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Thread: Things that make me grumpy

  1. #61
    Senior Member fairdinkum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    two words.....get ****ed! Sick of that ****! We are in control here. Not PITA clients. We are better than that!

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


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  2. #62
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    if she threatened to not pay me there is noway i would go back and if i saw some else doing it i would probably warn them as well
    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

  3. #63
    Senior Member danz's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Multiple equiptment breakdowns make me grumpy and karcher pressure washer hoses they always tangle and ohh tangled extenstion cords drive me nuts im just a big grump today haha

  4. #64
    Member cap's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I got an SMS today, could I do a quote to remove some trees that had been cut down and left on the nature strip. Sure I said, aroud 4ish ok with you I replied. He said that would be great and he thanked me for the reply.

    I get out to this joint in peak hour traffic having to drive through god knows how many school zones and see 2 guys pulling up in an old rust bucket ute. Thinking it was the house owner I approached them and they tell me they are there to remove the rubbish.

    At this point a lady comes out of the house and I ask her if I could speak to her husband, he's not home she says. I tell her that he contacted me for a quote on the rubbish removal and I organised to meet him around 4pm. He didn't tell me she says, well, I was fuming by this point and told her straight out, how irresponsible and inconsiderate it was for them to completely waste my time and money, I cant believe the nerve of some people. This free quotes business that most service industries are obliged to provide is getting to be a load of crock, its costing me too much in time and money.

    The pile of rubbish by the way was a good half to 3/4 of a ton with a fair bit of it being a great big dirty cactus, glad I didnt get it now.

  5. #65
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I got a steering lever on the ZTR hooked on a ringlock fence today and gave things a good old jerk.
    Got the job finished, but it took a good hour to pull things apart and get it all reasonably straight again, and driving straight.

  6. #66
    Member kevtan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Don't you just hate people that walk around with you when you quote telling you how small the job is and how it only takes them half an hour to whipsnip and mow, when I can see it's going to take me at least an hour and half / to two . then it's the ....." I would do it but the mower is broken , that's why it's overgrown, we don't need it to be cut on a regular basis as they will be getting a new mower , just need you to get it back in shape and manageable ".....never mind she got my "getting back into shape and manageable" price ....!

  7. #67
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Bluey View Post
    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.
    Well I have heard from her now. Sent me a tersely worded email complaining about the state of the lawn and my extra charges. Said she will need to look for someone else and that she was not paying the extra costs.

    I sent her an email back pointing out to her that I had informed her of the extra cost and extra green waste we would have to take away and that by mowing the lawn too low the state of it at the end would not be good. I pointed out that the invoice was valid and she would need to pay in the given time or I would have no hestitation in sending it to debt recovery. I agreed with her that she would need to seek someone else as it was obvious that she was not the type of client that I was seeking. I told her I had up until her email been prepared to put up with her somewhat eccentric ways but not anymore.

    Bye Bye
    Cheers

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


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

  8. #68
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by kevtan View Post
    Don't you just hate people that walk around with you when you quote telling you how small the job is and how it only takes them half an hour to whipsnip and mow, when I can see it's going to take me at least an hour and half / to two . then it's the ....." I would do it but the mower is broken , that's why it's overgrown, we don't need it to be cut on a regular basis as they will be getting a new mower , just need you to get it back in shape and manageable ".....never mind she got my "getting back into shape and manageable" price ....!
    Yeah agree. I jump on this attitude straightaway. I tell them that what they are saying is impossible for me with professional equipment let alone them with a home owners mower. Same deal when they say it was only mowed 3 weeks ago and you can see it has not been done for months. As soon as you get someone doing this it is a big warning flag as they are likely to turn out to be a PITA. I normally put extra on these job or just walk away.

    People with this type of attitude are not worth your time and effort. Better off finding another customer who deserves your service.
    Cheers

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


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

  9. #69
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Hmmmm...the plot thickens with my now ex client. I took her off my schedule and sent her an email regarding this letting her know I would no longer be attending her property (including her Xmas mow). Anyway she has come back to me telling me her whole sticking point was the $20 extra I charged her to take away the extra green waste.

    This floored me because in the past we have always taken away extra green waste we could not fit in her bin. No questions asked and no requirement for her to authorise it. What has really annoyed me about this is I only charged $20 for 8 bags of grass. Didn't charge her labour or anything else. With her it has always been do what you need to and bill me. We have done this but I have kept the cost to a minimum for her because she has been with me for quite a while.

    Now she has this major dummy spit over a $20 charge. I said to her what did you want me to do leave it piled up in the center of your lawn. To solve it I told her I would remove the dumping charge if she paid the rest. Whilst I am annoyed I have to do this I think it is a reasonable compromise given the dumping fee is her sticking point. Lets see if she accepts it.

    It really annoys me she did this via email. All she had to do was ring me and I could have explained why we had done things as we did. In any event I am shot of her now and feel better for it. It is not the first time she has queried a charge.
    Cheers

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


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

  10. #70

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    If I had mowed there would have been 8 bags of grass left for her. I rarely get around with a trailer so have no means of getting rid of it. Most of my clients know how I am set up!!!


    Quote Originally Posted by Bluey View Post
    Hmmmm...the plot thickens with my now ex client. I took her off my schedule and sent her an email regarding this letting her know I would no longer be attending her property (including her Xmas mow). Anyway she has come back to me telling me her whole sticking point was the $20 extra I charged her to take away the extra green waste.

    This floored me because in the past we have always taken away extra green waste we could not fit in her bin. No questions asked and no requirement for her to authorise it. What has really annoyed me about this is I only charged $20 for 8 bags of grass. Didn't charge her labour or anything else. With her it has always been do what you need to and bill me. We have done this but I have kept the cost to a minimum for her because she has been with me for quite a while.

    Now she has this major dummy spit over a $20 charge. I said to her what did you want me to do leave it piled up in the center of your lawn. To solve it I told her I would remove the dumping charge if she paid the rest. Whilst I am annoyed I have to do this I think it is a reasonable compromise given the dumping fee is her sticking point. Lets see if she accepts it.

    It really annoys me she did this via email. All she had to do was ring me and I could have explained why we had done things as we did. In any event I am shot of her now and feel better for it. It is not the first time she has queried a charge.

  11. #71
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Bluey View Post
    Yeah agree. I jump on this attitude straightaway. I tell them that what they are saying is impossible for me with professional equipment let alone them with a home owners mower. Same deal when they say it was only mowed 3 weeks ago and you can see it has not been done for months. As soon as you get someone doing this it is a big warning flag as they are likely to turn out to be a PITA. I normally put extra on these job or just walk away.

    People with this type of attitude are not worth your time and effort. Better off finding another customer who deserves your service.
    Mate that is something that really gets me. We do this for a living and they say " it was only mowed 3 weeks ago "

    One of these days I'm going to turn around and say" do you think I'm an idiot? I do this day in and day out. Don't tell me it was done 3 weeks ago. Tell me the truth.....3 months ago.

  12. #72
    Member geoff1969's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    One of these days I'm going to turn around and say" do you think I'm an idiot? I do this day in and day out. Don't tell me it was done 3 weeks ago. Tell me the truth.....3 months ago.



    get that often thay say it was only mowed 2 / 3 weeks ago { grass nearly knee high } i cant be bothered wasting my time with them now so i just requestion them when it was mowed and if thay reply 2/3 weeks ago i tell them based on average cost to do the job it apears theres grows at 3 times the rate of all my other clients so there quote = 3 times the average price ..... jezz thay remember real quick then when it was last done .... also i look at it if there that full of **** at time of quote there going to be all the time ..

  13. #73
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff1969 View Post
    also i look at it if there that full of **** at time of quote there going to be all the time ..
    Bang..fair square on the head of the nail Geoff.
    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. #74
    Senior Member fairdinkum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I still do my first ever regular client for $40 every 2 weeks. I think it was the 2nd job I did. And most times it requires a slash and mow. If I leave it 3 weeks it needs a slash/mow without catcher/blow/mow. And it rains every time I go there even if its a hot sunny day. But the thing that makes me grumpy that she has never complained, even when I don't bother catching at all. And the money is always in my account the next day. And I can do it any time/day that suits me. And she is really nice and even not a bad sort. Basically she one of my best clients with one of the worst lawns. But I suppose its ok when I make other PITAS pay more to cover my losses on this one

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


    fairdinkumlawns.com.au

    facebook page

  15. #75
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Update on my ex client. I must have hit a nerve because all I got back by email was a load of abuse. I have now withdrawn my offer to waive the dumping fee and advised her to pay outstanding amount in full or I will be singing a new Xmas carol

    Hi ho Hi ho... it's off to Pruska you go... Hi ho Hi ho
    Cheers

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


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

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