[A1 Grass]

This is just a rant - AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!

A sweet old lady, who is a friend and lives about 18 miles from me was having problems getting the guy who mows her yard/field (3/4 acre, lots of bumps-holes-etc) so I opened my big mouth and said I'll come out and take care of it. It's about 3-4 hours work plus an hour or so drive time. I charged her $30 to cover my costs. Nice, right? Not to mention all of the times before this that I went out and shoveled a yard of dirt, cut down trees, did whatever she needed. I guess she liked the price because she talked me into mowing it a couple more times (I guess her regular guy was happy to be out of the loop by now). So finally I told her last night that I wouldn't be able to do it anymore because her field was beating the hell out of my SCAG wb.

Today I got a mildly angry message on my phone saying how I "put her in a spot" by not showing up today. Am I missing something? Geez... I'm about to lose a good friend all because I tried to help out once.

What a shame - and it ONLY happens when I try to be a good sam!

Please, feel free to add to this RANT!

 

[redbull]

No good dead goes unpunished!!

Good luck

 

[UGA]

Originally posted by redbull
No good dead goes unpunished!!

Good luck

LOL; that's about right

 

[redbull]

Originally posted by UGA
LOL; that's about right

oops! DEED (spell check stopped working)

 

[A1 Grass]

I think I am letting this get to me more than I should...

Every time I see LOL I'm thinkin' LITTLE OLD LADIES!

:dizzy:

 

[fblandscape]

I had a similar situation happen this weekend I tried to be nice to some long time friends of the family. They hadn't maintained their landscaping in SEVERAL years. Long enough to allow a 35 foot tall tree / weed to grow next to their home. My normal rate for this type of work is $60 per man hour. I told them $25 per man hour because they don't have a lot of money to spend. The bill came out to be $900. I recieved $600. NOT happy at all. :angry: :angry:

 

[bobbygedd]

u r not kidding, nice guys DO finish last. uncle joe asked about some landscaping for his house. i explained that i would not do business with him, however, i would do the job at cost. he insisted on paying, i said no way, just cost. well, uncle joe knows his way to the bar, the racetrack, the casino, but cant seem to remember where the hose is. we lost 5 shrubs. uncle joe wants them replaced, on me. i say sorry uncle joe, it aint happenin. we are not enemies over it, but it definitely has tainted our relationship. u cannot win doing business or even favors for relatives or friends. or even doing things cheap for that matter. i do have some lol that i do at a discount, u think i should know better, but i cant help but feel for the old geisers

 

[44toy]

Finished mowing a chuch yard because other guy quit when it got hot weather. Over the winter talked to lady in charge of yard. She wanted about 5-6 hours tractor work bushhoging and blade work, about 4 hours tree trimming, and alot of other work to be done over the winter. she said she was going to get me to mow the yard the following year because I came on time and was very resonable, I said since this would be a regular account and a church I would do all tractor workfor $30 an hour, chainsaw $20 and other handyman work $15.

Went out to start cleanup about february and another landscaper drove up and started looking around. He started talking to me and said the lady had called him wanting an estimate for mowing? I proceded to load tractor up and go to another job. called her, about signing a contract, she said another guy offered to mow for 10 dollars a week less than me (that was his bid). Told her the prices i had given were for doing the entire job not part.

she proceded to fly off on me you said you would do it for x amount of dollars! I responed that was for the whole job, and she would need to get the new guy to do the work. she started getting louder, he doesnt have a tractor or chainsaw! I reminded her he was 10 dollars cheaper on a $150 dollar yard. she informed me it had to be done by easter. I told her the only way i could do it was if had spare time after my weekly accounts were ready for the summer. She said well forget, and slammed phone down.

Moral: get a contract on anything that involves details.
be prepared to be lied to by anybody
learn to tell quicker stories (fingers are tired!)

p.s. by the way, come easter the yard hadnt even been mowed. And some people bring push mowers and weedeaters do do there familys graves, thats bad.

 

[GLAN]

Been down the paths your all describing. Haven't been down those paths in a very long time

 

[A1 Grass]

Originally posted by 44toy
...Told her the prices i had given were for doing the entire job not part.

she proceded to fly off on me you said you would do it for x amount of dollars!...

You mean she didn't needle you for the "Christian Discount?" :angel:

 

[44toy]

I got jerked around about everyway you could on that yard, talked bad about for no good reason. That was the first year I started getting serious and about gave up after that mess. Ihate to even think about, but i brought it all on myself. The first time i mowed it was with a murray and to do the entire job right took 2 people around 6 hours--please dont laff to much. if I still had it I would have dropped it along time ago.

 

[bastalker]

Well A1... ya might not like this, but.....you actually opened that can of worms.

You did all the work dirt cheap, bein a real nice guy that you are, to the point where she canned her other service to depend on you. Now you canned her.

I would say she is pretty much on the spot....

You said she was a friend, at least tell her you will take care of her till she finds someone else....You can also tell her you have to go up on price a little to cover your costs..Just dont leave her hangin

 

[A1 Grass]

Originally posted by bastalker
You did all the work dirt cheap, bein a real nice guy that you are, to the point where she canned her other service to depend on you. Now you canned her.

I would say she is pretty much on the spot....

I totall understand your point, but honestly, I never told her to get rid of her guy, or to depend on me. That was just her remembering things (that weren't said).

Fact is, if I had an old Lawn Tractor I'd go out and do it for free - as long as it's when I am available. I did somehow let myself cross that line from APPRECIATED to EXPECTED. I am still rattling my brain trying to figure out how to make her smile and NOT KILL MY SCAG!

 

[bastalker]

Yes but she talked ya into cuttin for her a couple more times. Like I said before ya did, bein the nice guy ya are, Ya might just have to slow the scag down a bit. Regardless she canned the old LCO

Tell her that her prop is really out of your way, and you were trying to be friendly and help out. Ask her to look for a closer LCO, or help her find another one yourself. There is always someone startin out that would love the chance at a new account.

Like ya said shes a sweet ol lady.

 

[mtdman]

Sometimes it doesn't pay to be nice. With some folks, you give an inch, they take a mile. Even if that inch is intended as a nice gesture. Sorry dude. Good luck.

 

[Darwin]

I sympathize with you. I've been down the same road many times trying to "help" folks out.

The problem i see here is the fact you continued to mow the property for several weeks at the same price.

This is a business, time is valuble (for me), and I wouldn't be able to wrap up alot of my time in something that paid me less then 10 buck per hour.

If she is a true friend of yours (once you explain your situation), she will understand. If not, you have your answer.


Just my .02.

 

[brucec32]

I would say that 90% of what passes for "friendships" out there today are really "transactional relationships" based primarily on someone getting what they want from you, be it companionship, fun, connections, access to chicks, money, or whatever. It's only when tested that you ever find out if you have a true friend or not. Real friends meet each other more than halfway, give 60% each, and don't mix business with friendship.

You didn't lose a friend.

 

[mrbenfer]

I've been mowing this old ladies yard since i was 15 for free..(i'm 17 now) I dont even get a Christmas card or a wave when i see her on the road. I dont mind doing it for free.. just wish i could get a Christmas card.

 

[A1 Grass]

Originally posted by mrbenfer
I've been mowing this old ladies yard since i was 15 for free..(i'm 17 now) I dont even get a Christmas card or a wave when i see her on the road. I dont mind doing it for free.. just wish i could get a Christmas card.

You need to "not show up" for a couple weeks... and not return calls... see where you stand with her, and if she dogs you, tell her to "find another sucker"! (that wasn't a jab at you)