i was astonished, when a client sent me a letter, with these very words. here, is the scene: she was a pita for sure. never on quality, but, she wanted it, only when she wanted it. she called during the drought telling me to skip. then, after 11 days of heavy rains, she wanted me there, THE VERY DAY it stopped raining. nope, can't help ya. well, she called b!tchin, and was told flat out, "i will get there, when i get there, END OF DISCUSSION!" this upset her, and she cancelled. i guess though, she thought since she cancelled, she didn't have to pay the final bill. yup, it was a whopping $26.50. i sent bill, due date came and went, no check. sent another bill, no check. then, i made a phonecall. you see, she gave me her daughters phone #, incase i needed to reach her, cus she's there alot. i also have her own phone #. so, i left messeges, at both her daughters house, and hers, "hi, this is bob from xyz lawn service. your bill is now more than 60 days overdue. the next letter you will recieve, will be a summons to report to court. may i suggest, that you just pay the bill? it's only $26.50. if it goes to court, it could cost you $200-$300. i hope we can rectify this without getting the courts involved. i've yet to lose a case." WELL, she did send a check immediately after that. but, it came with a note, " bob, who the hell do you think you are? your business ethics are terrible, and how dare you threaten me the way you did. i hope for your own good, you learn how to conduct yourself more professionally." now, the only problem is........the bill was for $26.50. the check, was for $25. i sent a new bill, for $1.50, along with a note, "payment must be made, in full, withing 10 calender days, or, legal action will begin." so, i ask you fine people, was there anything unnethical about the way i conducted myself?
Nothing unethical, but I would not have wasted my time for a buck and a half bobby...37 cents was used for a stamp.
Right the ethics and the principal of the thing.. and not communicating the fact that you make your own schedual and can't be "on call" to mow at their convenience,and after a rain you will get to them as their lawn comes up on your schedual . I think communication with your customers other than your contract and a cancel call is very rare .In this lies your basic problem Bobby..you have a good business mind. but you are NOT a people person or a face to face communicator that can lay it out to your cust's so they understand what you will and will not do and can and cannot do for them.
u have got TO BE KIDDING! if it rains, do i really need to call you, and say, "hi sheshovel, it rained."? don't YOU KNOW what rain looks like? give me a break, i'm not one of these little boys with 16 clients who works for milk and cookies. i have 80+ clients, they all recieve, in writing, our policies. i also value my personal time. i aint callin nobody, i communicate everything in the contract. as far being a "people person" or my "face to face" communication skills......baby, i can charm the pants off a nunn
My parents bug me to call my clients when it rains to tell them i won't be there, i don't see the point, they are smart people, they can figure it out that if it rains i won't be there!!
I would've done the same thing! It's just common sense that if it is raining, you'll be there when its done and the other jobs have been caught up also. The only time I put one customer in front of another like that is if they call a week in advance or something like that and tell me their having a party or something and they need the lawn cut a little earlier than normal. Something like that is fine , but what she did is not right, and it sounds like she needs to pull her head out of her fat lazy butt!
