double cutting, raise price for that visit?

[bobbygedd]

i know we've discussed this before, but lots of new guys are on here since then, i'd like thier opinions to the never ending moaning about pricing for double/tripple cutting. first off, i know the best thing to do is get them on a flat monthly fee. but others want to be billed for each month separate, so what do u do when this happens: thier weekly cutting fee is $30. thier scheduled day is thursday, it rains thurs, fri, sat. obviously u can't cut. so, u end up having to skip thier cut this week. next thursday when u go to cut, its very high, and instead of the usual 30 minute visit, u have to double, tripple cut, and you're there 50 minutes, or an hour. what's the price of this cut?

 

[chevyman1]

$30, welcome to the biz

 

[noiseyvoyzey]

its not the customers fault, the price stays the same. Now if the customer called you on wensday and said " I got some guys over here painting my deck, can you skip me this week?" that is a different story. Then it is the customers fault you have to spend more time one the job the following week so you would charge accordingly.

 

[Premium Services]

i would cut it on monday then again on thurs. i have it in my contracts that it will be done on first day that i can then go back to norm. day

 

[DJL]

I think it depends on the situation and/or customer.

If it is a customer who gives me all the extra work like bed clean-up, installs, mulch, etc. I would be more inclined to go the extra mile (i.e. double cut). However, if it's a customer who gives no extra work and tries to penny pinch and says "i'm going on vacation this week, don't cut it." I would have to charge at least 1.5 times the normal amount (really depends on the time of year and conditions)

 

[bobbygedd]

premium, that isn't too bad, but now it opens yet ANOTHER CAN OF WORMS. how does it go over when u cut on monday, and show up again on thursday? this is why we have a "make up window". it's a 3 day window, if i can't make up the cut within 3 days, we resume services on thier next scheduled day, in this case that day is thursday.

 

[shorty7616]

The customer's happiness is worth more in the long run. If you end up charging more now say $45, the customer is more apt to look for someone else. A whole season of that customers income is worth more than just one cut. For example if you cut that cust, 20 times thats $600 for the season vs. $45 and then they find someone else. You'll end up making that money back in the summer when it doesn't take as long.

 

[rodfather]

Simple answer to this one.

They saved 30 bucks by skipping them cause of the rain right? Next week it's 60 cause it will take you twice as long. At the end of the motnh, they will still owe you the same as if it never rained and they were skipped.

If they can't see that 1x60 is the same as 2x30, drop kick em to the curb IMO...next!

 

[niceguy]

I'll cut it the first chance we get. If the next scheduled time is in 4 days I'll show up on schedule. If less than that I'll go back every 5th day to work them back into schedule. You hardly ever miss a cut this way. Also get very few complaints

 

[cklands]

I charge the same no matter what. If you charge them more when the grass is wet or growing like a weed, are you going to give them a brake in the summer months when you can get out of there in half the time? I don't think so.