Old Folks

[Bikehigh]

A couple days ago, somebody here was talking about old folks, and how they try to save money. I saw it for myself first hand yesterday. Got a call on Wednesday from these peoples daughter, responding to my ad. Wanted me to come out and price their property. Says the guy last year never came around, and they'd have to wait and wait. I told her over the phone that my minimum is $35. So, I get there yesterday. It's the average suburban lawn, so I price it at $35, based on a weekly agreement. Old lady says she'll have to talk to her husband, and could I do it every two weeks instead. Now I'm unserstanding why the guy last year didn't show up. I tell her that it'll be hard to let go for two weeks when it's growing fast in the spring, but we could talk about it. Got a call last night. Old lady wants to let me know they're gonna stay with the guy from last year, who only charged $29. I didn't even offer a counter. More power too him if he can deal with these people. I guess they weren't THAT dissatisfied after all.

Did I handle this properly? Should I have offered a counter? Should I have said, "Sure we can do it every two weeks"? I'm just starting out, and want to offer quality services at reassonable rates. I don't want to compete with the guy running around with a push mower. I also don't want to be associated with a lawn that's allowed to get overgrown, that takes extra work when I do cut it, and won't look as good when I'm done. I want to be the guy that does the "nice" lawn. Should I suck it up and take what I can get, just to get more customers?

[Easy Way Lawn Care]

You did exactly the right thing. Stick to your guns. If you start lowballing yourself now it will catch up with you later. Last year I started getting into some bigger properties, miss judged on how long they actually took and I misbid a few, yesterday I sent letters out to the underprice customers raising them to my current rate. I figure I may lose some maybe all but thats better then starving the business down to failure. And whatever I lose I will pick up new at the right price. It is hard when starting out not to get accounts but they will come, just stick with it. There is a saying that drifts around this forum

Look like a professional, act like a professional, get paid like a professional.

[Ground Works]

Did the right thing

Hello
Yes I am with u on that stick to your guns it will work out for u in the end

Lin

[mcmav101]

I agree also. You will not get them all. If you have a minimum stick to it.

[CNY Property Svcs]

You did the right thing- when I started full time I took what jobs I could get- MISTAKE!!! It came back real fast to haunt me. I now know that I will bid specific jobs, provide proffesional work, and set a proffesional price. It seems to be working so far!! Good luck!!

Bill

[Stephen M.]

DITTO!! Go with your gut. When ever I lowered my price and didn't listen to my gut, I was always sorry. Part of professionalism is learning to walk away from a bad deal and not looking back. After years in this business, my attitude is take it or leave it. Work smarter and not harder.

[P&C Lawn Care]

You did right, Every two weeks? I am sure that would be a bear to look at. Then they would complain that is just doesn't look good, I wonder why when they let it go so long. $35 every week.

[floridalawncare]

you did right man. if you got it, then they'd drop you too if they found someone cheaper like they were going to do to the "guy from last year." another thing is that mowing intervals that far apart will leave the yard looking like crap, and also would leave you looking like crap. i've gotten alot of accounts just for simply showing up before the grass gets too high. people would see my consistant work and want to hire me. but always remember. if you drop your quality, then you'll probably get let go.

[Bikehigh]

What I figured

Thanks everybody!

[CTHLandscaping]

Ya!! I had to do the exact same thing with one of my side mowing jobs. The lady (who btw is 70 years old, and lives by herself) wanted me to do the lawn every two weeks last year. I said that there would be no way that I could give her a nice mowing job every two weeks between april-june and sep-oct. In the summer I did do it every 2 weeks, but I talked her into letting me do it once a week in the spring and fall.

She says shes getting broke but shes been paying me more every year (the first year it was 20, last year she bumped it to 25, now she wants to pay me more this year), she is in the process of getting new siding on the house, and totally redid her kitchen last spring. Guess she wants me to feel bad for her!!!


Jason

[grnwnv]

If you thought it was $35 every week, that means $40 every 10 days, or $45 every two weeks if it was my customer. So don't even worry about it! If some guy wants to spend an hour and a half doing her lawn for $29 he can have it!

[Stephan Schwebke]

Kudos to you Bikehigh!!

Original post by Bikehigh:
"I also don't want to be associated with a lawn that's allowed to get overgrown, that takes extra work when I do cut it, and won't look as good when I'm done. I want to be the guy that does the "nice" lawn."

That great that you are aware of that!! I cannot congradulate you on that enough. It's tempting to snatch up all that comes your way, but I've learned to be selective. Let me tell ya, I let my dad talk me into the 'take all that you can get mentality' last year, and now half of my business is my crappy lawns for even crappier prices customers. This year I'm sticking to my guns though, because I'm advertizing with my uniform, which projects my professionalism which I'm aiming for.

Consistancy, integrity, quality, and pricing that's fair to the provider and the customer, is what makes this service based industry remain healthy. Thanks to this forum I was saved, because before that I was a scum scrub lowballer who didn't see the big picture. Thank you to those wise mentors in the past who have helped this rookie broaden his knowledge, and still do to this day!

Original post by: grnwnv
"If you thought it was $35 every week, that means $40 every 10 days, or $45 every two weeks if it was my customer."

That's really what you would charge. Wow - that kinda high, but I guess when you consider them wanting to pull the two week crap on ya, this is the last ultimatum.

[VALLEYWIDE]

If you thought it was $35 every week, that means $40 every 10 days, or $45 every two weeks if it was my customer. So don't even worry about it! If some guy wants to spend an hour and a half doing her lawn for $29 he can have it!

Thats still too cheep for 10 days and 14days. 10 days i would charge $50 and 14days i would charge $65. but im staying away from 10 and 14 days from now on. the only way i would do 10 is if it rains all week

[Ground Works]

Yea be careful

I have posted before about lowballing or actually taking whatever u can get bring in my nightmare...

The trailer park slums LOL I was doing a 20 trailor trailer park for 40$ a cut last year. Now 20 trailers seems small however it always took 3 hours to do and it is a 30 min drive to it so u figure driving there loading unlaoding and drive back I wasn't making any money. and the thing with this park was u could only use push mowers it was just too narrow and way to much junk trash and obsiticals to get anything bigger in there. I mean sure u might have gotten a few swips out os the way with a 35" walk behind but not enought to really make a difference also this park had more trash and trash cans laying around then a damn dump... SO needless to say lesson learned I will never take a job like that again
now if someone called me with a park like that again I do not think i would take it for any amount of money

Lin

[Stephan Schwebke]

Sheesh!

Original Post By: Valleywide
"Thats still too cheep for 10 days and 14days. 10 days i would charge $50 and 14days i would charge $65. but im staying away from 10 and 14 days from now on. the only way i would do 10 is if it rains all week"

-Sheeeesh!! I guess I still haven't figured out the pricing structure... could be some of that ol' scrub mentality whispering in my ear... must stop listening to it's evil influences...

Could be the region price differential though. Anyones guess. I'm still new can't you all tell!