Independent LawnMowing Contractors Of Australia Forum

Thread: Things that make me grumpy

  1. #1516
    Senior Member Mrs HMS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne outer east
    Posts
    1,766

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I met Mick Gatto last week....just sayin'
    ~ Joanne ~

  2. #1517
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    4,991

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Just had to Google him. Not familiar with the name around these parts but yeah, he'd do!

  3. #1518
    Member hjl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Stanthorpe Qld
    Posts
    834

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    It makes me grumpy.
    This week I quoted $75 to mow a 1/2 acre block. I know to cheap you guys say. Got done by a guy with a ride on at $55. 2000m2 for $55. How much fuel would his ride on have used?
    Anyhow you win some you lose some. This was propably a good one to lose.
    Cheers
    hjl

  4. #1519
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    4,991

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Was it a full bare 1/2 acre or did it have a house on it? I used to do one slightly bigger than a half acre (with house and shed); thick kikuyu with the Honda 196 and it nearly killed me every time! I think I used to do it for $75 too back when I was starting out. What was I thinking!!!

  5. #1520
    Senior Member Lawn Mowing Professionals's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Greystanes NSW
    Posts
    1,252

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by PaulG View Post
    Grumpy grump grump or starting to stress actually. Still no invoices received. Still no money in the bank for three or four days. Car will be out of fuel by 10am tomorrow. Home loan not paid this week and a dozen other bills waiting. Despite calls and emails what the heck can you do to make people pay with some urgency!!!!
    Get payment upfront.... NO ACCOUNTS.... FULL STOP.

    I know it has probably been mentioned before - but imagine you could buy fuel, groceries, new hot water system for the house, a set of 4 new tires for the car, Macca Donalds meal... all on account... It just doesn't happen.

    Not sure why any business would want to be like a bank and not get payed like a bank with fees, charges and INTEREST calculated daily.

    I learnt from my previous business and lost a few hundred thousand being a banker... it's just not worth it!

    payment upfront.... clients now have no say in the matter... works for me

    Simmo.

  6. #1521
    Member courty's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Gold Coast, Qld
    Posts
    2,347

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Mrs HMS View Post
    I met Mick Gatto last week....just sayin'
    Cool in a funny sort of way. I've alway been interested in underworld dealings and followed that period in our criminal history with interest.
    "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

  7. #1522
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    4,991

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Simmo View Post
    Get payment upfront....

    In a perfect world yes, but in a lot of instances it's not possible or practical.

    It would be nice though.

  8. #1523
    Senior Member Lawn Mowing Professionals's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Greystanes NSW
    Posts
    1,252

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by PaulG View Post
    In a perfect world yes, but in a lot of instances it's not possible or practical.
    It would be nice though.
    It's your business and it should be on your terms... It is just about setting up systems and having ground rules.

    If someone won't pay upfront... do you really want them as a customer? What respect are they showing you as a business owner?

    With spending time and money sending letters, doing driveby's, getting debt collector's etc etc to pick up the cash weeks/months late or worst case senario... No payment.

    Just a quick clarification.... why isn't it possible or practical?

    Simmo.

  9. #1524
    Very Helpful Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    melb.sth. east
    Posts
    4,908

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Mrs HMS View Post
    I met Mick Gatto last week....just sayin'
    nice bloke if your on his good side and of course if your on his bad side you really won't have to worry about it or anything else for to long
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  10. #1525
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    4,991

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Simmo a lot of my customers are not home when I do their properties and they don't want to leave cash out so I leave an invoice with my account details. I actually prefer people paying online, directly into my account so cash does not have to pass through my wallet but therein lies the difficulty as when people pay is ultimately out of my control.

  11. #1526
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Posts
    1,417

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by PaulG View Post
    Simmo a lot of my customers are not home when I do their properties and they don't want to leave cash out so I leave an invoice with my account details. I actually prefer people paying online, directly into my account so cash does not have to pass through my wallet but therein lies the difficulty as when people pay is ultimately out of my control.
    same here i dont like leaving cash out (altho a few do, cos they havent got direct deposit knowledge.)

    i only have about 3 or 4 non payers a year, i follow em up (mostly they forgot) and they pay quick then.

    had to go to a "ladies" house one morning 2 weeks ago and threaten to leave a ute load of grass on her drive if i wasnt paid by monday this week,

    i got paid yesterday (in bank AC) of course it was all the nasty banks fault that she had to try and pay me 4 times.

    suffice to say i wont be going back there (and i didnt deliver any grass)


    most are honest and nice people, i treat em that way till they burn me,

    never been ripped off yet, touch wood.

    also hate having all the cash, some neds to go in the bank to pay the bills lol

  12. #1527
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Posts
    1,417

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    she was 11 weeks overdue on the payment btw. (sorry no edit)

  13. #1528
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    5,863

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I have found that if you are on top of your invoices and follow them up as soon as the fall over due you rarely have a problem. It conditions people to pay your bills on time. People will naturally be slow if you let them be so don't let them. For one off jobs always money up front and if you get a person who is a bad payer then put them back to money up front if you keep them. The worst payers are real estate agents and I do very little work for them now. Maybe that is why they are always looking for new contractors
    Cheers

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


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

  14. #1529
    Member of forum SM MOWING's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Southern Shire
    Posts
    315

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Optus
    Ordered a phone online tue last week told it would be here last friday, friday comes no phone and told by cust service it was cancelled because the phone is no longer available, pi««sed off i went into a shop and signed up no worries, today i recieve the phone i ordered online that they said they cancelled bunch of fn moppets. i just spent 1 hour and ten min trykng to get them to take the fn thing back as i dont want to be harges for having two contracts. i have to wait nowb because they Re trying to get it organised and wait for a call back, i would have been better off saying i never got it and kept the phone. 4 hours of my time waisted

    changed from vodaphone cause receptiln is crap,
    Independent and i know it

  15. #1530
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    4,991

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I'm in mourning tonight. I discovered today that yesterday I lost my favourite, most useful tool I've ever owned. In monetary terms it was worth about $15 - $20 but in practical day to day use it was priceless to me.

    It was a super heavy duty digging fork type head (which I found at a gargage sale about ten years ago) but it was made to fit to a hoe-handle. It was the best thing I've ever had for dragging branches and grass out of the trailer.

    Yesterday I left it sitting on a pile of greenwaste at the tip when I went to get something else out of the car.

    I forgot to go back and pick it up.......

Page 102 of 333 FirstFirst 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •