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Thread: Frequency of Mows

  1. #1
    Member Peter Nolan's Avatar
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    Default Frequency of Mows

    Frequency of Mows. Hold your ground vs Lose the customer?

    Just recently a customer asked if I could come every 6 weeks during winter. I've got to admit there's not much to mow after 4 weeks so I think the request has basis. Only I still haven't built up enough clients to work more than 24 hours per week during winter. So I can't afford to tell them to get stuffed! I some clients in summer who are 3 weekly usually the lawns have slow growth due to poor soil and I get paid a fair rate. Just 3 weekly doesn't always fit in with 2 weekly mows. Also I have a few weekly mows so in summer scheduling can be a pain. Other mowies tell me that they wouldn't accept such a long break. Some tell me its 'every 2 weeks in summer and 4 in winter' or not at all! I was wondering what you think. How do handle such requests?

    Thanks Peter.

    Note.The competition on the sunny coast if fierce. The council recently gave contracts to a few big guys leaving a lot of small guys out of the council's work list. These guys are back into mowing domestic lawns. On top of that unemployment is higher here and renters come and go fairly quickly.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Anjaryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    If you need the work take it, if you can afford $$ to loose them tell them that your minimum is 4 weeks.

    you can always let them go further down the track when you get busier and they dont fit into your schedule.

  3. #3
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Nolan View Post
    Frequency of Mows. Hold your ground vs Lose the customer?

    Just recently a customer asked if I could come every 6 weeks during winter. I've got to admit there's not much to mow after 4 weeks so I think the request has basis. Only I still haven't built up enough clients to work more than 24 hours per week during winter. So I can't afford to tell them to get stuffed! I some clients in summer who are 3 weekly usually the lawns have slow growth due to poor soil and I get paid a fair rate. Just 3 weekly doesn't always fit in with 2 weekly mows. Also I have a few weekly mows so in summer scheduling can be a pain. Other mowies tell me that they wouldn't accept such a long break. Some tell me its 'every 2 weeks in summer and 4 in winter' or not at all! I was wondering what you think. How do handle such requests?

    Thanks Peter.

    Note.The competition on the sunny coast if fierce. The council recently gave contracts to a few big guys leaving a lot of small guys out of the council's work list. These guys are back into mowing domestic lawns. On top of that unemployment is higher here and renters come and go fairly quickly.
    Mate your probably best off just putting up with it winter is hard and a lot of my customers in this dust bowl dont understand that grass needs water im only doing 2 days a week at the moment and there not full days makes it hard to make ends meet.
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  4. #4
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Hi Pete

    If it were me I would be saying ok as long as it doesn't take me any longer to mow then it does during summer when they are on their normal rotation. Depending on the lawn it probably won't. But if it does then tell them you will charge at an hourly rate as it is not fair on you. Do it and see what happens.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  5. #5
    Member Mick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    6 weeks or loose them all together! I reckon customers are hard enough to find without just letting them go. Ok, so your missing out on income now but as soon as it starts up again your straight onto it.

    Like Bluey said, I would do as they like unless its extra work for you.

  6. #6
    Senior Member 4 Gardens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Do they need anything else done while you are there?
    Leaves collected
    weeds sprayed
    mulching done
    roses pruned etc

  7. #7
    Member courty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Nolan View Post
    Frequency of Mows. Hold your ground vs Lose the customer?

    Just recently a customer asked if I could come every 6 weeks during winter. I've got to admit there's not much to mow after 4 weeks so I think the request has basis. Only I still haven't built up enough clients to work more than 24 hours per week during winter. So I can't afford to tell them to get stuffed! I some clients in summer who are 3 weekly usually the lawns have slow growth due to poor soil and I get paid a fair rate. Just 3 weekly doesn't always fit in with 2 weekly mows. Also I have a few weekly mows so in summer scheduling can be a pain. Other mowies tell me that they wouldn't accept such a long break. Some tell me its 'every 2 weeks in summer and 4 in winter' or not at all! I was wondering what you think. How do handle such requests?

    Thanks Peter.

    Note.The competition on the sunny coast if fierce. The council recently gave contracts to a few big guys leaving a lot of small guys out of the council's work list. These guys are back into mowing domestic lawns. On top of that unemployment is higher here and renters come and go fairly quickly.
    I agree with the others mate,if you need the work put up with it through winter as long as it's not costing you money.

    Things on the Goldy are not much better,official figures are about 6.5% unemployed but I tend to agree with some local industry leaders that it's more like 13% as the Guberment counts 4 hrs work a week as employed. Competition is only going to get tougher,do what you have to do without losing money.
    "I'm not alone cause the tv's on yeah,I'm not crazy cause I take the right pills.... everyday" Jimmy Eat World

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  8. #8
    Member Of Forum jas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Nolan View Post
    Frequency of Mows. Hold your ground vs Lose the customer?

    Just recently a customer asked if I could come every 6 weeks during winter. I've got to admit there's not much to mow after 4 weeks so I think the request has basis. Only I still haven't built up enough clients to work more than 24 hours per week during winter. So I can't afford to tell them to get stuffed! I some clients in summer who are 3 weekly usually the lawns have slow growth due to poor soil and I get paid a fair rate. Just 3 weekly doesn't always fit in with 2 weekly mows. Also I have a few weekly mows so in summer scheduling can be a pain. Other mowies tell me that they wouldn't accept such a long break. Some tell me its 'every 2 weeks in summer and 4 in winter' or not at all! I was wondering what you think. How do handle such requests?

    Thanks Peter.

    Note.The competition on the sunny coast if fierce. The council recently gave contracts to a few big guys leaving a lot of small guys out of the council's work list. These guys are back into mowing domestic lawns. On top of that unemployment is higher here and renters come and go fairly quickly.
    Hi Peter.

    Winter can be tough around these parts, I'm a couple of hours north of you.

    6 weeks between mows in winter is nothing new up here, it can get very dry if we don't get rain. Some winters you can still see where you have mowed 6 weeks ago.

    This winter is going quite good at the moment, clients are still on 3 weeks and I'm only just starting to slip some of them back to 4 weeks.

    jas

  9. #9
    MEMBER Fred's mowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Quote Originally Posted by Anjaryan View Post
    If you need the work take it, if you can afford $$ to loose them tell them that your minimum is 4 weeks.

    you can always let them go further down the track when you get busier and they dont fit into your schedule.
    x2
    Cheers Fred.

  10. #10
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    hang on to them mate providing its not more than a normal mow.....unless you have full books you might as well have the 40 to 50 bucks in your pocket than sit at home.....

  11. #11
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    I agree with Anjaryan too...wait 'til you're in a better place client-wise then see how things stand
    why are we in the public toilet page

  12. #12
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Dont cut off your nose to spite your face.

    If you havent got ENOUGH work, you work when THEY want you to.

    Once you have enough work, you work when YOU want to , or they find another guy.

    I always let the customer decide WHEN to mow next.

    Only thing i get is they leave it TOO LONG and I then ask for MORE money.

    If i should have mowed it every 2 weeks, and they leave it 4 weeks, i double my price. Or they find a new sucker.

    but in winter? The customer holds the power

    in winter the customer is always right.

    in summer he's just another idiot too lazy to mow his own lawn.

    I get 3 of those ring each day in summer, that I cant service - why should I keep a customer thats a PITA? Only in winter.

  13. #13
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    I agree with what everyone else is saying. As long as its no harder than a regular mow and your not traveling too far for the one job.

    I made the mistake of getting rid of around 15 crappy customers at the start of last winter. I won't make that mistake again unless it is absolutely necessary.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    Quote Originally Posted by Anjaryan View Post
    If you need the work take it, if you can afford $$ to loose them tell them that your minimum is 4 weeks.

    you can always let them go further down the track when you get busier and they dont fit into your schedule.
    x3

    Once you have been in business a while you can start to dictate terms. I have a lot of regs and i like to keep the lawns on either a 2 week or 3 week cycle even in winter when there is nothing to cut, if someone wants to skip one visit in the middle of winter i'm not too fussed but if they keep fobbing me off i ear mark them to be flicked when i get a new customer. You lose too much money during winter otherwise.

    Ideally you want customers to stick by you in winter because thats when you need them the most.

  15. #15
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frequency of Mows

    I've just written a letter to one of my customers as a please explain.

    I've dropped in a number of times and called but had no response.

    She was a good regular client but at Easter I turned up to do a large pruning job as well as mowing and weeding as she had requested. To my disbelief it had all been done.

    In following weeks I turned up as usual to mow to find it all done.

    I haven't been past for a few weeks now but this thread got me thinking and I thought dammit, I'll try again to contact her for an explanation as I can't afford to lose any customers especially at this time of year.

    If my letter doesn't get a response this time I'll just give up.

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