and finally, page #6, of next years contracts

as i grow, and am exposed to more clients, i am getting more and more b.s. this is one many of you have faced. "but, you werent here that week....". get this, i sent a guy a bill for 6 mows. he comes out, and hands me a check for one grasscut. he says i wasn't there the other 5 times. i freaked. i went to the truck, and showed him my record keeping. it took about 25 minutes of arguing, and i think the blood vessels protruding from my neck convinced him to pay. i got paid, retained the client. page 6 of next years contract will state:" RECORD OF SERVICE: record keeping is done in the following manner- your name and address is on our schedule sheet. when we arrive at your property, the date and arrival time is documented next to your name. we then service the property. upon completion, the departure time is then documented, and signed by both myself, and my employee. OUR RECORDS ARE ERROR PROOF. you will be required to pay for each service that you are billed for, there will be no exceptions." ok, let's hear your opinion on this one

 

As your contract grows longer and longer, I think you should give up the idea of regular paper, pretty soon you'll be up to 11 pages.
Heres what you should use. Ever hear of scroll paper? I think your contract should be printed on scroll paper, roll it up with a rubberband, and when the customer opens it up, it will unroll and fall to their feet. Whatcha think?

 

Holy smokes Bob you have more problems getting paid than anyone I have run across. Only Question I ever have is when there are 5 weeks in the billing cycle. Wife handles that by referring to the calendar. My life is soooo simple. No shovel or anything.

 

1MajorTom

I believe that would be called toilet paper

 

you mean you have NEVER had a client dispute a bill, or a service date?

 

Booby it is time for you to go back to being a janitor. 25 minutes of arguing to get paid. Did you stick him with a arguing surcharge.

 

NO...In 16 years of doing this, NO, NO, NO. Not a single instance. What the HELL is the big problem down there? I don't hear the other LCO's from N.J. doing all of the squaking that you are doing. Try a different attitude and mannerism, and see if the problems go away. I will insist to the day that I die that you do not really exist. There is no landscaping business in N.J. that is run by you. There is no one that would ever work for you. Your customers are fictitious, and I really wonder about the family thing. You have quiet the fatasy life, Booby. Keep dreaming it all up. And don't forget, YOU are my idol.

 

Very very little paper for us...We use Laptops in all the trucks and PDA's for the supervisors. All contracts are 1st approved by the attorney.

 

thank you mr dailey. so then, you don't think other lawnmen show up to a lawn that is freshly watered? you don't think other lawnmen have thier clients say "you weren't here last week?" do you read this site? or just follow mr around? i read it here all the time, they all have the same problems. i don't think they do anything about it, but, they all experience at one time or another, the same issues.

 

LMAO! Even if the customer doesn't appreciate the humor, you'll have a good time doing it!