Lol I know with some mates that do it its quantity over quantity for sure
I dont break things ...I just use them beyond their operational limitations
www.mowandgogardening.com.au
In the past I haven't worried too much about those offering lower prices than I do. But this **** is seriously getting out of hand around here. There are blokes who follow me around and approach my customers offering prices half of what I do. That is a practice I will never employ. It's the lowest of low acts as far as I'm concerned. My customers have been kind enough to inform them, and me, that they are happy to keep me at my price because they are happy with the service I offer.
Just last Friday I saw a lawn on my street that used to be done by the local VIP bloke being done by someone I've never seen before.
Now I'm not too worried about losing customers to these types. But my problem is that I need new customers and I seriously cannot afford to go around doing lawns for $30. I could possibly lower my prices slightly and extend the area I work in. But that would go against what I have worked so hard to achieve over the last 5 years.
So I ask you all this. Is it ok for swarms of fly-by-night operators to come in and **** everything up for those who have done the hard yards to establish a profitable business from the ground up? I know the prices most of them offer are not sustainable and that they won't, individually, be around long. However for every one that fails there is always another to take his place. It's an endless loop. And it's getting to the point now that offering a higher level of service is becoming irrelevant due to the fact that 90% of people don't give a ****. They just want their grass cut.
Jason Forrest
Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
0407 435 642
fairdinkumlawns.com.au
facebook page
thats the lowest act to do that mate , to knock off your customers that way is not good business .I hear you loud and clear about getting new customers with these unprofessionals severely undercutting and i too am seeing it in my area. My make up over the years has gone to 60% garden maintenance to 40 % just mowing as these operators cant do the gardening to a high standard that the customer requires.Gardening rates can achieve a higher rate .
If they taking your customers at half your rate you would expect a call to return mowing again...but would you ???
Answer probably baseball bat or maybe arrange for the local druggy to knock off their equipment lol.
It's called competition and it's was here yesterday and it will be here tomorrow
I do a quote for this Indian guy...Waiting for parts, so takes more than a week to get to the job. In the mean time he gets another quote, probably tells the guy my price to get it cheaper. Rings me back and says can get it done for $100 cheaper, can I match it. Nuh. Few days, a week goes by he calls me back 'I'm very happy to pay your price.' He's lucky I didn't put it up. He wised up to the fact that the other guy competed on price and when it came down to it they couldn't do it because they were too cheap.
In my book, anybody who competes on price alone doesn't know what they are doing and will fail.
"I'm not alone cause the tv's on yeah,I'm not crazy cause I take the right pills.... everyday" Jimmy Eat World
http://www.dreamlawnsandlandscapes.com
Having another read there's a few things that don't make sense,here let me explain....
As stated..
"There are blokes who follow me around"
It's being said blokes sitting in cars watching and then waiting and following onto the next job.
Now a job can go from 20mins to 60 mins per site...Certainly seems like it's going to be a long day for the perpetrators to snare the mother load and no one noticed the same car at every job ??
But we find out that not one job has been lost.Which leads to no change in future workload or income.
Now i'm trying to understand the whole purpose of the post as nothing happened or changed
Maybe someone can explain what i missed
It's the principle mate. And I don't mean literally follow me. But I've had customers tell me they'd been approached by a bloke who'd noticed they have someone mowing their lawn and offered to do it for $30. I just don't think that's right. Do you?
Jason Forrest
Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
0407 435 642
fairdinkumlawns.com.au
facebook page
Me thinks Beetle may be a lowballer, just sayin
"I'm not alone cause the tv's on yeah,I'm not crazy cause I take the right pills.... everyday" Jimmy Eat World
http://www.dreamlawnsandlandscapes.com
I absolutely agree 100%. However if there are 100 blokes running around flooding an area with a cheap albeit inferior product, the impact on the handful of blokes offering a superior but more expensive product can be devastating. It takes time for one to learn that the prices are unsustainable.
In the meantime the customer base gets the idea that the cheap price is "the going rate". Most people just don't realise what's involved. On the surface, there's not much to it. Throw a mower on the ute and away ya go. And you can't blame the customers for going for the cheaper option even if they do get a **** job. I think it's the perception of what is a fair price that these blokes are putting out there is hurting the industry.
And I do agree with much of what has come out in this thread. I particularly like the slab of beer analogy. But one would be a fool to think that that kind of practice has no effect.....unless I suppose you are confident that you already have enough customers, will never lose a customer and will never need any new customers.
Jason Forrest
Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
0407 435 642
fairdinkumlawns.com.au
facebook page
Jason I have had it happen to me, and my client told the other guy he was happy with me. The client told me what happened, and the guys business name, I kept my eye out for him but I think he may have folded up, lucky for him because I was going to punch the prick in the mouth if I ran into him. There is competition beetle, which I am fine with, then there are f wits like this.I used to get uptight about it Jason but let it go now, this industry will never be regulated, and that's the way it is, its just to easy for any clown to pick up a mower and whippy, and all of sudden they are profesionals. I saw at least 3 new guys out today
Saw a bloke ask for a free mower and whipy, yesterday, as they want to start doing lawns for cash. They also commented that they have no money to buy new(bunnings specials even) and everyone needs a start somehow.
I got asked to Quote a Business next to the one i was doing already. another lawny was already doing it. I quoted at the highest limit +
Have 3 on that street, I Unload the gear once so could have gone half the price i quoted. I thought it was best practice not to undercut a work m8.
+1
Compete on value, quality, speed of service, honesty, reliability... not on price.
Those who compete on price end up building a business not only on the budget end, but with all the PITAs.
Yes, out of necessity many will choose the cheaper price - but many will quickly realize that value, quality, speed of service, honesty and reliability are worth more to them than those few dollars saved. Let the low-ballers prove this for you and don't fret overly.
David
Mr Sparkle Car Spa