Independent LawnMowing Contractors Of Australia Forum

Thread: Things that make me grumpy

  1. #46
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Cranbourne vic
    Posts
    2,680

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Cranbourne Lawnmowing View Post
    I've had other guys do it and it has always been really good. ( really so where are they) .
    BTW I know she has had other guys turn up to mow her lawn. Her next door neighbour who is a customer of mine who has become a good mate has told me there has been a couple of other guys turn up and the job was @$it house next thing I get a call, (polite as pie) asking if I will come mow her lawn.

    I will get a call from her again but this time she will be told in no uncertain terms what she can do with her lawn.

  2. #47
    Senior Member fairdinkum's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    St Clair NSW
    Posts
    1,109

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Had this "regular" client from when I started back in may. The block is huge and she only calls me when it gets kne to waist high. When I first did the job I quoted $60 which was way bloody cheap as it was. But she got me down to $45 if it was done 2 weekly in the warmer months and 3-4 weekly in the cooler. I only took it on because I was in a pretty desperate financial situation at the time. But I have only done it 4 times since may and it always takes at least 2 hours. She called me the other day so I scheduled her in. It was a hot day so I was already a bit buggered whwn I got there. I went out the back and was greeted with a lovely dense 3 foot weedy lawn. Started the kbl27a and went at it hard for about 30 seconds. Stopped the machine, went around and knocked on the front door. I politely explained that I can't do it for $45. "Oh but it's just the weeds. There's not much grass." she says. "Yes but the weeds are harder to cut than grass. And I don't have the time to do a job like this for that price."
    "How much?" She asks
    "At least $150 which is what I will lose because I can't make the next 3 jobs"
    "Oh that's too much, I only have $50"
    "Sorry i can't do it!"
    Tight arses like that really make me grumpy!
    I left there and went to do a lawn for the nicest most aussie old lady. $45 for a bit of an annoying lawn....but only takes about 40 min. And she gave me a $10 tip because she didn't have a cold drink for me. Much better!

    Jason Forrest
    Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
    Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
    0407 435 642


    fairdinkumlawns.com.au

    facebook page

  3. #48
    Member of forum Sandgroper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    hutt river province
    Posts
    644

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I had one i mow the front yesterday and rarely she asks if i can mow the back its only small so i always charged $10,,so after i mowed next doors lawn and her front lawn and load everything back in the trailer she asks can i mow her backk lawn,,did not take long and i did a bit of extra whipping snipping on the pavers and blow her patio down went to get the money and she goes didn't you bother to mow it ? are you in a hurry or something,you must have only whippersnipped it ,, it took no faster than any other time over the last couple years, we then when back and she pointed out diffrent areas of the yard that was not near the lawn that she wanted whippersnipped and then give the patio another good blowing down,,,funny is she is nice as pie in the front,,when i gave her a quote for the back lawn i think in her mind it includes a yard cleanup for free,,it only takes a few minutes but she turns into a different person and gets really arrogant,,,,,i will have to give her another quote for the back yard i think,,

  4. #49
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    5,863

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Cranbourne Lawnmowing View Post
    I'm mowing on a number 3. I said if I go any lower I will be scalping a lot of the lawn. .
    I have a regular client who has or at least had a really nice lawn. It is kikuyu but we have been mowing it for a an extended time. We mow it on setting 3 on the Honda. We brought it down at her request and as the lawn is not exactly flat there are so dead spots where we take of the top each time but that happens and it was her wish for it. She has been at me for ages to mow it lower and I have refused knowing what it would do. Well last week she was at me again so I thought there is only one way to for her to see what i mean. So we did it on setting 2 and scalped it all over the place. Took of a heap more grass and took longer and I billed her extra. I haven't heard a thing from her yet.
    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. #50
    Member courty's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Gold Coast, Qld
    Posts
    2,347

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    scalping seems to be the fashion around here at the moment,seeing so many lawns with more bald spots than my head.
    "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

  6. #51
    Senior Member fairdinkum's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    St Clair NSW
    Posts
    1,109

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Yeah because the weeds grow too fast because we dont cut it short enough. Don't you guys know that?

    Jason Forrest
    Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
    Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
    0407 435 642


    fairdinkumlawns.com.au

    facebook page

  7. #52
    Member Of Forum jas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Maryborough, Qld
    Posts
    134

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I have had customers over the years ask me if I could mow it a little lower.

    I say no worries!! I'll drop it down a notch...... but I just leave it on the same height that i have always mowed it.

    Then they say, "looks great, thanks!!"

    I don't know how many times i got away with that

    jas

  8. #53
    Senior Member fairdinkum's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    St Clair NSW
    Posts
    1,109

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    but if we don't mow it low enough the grass will grow faster

    Jason Forrest
    Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
    Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
    0407 435 642


    fairdinkumlawns.com.au

    facebook page

  9. #54
    Senior Member holdenhead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    560

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I was doing a job today and one of the worst types of customer comes over from 2 doors down. He tells me to mow his nature strip like it's my duty too. I said I'll have a look when I'm done. He says "I'll pay you now" and gets out $5. I told him it would be a bit more than that. No but the other guy only charges $20 for front and back and I only want the nature strip done. I tell him I'll do it for $15, He says he'll give me $10. Well I had enough and told him it is now $20. I then started the mower back up and kept working, ignorng him. He buggered off but then reappeared when I was packing up telling me people were coming over and the nature strip didn't get done last time because there was a car on it, blah blah. We agreed at $15 and asked me for a card, I told him I was all out. He'll have to call his $20 man!! what a wanker!!

  10. #55
    Member Redeye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Shoalhaven ,NSW
    Posts
    5,548

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I ordered a victa powertorque engine for my 550 sp 2 weeks or so ago, still hasn't turned up. Its my main mower - getting very p*ssed off




    http://curraronggardening.com/

    "All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
    Book of Redeye, Psalm 69

  11. #56
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Clyde
    Posts
    3,528

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    well its kinda nice to hear that I am not the only one with pitas or things that go wrong ..
    major client that down sized our service also did it to all the other tradespeople...wanted us to mow end of each month , presently we are contracted to it every week..their budget of 300k he reduced to 50 k and thats the gardener plumber and sparky...well are they in for a shock..my revised price rocketed to by 5 because at this time of the year with our grass growth the length will be over shin to knee high...another call today from subordinate says don't spit the dummy he will gone soon....

  12. #57
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Cranbourne vic
    Posts
    2,680

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by fairdinkum View Post
    Yeah because the weeds grow too fast because we dont cut it short enough. Don't you guys know that?
    Ha ha Yeah, dont know how many times I've been told to mow it low so it doesn't grow so fast. Then told "my lawn is full of weeds".

    Just about ready to give up trying to explain to these want to be lawn experts why they have........we all get it no point continuing.

  13. #58
    Senior Member NLALM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Newcastle NSW
    Posts
    1,760

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    This makes me more than grumpy I'm pissed off big time. Started this morning doing christmas cuts I have over a hundred lawns to do before the big day so I''l be into it tomorrow as well. Thought I would give my offsider who only works 2 days a week anyway, a ring to tell him I would meet him at the first job on Monday so I can get there early and be into it before he turns up. Anyway he tells me he can't work Monday, that made my blood boil bussiest 2 weeks of the year and the prick lets me down. So in a word I'm stuffed there is no way I can do it all and he is sacked.

  14. #59
    Senior Member danz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    516

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Christ thats alot of lawns mate do you mulch them or are people wanting them done with a catcher being christmas

  15. #60
    Member of Forum starmow's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Carrum Downs, VIC
    Posts
    466

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    yesterday I do one lawn in Patterson lakes the house is around 1.5m and very big land and usual I cut it on 3 and the lady from first day crying she want short, and yesterday she is been on the work and smart lady leave the car on the back yard( and no money under mat) and when I mowing I do job around car. And she call me this morning can I come today and mow back yard where car was, and when I come she will pay me. I say no problem because I have one job in carrum I will come. I come finish mow and the she start again crying that I not cut short grass and she will not pay me. I say to her you will pay me very quick and you need to find new gardener because I not come in future. And she pay me when I pack my gear.. crazy lady

Page 4 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
  •