Happy mowin, I agree with you 100% on what you said and I will do the same.
I had a customer (old lady) and she went away to a nursing home for a while and her son was paying me to do the place while she was away. She had about 3 scraggly diseased old roses just planted in the middle of the lawn, no borders or nothing and I had to mow and snip around them. So while she was away I accidentally on purpose mowed over them and chopped them back to the ground. When they grew back, they were so healthy and had beautiful flowers soon after she got back to her house.
Everybody is entitled to MY opinion
Here's an update on the crab apple I had a call today from the strata manager asking for my side of the story. Then I had a call from the guy that asked me to do the job wanting me to front up at a meeting on Wednesday night, can you believe all this **** over a tree.
Now I am not a great communicator at the best of times it's probably my downfall in running my business I only say what has to be said and tend to tell it like it is, I call a spade a spade and an idiot a fwit now I'm a bit scared that I might loose it a bit with these people and tedll them all off.
Can you believe all these people having a meeting over a tree that they think has been pruned wrong. I mean even if it died and they had to replace it , which they won't it's only a tree for fck sake get a life. One tennant sent a 2 page email to the strata manager about it 2 pages are you kidding me
My question to you guys is how should I play this, just keep cool or let em have it?
you only win if you get their money. Thats how i look at it most of the time.
If its worth the dough to you, play their game.
If it doesnt make a bit of difference to your income, (ie if you will pick up other work to replace it) maybe you have to tell them the three golden words.
and one of those is NOT a swear word lol.
"Get someone else" - say you've had enough (as you state above) and wont take their criticism.
they may still give you the work but respect you more.
but i only made $50 last week, so PERSONALLY i would grovel on broken glass at this time of year for a decent contract.
Oh man !!!!! WHAT!!!
That is classic. I can't believe some people. If it were me I would hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
Just try and explain that when you prune a tree, shrub, bush what ever you don't do it to make it look good straight away, you do it to make it look good in a few weeks or months time. By hacking it right back you are actually saving them money because you won't have to come back and do it again so soon, compared to if you just gave it a quick trim.
As far as I am concerned, if you haven't killed it you haven't done anything wrong. Most likely it will grow back better than ever in spring /summer. It's just her personal opinion, and the fact that she has nothing better to do all day.
If you still can't convince them, then let them have it, and say this to her.
"If that's all you've got to worry about, then you don't have much to do with your time do you. Have a nice day".
As Jon Bon Jovi said
" When the world gets in my face I say .... Have a nice day"
Everybody is entitled to MY opinion
Mate.
I would get back to them and explain your expertise and what you have said to us here. I would say yes I am willing to talk to your meeting as long as I am paid at my hourly rate and if they are stupid enough to go for it I would let them have their say then tell them the truth of the matter and walkaway. At least that way you get to tell them to shove it and get paid...Oh and btw get the money up front..lol
Cheers
Bluey
Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
http://www.ahgs.com.au
"Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."
I think it's worth going if you think you can keep a cool head, sometimes all it takes it a little bit of explanation and communication. Perhaps take someone with you who can reign you in if you feel you need it.
I would ask the person what qualifications they have and then calmly explain yours and how many years you have been doing what you do.
Many people don't understand pruning. Take the opportunity to educate them a bit, how cutting back hard benefits a tree, opens up the centre to enable light to get in to the centre of the tree and improve air circulation, how this all helps increase fruiting and reduce disease.
Explain that they won't see the immediate benefits, they need to wait until the end of spring.
Maybe look for some pics of fruiting trees that have been cut back hard and then what they look like later...before and after.
It may seem like a lot to go through but in business it takes just one person to mouth off about you to others, who in turn tell others and the next thing you know half your local area won't touch you with a 40 foot pole.
I think you owe it to yourself to explain that you are not in the habit of killing trees as it's bad for business.
~ Joanne ~
I would get someone to get rid of it one night...
I can see the sense in this Joanne but why do it for nothing...the way it is going he won't have them as a client anyway. Maybe if he does it this way he may keep them but I don't think so. The writing is on the wall. In situations like these I treat fire with fire...but then I am a Bluey and I know you are too but male Blueys are just reactionary whereas females have all the sense.
Cheers
Bluey
Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
http://www.ahgs.com.au
"Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."
I suppose I am a pacifier, that can be a big part of what I do now. Can't count the number of times I've dealt with irate people on the phone. It's my job to calm them down and a big part of that is education and communication. Some of the most peeved clients are now some of the happiest because we are constantly explaining what we do and why. Sure it's tedious but I'd rather keep a client than lose one and get negative feeling and misinformation spread.
I'm not saying NLALM shouldn't charge for his time (not saying he should either, that's a judgement call).
I am saying I certainly wouldn't go hell for leather and abuse anyone, that might make you feel better initially but doesn't do anything for looking professional, especially when these armchair experts already think he's done an unprofessional job.
Personally I'd rather walk away knowing I had been completely professional about the whole situation than walk away with my reputation in tatters. Especially with a strata manager involved...who knows how many property owners and other strata managers they will bad mouth you to. Word of mouth is gold if it's good and destructive when it's not.
~ Joanne ~
Agreed....that is where I am going....listen them out...explain yourself and then say I don't think I can keep you as a customer....up to him if he requests payment to attend .....or just says shove it an walkaway.
Despite what I say I have a great deal of experience is dealing with irate people....in very hostile situations sometimes. The one thing I have learned is the ability to keep your trap shut and listen....the experts call it active listening....the other thing I have learned is to take decisive action when it is needed..that is called verbal judo...best course I ever did
Cheers
Bluey
Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
http://www.ahgs.com.au
"Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."
I know if it was me i wouldnt be going to the meeting cause ii would have already gone off my head on the phone with them. Patience with idiots is not my fortay but if you can remain calm and explain things is it a good client. If it isnt a good client than send them a letter after educating them at the meeting that there rate has just been increased.
Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
We do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care
find us on facebook under Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
One would have to ask, who in all this, is the trained and or qualified persons able to make a judgment call on wether the job was done right in the first place, and then to educate the unqualified, untrained people. Sounds like the strata management only want to get to the bottem of it all. Was it done right....if so fine ....if not what to do about it. I have had strata managment tell me that some of their clients are pita's and to just grit and bare when they start yapping on. At the end of the day I deal with them, not the tennants.
Dean & Michelle Hicks
Owner/Operator Gremlins Property Services
Townsville and Surrounding Areas
Thanks guys I will let you know how it goes tomorrow , I have already told them I will not do any more work for them. I will try and keep my cool but the more I think about it the more stupid all this seems, I mean if I had cut the bloody thing down that would be another story .
Just on cutting them loose, once I have a problem with any customer I let them go, once the seeds of discontentment have been sown my heart is no longer in it and they are gone, I am the boss, I used to put up with commitees when I was greenkeeping and a lot of these old pricks used to cause me worry greif and trouble, now this little black duck calls the shots.
Oh yeah they did say they would pay me to front up should I charge overtime rates and what would they be, or just think of a price and double it lol