I'm about ready to start kicking dumbarse azz...

[MASTERMOWER]

There's this house across the street from one of my customers. Dumbass homeowner was smoking in bed and caught the house on fire a couple years ago. Not a bad fire, but the house has been left vacant for about 2 1/2 years because of the damage. The lawn maybe has been mown 5 times over those years.

Needless to say the grass there is very tall at the present time. Maybe 4', yeah, 4'. You'd think it was the last stand of native tall grass prairie.

Well I pull up to mow my customer's lawn today and notice some contractor is finally fixing up the house. Trucks and trailers are all over the lawn. Contractor boss pulls up and sees me mowing- starts walking over. You know where this is heading huh? :alien:

He tells me "See that lawn over there, I need it mowed down. Can you do it for me?"

I laugh and tell him "I don't think so."

That answer didn't phase him. "You can't do it?"

"No, I won't, that's some tall crap. Who knows what's hiding in there. I don't even have the time anyway."

"What if I have my guys knock it down with trimmers first?"

"Still no."

"Do you have a business card?"

"Not with me." (a lie)

"Are you here mowing this lawn every week?"

"Yes."

"Ok, I'll catch you next week then."

BAM, right there I should have kicked his ass. :alien::alien::alien:

[Sammy]

Ya, but, he was bigger than you.

[MASTERMOWER]

Ya, but, he was bigger than you.

Kind of an overweight hick who smelled like peanuts. :alien:

[no brown lawns]

You got to give him credit though, he took your semi-persuasion of no, an opportunity to do some persuasion of his own.

I had a potential mowing job. Lady called and wanted an estimate on a newly purchased home on a street of one clients home. (come to find out she had other bids in line for the job, and this home was one of my Christmas installs!)
After evaluating it I give her a call. (She's not moved into yet) Explaining the program, going over the pliminary.......................She simply didn't get it.
After many attempt to explain to her what my mowing program consisted of..... (Contract mowing, if for any reason I'm unable to weekly mow I increase my cost 20%) She still didn't get it.
So, I politely told her I hope she finds what she looking for and to have her pull me off her list of potential. She couldn't belive it.:alien: I was cancelling her before I was potentially given the job.

I simply couldn't get a handle on where our conforsation was going. Or what taking this job would cost me. The lawn held water and was very spongey when I walking over it to evaluate it. (Professional people...........................................)The bottom line was the home was in a good location, potential to be a money maker, but, a very confused homeowner.

[PremierLawnscapes]

saved you a lot of headaches in the future im sure. goes along with the mentality of the grass man being on par with the garbage man. people not understanding why it costs more to mow a yard when the grass is a foot tall, etc. people like this are more difficult then they are worth.

[gutternoob]

I don't understand you guys. Someone's offering you business and you treat this guy like he's an idiot. He didn't say anything offensive or give you flack because you are standoffish. I'm willing to bet better service can be found at the local mcdonald's. If it costs you more to mow the lawn initially, then just quote him a price. Next time i see lawn maintenance guys in the neighborhood, i'm going to assume they all have the attitude of mastermower.

[clcare2]

Please go away. from your original post you have no idea what is going on this forum.

MM doesn't take walk up customers. Either does McDonalds.


We (lawn turds) don't have to be cordial to every dumbass who walks up to us. I advertise and the name and number is on the truck. I also serve a high class clientele who don't want their lawns mowed by the same equiptment that just spent 4 hours running over 4 foot tall weeds, rocks and and your kids lost wagon (don't ask). Not to mention that now the machine unfit for any other lawns, so I have to go change the blades and clean the thing up just so that I can keep the customers that use me every week happy. Oh and I forgot about new belts. I think I paid 60$ for a set monday, plus down time to change them, about 45 minutes.

No thanx

[MASTERMOWER]

Is your name Sporty?

I don't understand you guys. Someone's offering you business and you treat this guy like he's an idiot. He didn't say anything offensive or give you flack because you are standoffish. I'm willing to bet better service can be found at the local mcdonald's. If it costs you more to mow the lawn initially, then just quote him a price. Next time i see lawn maintenance guys in the neighborhood, i'm going to assume they all have the attitude of mastermower.

Hmm. Interesting. Yeah, sounds like you're just another typical dumb butt lawn turd who will bend over for idiots because you think the intial **** work will lead to greener pastures.

Me? No thanks. I'm plenty busy enough. I run solo mowing around 80 lawns per week. No mowing on Tuesdays. I don't have time to cater to these dumbasses who either walk up or call asking to have their lawn cut sometime during the week. I seriously hope they're kidding. :alien::alien::alien:

Ahhh, I ought to give you the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps you failed to read the lawn is FOUR FEET HIGH and hasn't been mowed regularly in about TWO YEARS!

Last I knew there was a burned up mattress in the middle of the front lawn. With the grass so tall who's to say it's gone now?? I'd be willing to bet there is animal carcasses hidden in mess. :alien::alien::alien:

Oh, but you'd think it's great contractor guy offered to have his guys hack it down with trimmers first before you mowed. Yeah, that's a grand idea, as having all that tall cut grass forming a lovely mat over the lawn hiding the 101 hazards which exist, now unseen from your sight (until your mower hits em).

I hope you'd understand now, if you don't please provide me with your phone number so I can forward it onto this contractor guy. Afterall, I'm sure he'd have a dozen other overgrown crap holes you could have fun chopping down while you're in town.

Adios.

[no brown lawns]

I don't understand you guys. Someone's offering you business and you treat this guy like he's an idiot. He didn't say anything offensive or give you flack because you are standoffish. I'm willing to bet better service can be found at the local mcdonald's. If it costs you more to mow the lawn initially, then just quote him a price. Next time i see lawn maintenance guys in the neighborhood, i'm going to assume they all have the attitude of mastermower.

Brutlely honest isn't it?
With a brief evaluation on any potential job, a lawn or landscape bid is only one aspect I look at when decideding if the homeowner terms match with my company ability to fulfill their realistic needs.
If, any unrealistic terms exists, I'm willing to part the relationship.
These are some of my terms to staying in business:

1. I'm in businesses NOT to service everyone.
2. What you can't find here with me, your more than welcome to seek elsewhere.
3. We agree that I'm compesated for my efforts in servicing you, if for any reason we agree to disagree, I'm still compensated!
4. If you fail to meet my compensation payments, I seek pentalties by increasing payments recieved, turn you over to collection agency, Or seek the City Procutiting Attorney to recieving payments.

In turn I agree:
1. I fulfill my agreement to be there on time and do what I stated I would do.
2. Replace or repair at my expense anything that causes damage from what the home/lanscape was before damage occured.
3. That I do not increase my price once I bid the job.
4. I seek payment only after completing the job in full.

etc, etc, etc.......................!

It could go on and on, bah, bah, ....................The point!
It's a business.
Run on realistic terms for both parties involved.

If MM is comphortable where he is, then why, judge him? Why, judge any of us?................................What you don't understand is why we are in business anyway? And how the heck are we still in business?..........! That's what your really saying

[safari lawn]

Just quote him a price that covers renting a Bush hog, and your time to do so, and about 50% profit, you will either make someone happy or he will turn elsewhere.... just my 2 cents worth.

[spotremix]

Hmm. Interesting. Yeah, sounds like you're just another typical dumb butt lawn turd who will bend over for idiots because you think the intial **** work will lead to greener pastures.

Me? No thanks. I'm plenty busy enough. I run solo mowing around 80 lawns per week. No mowing on Tuesdays. I don't have time to cater to these dumbasses who either walk up or call asking to have their lawn cut sometime during the week. I seriously hope they're kidding. :alien::alien::alien:

Ahhh, I ought to give you the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps you failed to read the lawn is FOUR FEET HIGH and hasn't been mowed regularly in about TWO YEARS!

Last I knew there was a burned up mattress in the middle of the front lawn. With the grass so tall who's to say it's gone now?? I'd be willing to bet there is animal carcasses hidden in mess. :alien::alien::alien:

Oh, but you'd think it's great contractor guy offered to have his guys hack it down with trimmers first before you mowed. Yeah, that's a grand idea, as having all that tall cut grass forming a lovely mat over the lawn hiding the 101 hazards which exist, now unseen from your sight (until your mower hits em).

I hope you'd understand now, if you don't please provide me with your phone number so I can forward it onto this contractor guy. Afterall, I'm sure he'd have a dozen other overgrown crap holes you could have fun chopping down while you're in town.

Adios.

sorry MM not me. i don't bend over for anyone EVER. although i do have a story where the intial sheot cut lead to a seasonal account but it wasn't even close to 4' tall grass.

this dude called me up wanting to me to mow his back yard. he let it get way out of control and you saw one sheoty looking pass with a 21" push mower that broke cause it couldn't handle it. i gave him a price, rented a bush hog to knock it down to managable height then mowed it with my mower, bagged the clippings and then landed a seasonal account and this will be my third season with this client. again though it wasn't 4' grass like your story.

i would have probably quoted a ridiculously high price for your 4' tall prop incase i did actually get the job cause a job like that would such @ss. plus it'd take more than a bush hog to knock it down to mower managable height.

[spotremix]

If MM is comphortable where he is, then why, judge him? Why, judge any of us?................................What you don't understand is why we are in business anyway? And how the heck are we still in business?..........! That's what your really saying

exactly why do any of us judge any of us????

if MM is comfortable where he is great thats kool. if i wanna take on any and every job i can and do what I FEEL is absolutely necessary to make the clients happy who cares?

yes it might be stupid to some to be removing a mulch kit once a week for a day that has one client who wants her lawn bagged but it kept her happy and paying me. for the record i do not cut grass for this client any more. she does her own and i cut grass for the neighbor next to her.

[David B]

Tell him the only way you see fit to handle a lawn like that is to have his guys chop it down with trimmers...give it a couple of days to dry...then set it on fire!! If he is a bonified peanutty hick...he may try it!

[Stephen M.]

I can see why MM wouldn't want to mow it since he does 80 nice lawns 4-5 days a week besides other stuff. He is in the position to pick and choose what he wants to do.

I have a DR Field mower and I would have quoted a price to get it down to a managable height. If he wanted weekly service, it would be turned over to my mowing crew, otherwise, it would be a one time deal.

I routinely turn down work that doesn't fit into the type of properties we want to take on. Why fill up your time with crap jobs when you can hold out for high end properties?