[EvandSeby]

I ran into a neighbor who saw me loading my equipment the other day and after a brief conversation about what I do and what I charge, he told me about a person who had come to his door and asked to mow the lawn. This was a person in greasy cut off shorts, long unkept hair, unshaven and upon opening the door, the dude said to my neighbor, "Yew want yer grass cut, or what?" So the neighbor tells him go ahead for $15 (small yard). Well dude-man scalped the yard big-time. I told the neighbor that I could help him with some amendments and proper mowing it will look better in 3 weeks to a month. So scrub dude got me business. They aren't so bad after all, a professional lawn & garden man/company actually prospers from a lot of people doing it badly. Opinions?

 

[lawnman_scott]

I agree, funny thing is some people aare so scared that they will steal business.

 

[chefdrp]

I had a sim. thing happen. I was driving around and notice what a CRAPPY lawn job this house had. I stopped and rang the bell, Gave a bussiness card and asked if they were in the need of some lawn care for the summer.The nice lady said she had SOME GUY do the lawn and the charged an arm and leg for it. But left all the trimmings in the lawn and didnt trim worth a s---.Anyway i told her i would clean it up if she wanted. Not realy was her reply. I showed a fewpics of some work and then she was sold. got the job for every week. Thanx mister that cant mow. LOL

 

[dvmcmrhp52]

They aint going to steal anyone's business and they aint going to lower anyones prices. Apples to oranges,some people want to buy apples some want oranges.They never cost the same.

 

[GLAN]

^

 

[goodbeus]

Originally posted by dvmcmrhp52
They aint going to steal anyone's business and they aint going to lower anyones prices.

I've lost 28 clients in the past 2 years to scrubs doing what's mentioned above...and the work they do is TERRIBLE...lawn scalped, clipppings all over the place, hedges trimmed unevenly, terrible trimming job...but they are cheap and that's why the clients stay with them...so, in my experience, that statement is false

 

[MOW ED]

Its a complicated issue. On one hand I ask, why did that neighbor let the scrub do his lawn in the first place? People are strange and in some instances we all are strange.

We will look for the best price for something because we feel we are saving a buck. We will do that more often than not because its a gamble. Mayby this will work and I'll save money. If it does than we found a "deal". When it doesn't, we look for a remedy but we haven't learned the lesson.

There are lots of people mowing lawns that can do good work and lots who do bad. Some of the people that do bad work at a cheap price are great for your business. The problem is the ones that do good work at a cheap price. These people are the ones that are hobbiests that have a few lawns and do it for beer money. I am not a full time operator and I do have another job but my lawn service has been a stand alone operation for quite a while now. Ya see I was initially one of those guys that had no idea what I was doing in a business sence when I started. I quickly learned that in order to make a PROFIT you have to know business. I initially did good work cheap. I now like to say I do great work but I am not cheap.

This business has no formal training school. You can buy a mower and put your flyers out and off you go. That is basically what I did. There was no Lawnsite. No LCO that I called would give up any information. So I did what I thought I should do. I learned the hard way but I learned.
I know there will always be the scrub and the guy who is trying to be a businessman. Just like there will always be the person who hires the scrub because they are getting a deal. I'm the business they call after their deal turned bad but I ain't cheap.

 

[xpnd]

Originally posted by goodbeus
I've lost 28 clients in the past 2 years to scrubs doing what's mentioned above...and the work they do is TERRIBLE...lawn scalped, clipppings all over the place, hedges trimmed unevenly, terrible trimming job...but they are cheap and that's why the clients stay with them...so, in my experience, that statement is false

You need to read the current article in PRO TURF magazine this month. As a professional I need to sell the value of my service not the price. The customer needs to understand the value i.e quality, dependability, fair resolution of problems etc., is in the short and long haul cheaper than scrubs even though the price per service may be more expensive. As the article states there are A, B, and C customers. C customers are only interested in not getting notices from the HOA about unkept grass and will always go with the least costly service. Concentrate on the A and move the B into the A column. The scrub that "stole" your business actually did you a favor. Now there is more room for better customers that will be more profitable

 

[EvandSeby]

I'm sorry that Goodbeus lost business, but if those customers put up with their place looking crappy for a cheap price, how good of customers could they be? I just feel I am not in competition with that type of work/service, so it doesn't bother me. When I see people doing this type of work (hacking a yard to pieces) I think to myself, they will be calling me when all of the problems as a result of this ,start to show.

 

[chefdrp]

The thread is the scrub GOT him the job.:dizzy:

 

[Turfdude]

Originally posted by xpnd
You need to read the current article in PRO TURF magazine this month. As a professional I need to sell the value of my service not the price. The customer needs to understand the value i.e quality, dependability, fair resolution of problems etc., is in the short and long haul cheaper than scrubs even though the price per service may be more expensive. As the article states there are A, B, and C customers. C customers are only interested in not getting notices from the HOA about unkept grass and will always go with the least costly service. Concentrate on the A and move the B into the A column. The scrub that "stole" your business actually did you a favor. Now there is more room for better customers that will be more profitable

I agree w/ this and I usually tell the "c" clients - C U Later! THe appearance of their property is a reflection of your work. The only "C" clients I still maintain are ones next to existing A & B clients and ususually upgrading them to B clients isn't that difficult