I have a customer that I was charging $85.00 per month. Her husband died over the winter and when I started cutting in the spring she paid me $75.00. I didn't say anything. I just keep it at $75.00 per month.

 

A little, my church usually has someone in need. I go to a church that runs 1k on Sunday. So there is always someone. I was a member of Sertoma, but they about work you to death, or the chapter I was in did.

 

I plow a local church for free and just charge them for the salt or if we get a large amount of snow. I've plowed it 4 times so far this year and only charging them for 1 plow and 2 salts ( only salted for days they have service ), the other times i let the snow film melt.

 

Yes but you have to limit it or you will go broke. They have to pay something even if it’s less.

 

i have never done anything for free for one of my customers. I usually just work with them on payments. Had a couple people ask me if they could do payment plans. My one really good friends mom whose yard i cut and did the mulch this year, his dad passed away when we were young and his mom is working to try and put 2 kids through school and still has 2 more to go through school. We worked out a plan where i billed her for the mulch and she made 2 payments on that, then i only billed her twice for grass cutting mid summer when the drought hit and at the end of the season and she made payments on what she could do. Shes gotten me 4 more lawn care customers since then and some other work. Most of us have maybe 90% of our customers who make good money and dont have many problems and have no problem paying each billing cycle but some of the people who appreciate your work the most and are always saying thank you are the people who you help out just my 2 sense

 

Never got into it (free). Maybe if the right situation comes along, who knows? I have it in my mind that every time i pull out, i'm spending $, so it's free to them, but you're paying them (in expenses) to cut their grass.

 

There is a place in my town that helps women not to abort their baby. These ladys work for free there so i decided I could keep their lawn free. I cannot count how many new customers i have got from doing this lawn free. It takes me and my guys thirty minutes to do it. We do this lawn every week.

 

We cut a lawn that is a hospice house for free. It is a pretty small lawn and is around about 15 other lawns we cut in a 1 mile radius.

 

I always look for a freebie each season. They are my choice. I have never had anybody come to me and ask for "free service."

There are always opportunities, an elderly widow that clearly doesn't have much cash, others who I want to help eliminate the grass cutting from their "to do" list. The jobs are so easy for me, but such a problem for these folks. Everybody gets the same service, pay, or no pay. It is not something I advertise, and make clear that our arrangement is just between the two of us. It is easy to spot those in need, and those who might want to take advantage.

For those posting here concerned about being "a problem," relax. This is one thing that we can do for others, giving to those in need that is so easy for us. Thinking that adding one customer is going to break us is having a very limited view of our business. We all have the potential of being in a situation when we need help, especially as the years pass.

The bonus monies at the end of the year far exceed the costs to me for adding somebody to the list gratis. But, that is not the reason I choose to do the work.

This is a no-brainer for me, and am distressed that others think it to be a burden. Are we really this selfish? If so, we need to step back 50 steps and take a look at the big picture. If we can do this work, we should be thankful that we have a business, we have an income, and that we are physically able to work. Many others are not afforded these opportunities.

 

We do. I have two elderly ladies I cut for free. The first I used to cut before her husband passed away last year. She informed me she couldn’t afford our services anymore. After two months I drove by and saw the lawn grown up so I started cutting it for free.
The second is a lady that lives by me, nobody visits her so I stop by and cut it every once in a while. I figure the good deeds will pay off in the end. Plus I place a yard sign with my advertisements in their yard, so I get some advertisements out of them.

 

I always look for a freebie each season. They are my choice. I have never had anybody come to me and ask for "free service."

There are always opportunities, an elderly widow that clearly doesn't have much cash, others who I want to help eliminate the grass cutting from their "to do" list. The jobs are so easy for me, but such a problem for these folks. Everybody gets the same service, pay, or no pay. It is not something I advertise, and make clear that our arrangement is just between the two of us. It is easy to spot those in need, and those who might want to take advantage.

For those posting here concerned about being "a problem," relax. This is one thing that we can do for others, giving to those in need that is so easy for us. Thinking that adding one customer is going to break us is having a very limited view of our business. We all have the potential of being in a situation when we need help, especially as the years pass.

The bonus monies at the end of the year far exceed the costs to me for adding somebody to the list gratis. But, that is not the reason I choose to do the work.

This is a no-brainer for me, and am distressed that others think it to be a burden. Are we really this selfish? If so, we need to step back 50 steps and take a look at the big picture. If we can do this work, we should be thankful that we have a business, we have an income, and that we are physically able to work. Many others are not afforded these opportunities.

Many times you pointed out this is your choice and is easy for you. Exactly, it is your choice so why the animosity towards people who do not choose your way? You enjoy the freedom of choice but do not want to extend it to others.

If you want to work for free that is fine. It is your business, your materials, your supplies and your labor. Like it was stated earlier, you not working for free, you are paying to work. Nobody is saying you can't.

I don't believe selfishness has anything to do with it. What does not working for free have to do with being charitable? You choose to be charitable absorbing the cost of mowing a person's yard and providing free labor. I choose to be charitable in a different way.

I don't give discounts, I don't absorb the costs of a customer's project and I don't provide free labor. I am making a living for my family by running my business this way.

I applaud you for being charitable but don't look down your nose at others you assume are not charitable because they do not choose the same charity as you.

 

If you want to do some free work that's fine, but be careful or you will go out of business. Do not believe for a moment that you need to do churches or non profits for free. Those running the majority of these companies are drawing extremely large salaries. Why then should you go in and operate at a loss? Does that seem fair?

 

I mow the local "no kill" Humane Society property a mile from our house. Although I do not agree with many of the views of the Humane Society itself, these local shelters do a lot of good, so don't charge them at all. It would probably be a $50 - 60 account, if it were a paying one.

 

Never work for free. That's what we were told by one of our own customers.
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