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.