[thartz]

Neat thing happened today.Lost a decent sized account in a business park earlier this year.All my other clients asked why they didn't renew their contract (decided to go with a major lowballer)I just replied (biting my tongue) that they had budget concerns.I didn't call them any nasty names or rake them over the coals.Well today the facilites manager calls me and asks to rebid( added 20% hassle charge) he was not happy but I told him I had replaced his slot on the cycle.As upset as he was I still got the contract back because the other LCO was doing a terrible job.He told me that inspite of me not getting the account back originally he appreciated the fact that all my other clients had said that I spoke positively of them.Moral of the story "don't crap where you eat"

 

[Green Pastures]

EXCELLENT advice.

Thanks for reminding all of us of that.

 

[Nebraska]

As a kid my Dad always said never burn any bridges when it came to relationships and employment......being in business for yourself is no different; the bridges are just bigger and thus sometimes blurred.

 

[Premo Services]

That is good advice, but sometimes it is hard to swallow the $hi!.
I had a customer for 6 years and he decided to stop paying, make late payments all of last year. Well I grew tired of his bs pretty quick. Lucky for me he signed a contract, because he said he wasn,t in town for month of july and august but I shouldn't have cut it because it never grows in these months. He refused to pay the bills and I would send another invoice with the past due invoices attached. He finally paid in october and kept calling me to come back and resume cutting. Yea right I will be there on the second, the second tuesday of next week. I do 3 others on that street, and the people always ask why I don't do his. I would like to tell them he is a cheapskate,low down @$$*#@!, but I just tell them we had a difference of opinion and decided he needed someone else to do his landscaping. I believe they know why. There is one customer that has told me the reason, and says that it couldn't be quality of work or anything related to me, but I stick to my story. All the neighbors talk and I don't want to be the one who spreads gossip. Also I am the bigger person, which is reallyu hard to do.

 

[DUSTYCEDAR]

i hate when people said u did not cut the lawn because they did not see u. do they ever see the cable company or the phone company do they not pay them noooo. why do some people feel they can kick the landscaper. i have had this problem mostly with my Senior clients? :blob2:

 

[Nebraska]

Favorite line to use on certain customers: "Perhaps your needs and expectations will be better served with another contractor." Only once has someone caught on that it was a polite way of firing a customer; her response was "You can't fire me! I'm the customer!" My response was, "Yes your are 'a' customer, but no longer 'a' customer of 'our' business."

 

[proenterprises]

I have had many problems with seniors who said i Wasnt their when i was. Their not much you can do to battle the elderly but just eat it and take it as a lesson learned.

As far as the burning bridges portion, yes, never bad mouth a former client, they could have you back somtime.

 

[LAWNGODFATHER]

I am guilty of it.......

Just got to remeber to "think before you speak."

Mostly dealing with business.

 

[bob]

I had a simular story. I lost a restaurant contract to the restuarants ,assitant-managers ,son. After 3 months they caled me back. It seems the fellow was billing them for services that he clearly didn't do. I took them back at my original rate.

 

[Gr grass n Hi tides]

Originally posted by thartz
Moral of the story "don't crap where you eat"

Right on.

 

[A1 Grass]

Originally posted by Nebraska
"Perhaps your needs and expectations will be better served with another contractor."

Golden words, friend. I'll write 'em down for future use...

 

[Turfdude]

Obviously, you're not happy w/ the service we provide . We want you to be happy . I suggest that you find another company that will better fit your needs.

This is my favorite line to use.

 

[tiedeman]

many times I have watched what I have said. Because what goes around comes around

 

[tiedeman]

Originally posted by Turfdude
Obviously, you're not happy w/ the service we provide . We want you to be happy . I suggest that you find another company that will better fit your needs.

This is my favorite line to use.

this is what I always say

"Perhaps you need to find another lawn care company that can provide you with more personal attention and better qualifications"

 

[broken leg]

I got called in on a job by a friend of mine to take care of the grass for a customer who was very gunshy. Well after 4 weeks he called me and said Iwas to high an had some one to do it cheaper. Itold him thankyou and if he need someting in the furture to call me very civil. Well after about 6 weeks I got a phone call at 9:30 at night asking me to come back I told him it would take about a week to get him back on schedule. Now he does not ask me the price he just wants it done. My mother always said you get more flies with honey then vinegar.

 

[xpnd]

I have always found honesty to be the best policy. If asked why I am not doing a certain account any longer, I speak truthfully since then there are less lies to remember each night when I go to sleep. If I lost the account because I was underbid, that's my answer, if was because of no payment for services rendered that's my answer, if my personality was the offending issue then that's the answer, if I think it's an issue that is none of their concern, I tell them it's none of their concern. Those that know enough to ask why you are no longer doing an account generally know more of the true answers than we do. They are just testing you. After 10 years I found that the more prone a person is to speaking only the truth, the less likely you will be lied to or jerked around.

 

[KirbysLawn]

Great to hear you got the job and 20% back, great news!!

 

[redbull]

Originally posted by Nebraska
As a kid my Dad always said never burn any bridges when it came to relationships and employment......being in business for yourself is no different; the bridges are just bigger and thus sometimes blurred.

realtionships?? someone should tell that to my 3 x wifes - LOL

 

[DUSTYCEDAR]

i thought 3 was the charm

 

[Potchkins]

some people never learn
and some do