JUst a quick survey..I can't believe how many of my customers have teenage kids that could mow their lawn but they hire me..I'm not complaining, but when my boy gets old enough, he's going to be mowing the yard...How many of you guys have customers that fit this mold???What's your thoughts???Just another example of dwindling work ethic....Thanks..Clean-Cut
Not in my House
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we got one like that... she has a 26 year old son that lives at home (he will not get a job) and will not cut the grass.
However he cut the neighbors lawn and uses his mom lawn mower....
However he cut the neighbors lawn and uses his mom lawn mower....
Been in biz for 12 years now and still have a few original customers. I've seen their kids grow up, go to college and move out.....never mowing a blade of grass. Kids are too busy with soccer,school projects, comp. games and stuffing their faces to mow lawn. Hey, it's not the kids "fault". Parents need to parent. When my son is old enough he will mow the lawn and get some $ for doing so. I'm sure he'll do all the other stuff too.
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I've got a couple customers like that, but most of those accounts are really big and the homeowners don't have the equipment necessary to do a good job.
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I have had a couple like this as well.
What I find even more strange is that when I was a kid, the competition from other kids I knew in the neighborhood was fierce for grass cutting and handyman work. We were all pulling our mowers around behind our bicycles. Now, I don't see any kids anywhere doing anything for work......even the paperboy is now paperman with a car instead of a bike.
jeffyr
What I find even more strange is that when I was a kid, the competition from other kids I knew in the neighborhood was fierce for grass cutting and handyman work. We were all pulling our mowers around behind our bicycles. Now, I don't see any kids anywhere doing anything for work......even the paperboy is now paperman with a car instead of a bike.
jeffyr
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when I moved into my house 14 years ago, there was a guy in the house diagonal from mine across the street. he was disabled but worked a full time government job. and he never cut his grass.
when saturday came around he'd throw down his walking canes, pull his trailer out from behind the house, by hand, load his crapsman and go cut the church yard grass.
couple hours later, he's back home, crapsman unloaded, trailer manhandled behind the house, and he's back limber legging around the driveway with his two canes.
THE PROBLEM: HE WOULDN'T EVEN CUT HIS OWN GRASS! and, being slightly judgemental, I wonderd about the sevierity of his disability.
I suppose it does take all kinds.
GEO
when saturday came around he'd throw down his walking canes, pull his trailer out from behind the house, by hand, load his crapsman and go cut the church yard grass.
couple hours later, he's back home, crapsman unloaded, trailer manhandled behind the house, and he's back limber legging around the driveway with his two canes.
THE PROBLEM: HE WOULDN'T EVEN CUT HIS OWN GRASS! and, being slightly judgemental, I wonderd about the sevierity of his disability.
I suppose it does take all kinds.
GEO
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660 Posts
Just a sign of the times folks. I see it alot around the middle-higher income urban areas. Not in my house.
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I have a few that are like that. One even has his son wake up when I get there around 10 am to give me the money. My dad started me cutting the yard just as soon as I was big enough to push. No pay, but I did get a small allowance. By 10 or 11 we had a small lawn biz going. That's where I got my first taste, and years later, I've returned. Son and even a daughter will cut the lawn. I believe that everyone should have the experience. You can never appreciate hard work until you do it yourself.
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We had a reversal situation, a neighborhood kid, around 14 years old. Came to our house and asked if he could mow our yard? He really through me for a loop here we had 2 Trucks with Ideal Landscaping lettered on them in the yard along with 1 with a 16' trailer with Walker mowers and trimmers and the other one with a 12' trailer with 2 w/behind mowers and trimmers, I had to go outside to see if our equipment was still there. I politly said we are all set with our lawn but if you want you can wash our trucks and equipment (so he ended up with a new job with washing our equipment and help him out whenever we can)
a new resident moved in across the street from one of my customers early last spring I approached them to ask about doing their lawn maintainance. They told me there wasn't any need that they had a 16 yr. old son that would do it to earn his keep. but to this day I have never seen him do it. A couple of week ago I seen the dad come home from work and start mowing then I began to notice the teenage boy continouslly drove around the block in his jeep until dad got thru. I wonder who rules that roost
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I will go you one better i got a call from a lady 2 weeks ago to give her an estimate on full service front and back yard i went to talk to her and ask have you had a service before (Yard looked like crap!) she said yes i just fired my son and told him to move out.
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thats nothing guys i just did a four hour cleanup today and the lady son comes home today i guess from hanging out with his friend and says to me yo man is my mom home i said no figuring he wants to pay me...do want to smoke a joint together ....lol i said no thanks i have to finish up.he stumble back inside his house.....
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Last year I gave the job of cutting our lawn to my 12 year old son. He gets to use the Grasshopper. I have no complaints, the job gets done. Sometimes I'll tease him and tell him that he has to use the 21" mower. Come to think of it, he doesn't even know how to use a 21" mower!
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We all should be happy to see these kids who won't cut the grass. They grow up to be homeowners who hire us!<G>
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Wow it was hot today (about 85 degrees). But I had to reply. I had one account that the son was too busy drilling holes in the side of house to be bothered with cutting grass! He is a paralegal now drilling peoples money out of um.
Aloha, PYS
BE KIND TO THE PEOPLE YOU MEET ON THE WAY UP, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SAME ONES YOU MEET ON THE WAY DOWN.
Aloha, PYS
BE KIND TO THE PEOPLE YOU MEET ON THE WAY UP, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SAME ONES YOU MEET ON THE WAY DOWN.
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6,354 Posts
Reminds me of one from this past spring. Poor woman that moved into this rental duplex. Her husband died with nothing left, so she lost her house and had to move into this rental in pretty bad part of town. Wants me to clean up the lawn, so that it looks something like a home. P.S. she is an older woman, who can't get around to well.
There is trash all over the back yard. Junk thrown all over. Come to find out, she has a 13 yr old son that lives with her, and he's the one throwing the garbage in the yard. He's too lazy to use a garbage can. Once I saw this, I left the job with them.
There is trash all over the back yard. Junk thrown all over. Come to find out, she has a 13 yr old son that lives with her, and he's the one throwing the garbage in the yard. He's too lazy to use a garbage can. Once I saw this, I left the job with them.
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565 Posts
I actually have to admit to the other side of the experience.
I have done a dentist office and home for several years, I now only do the office because his cheerleader daughter mows the house, once this summer when I was behind he had her mow the office. She works in the office when she isn't in school and they were slow, he said she was going to earn her money one way or the other. He knew I was behind because we had a week of rain.
Jim
I have done a dentist office and home for several years, I now only do the office because his cheerleader daughter mows the house, once this summer when I was behind he had her mow the office. She works in the office when she isn't in school and they were slow, he said she was going to earn her money one way or the other. He knew I was behind because we had a week of rain.
Jim
Not in my house either. I'm 19 and my dad had me mowing our home yard with a 21" mower when i was 12. My son will do the same. over half of my lawns have kids old enough to mow the lawn. buy if they want to pay me around $30 dollars an hour then I'm fine with that. Acctually mowed some of my friends yards through highschool. My brother has helped me for 2 years now. He is 14. I would say over half of our yards have kids who are 14 or older living their. My brother doesn't mind at all. He loves to work and loves to make the money that lawn care produces. Most of the kids in the houses i mow don't know what work is. i guess that is life. but sometimes i think it is unfair.
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