do was to share the importance of pre planning your jobs, and perhaps make some others think about stocking some material, and not having to scramble for a single bag of material, and you guys blew this all out of porpotion. If someone read this and realized that they may be better off buying that extra bag of material, and not getting themself into this situation, great, I may have saved their can.

My customers come first, not my competitors.

Please just drop this, and no more bashing.
 
#18 ·
"Actually, I could not have legally sold him that bag of material. A pesticide sellers license is
required to sell any pesticide product in our state."

What state is that? My local Lesco can sell me Dursban (I have no license) but cannot sell me Diazanon they send me up the road to home depot.

Go figure.
 
#19 ·
Thelawnguy- PA. Any business that sells pesticides is required to have a license to sell them. They can sell to whom ever they want, there is no stopping that, only in the case of restricted use pesticides. Every Home Depot, Wal-Mart... has to have the license. I have an applicators license, but not a license to sell pesticides.
 
#22 ·
jaclawn, duhhh, thats what I get for posting after a 12 hour day-gotta learn to read!!! Thanx for the clarification.

osc, post it at the Ford truck forum, theyll be talking about it for weeks!
 
#23 ·
In Connecticut we need only have a Pesticide Dealer's license to sell Restricted use products. For non-restricted use products, no license, registration, or record keeping is necessary. I know for sure, because I have one license to apply, and took an entirely different test and received a separate "dealer's" license to sell. Each year the DEP audits me based upon my dealer's license for sales of only restricted use products to licensed applicators. So, I'm not sure why the LESCO sent thelawnguy to the depot for diazinon. As long as it isn't restricted they can sell it all day long, and he can re-sell it if it floats his boat.

jaclawn - next time get the guys info. You probably could have sold him the application service and all. Maybe even have picked up his entire list of customers for fertilizer and pesticide apps - therefore removing him from your list of scrubs and making some buffet money to boot. Then, laugh your way to the bank as you fertilizer the crap out of the lawns that he has to cut. I love fertilizing the accounts that I don't have to mow because some other guy undercuts me on the mowing price....

 
#26 ·
First off-
I want to thank all of you guys for all the valuable information I have acquired from these message boards. We are just getting started, and your cumulative knowledge is valuable.
I know you will probably hammer me for this, but why would anyone want to handle and apply a neurotoxin like Dursban when there are so many safe alternatives? After all, Dursban is made to kill animals, and humans, while not being animals, at least share biological traits. So why expose yourself to poisons? If you can't tell, I am an organic landscaper.
BTW- I wouldn't have sold to the guy either, simply because it is illegal and the liability issue is way too high in this case. I might not have posted a condescending message, but I would not have helped him, either. Of course, if he didn't have a liscense, why would LESCO sell to him?
 
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