bad customers?

[Mike88se]

Anyone else have customers that are a PITA? I have this customer (had I should say) who is. And she doesn't want any work done until at least week after it should have been done. She's a dentist and isn't lacking for money but wants more work done than she wants to pay for. Not to mention just being a pain to deal with. She texted Mon and said "Help! My lawn is covered in leaves and pine needles and I need some trimming before Thur heavy trash pickup." I wasn't enthusiastic about working on Christmas but I need the money so I told her I'd come by Tue and check it out.. Sure enough her lawn is a 5" thick blanket of leaves and pine needles and clover and grass growing over the edges. And she wants the needles bagged and set out for trash but the leaves mulched and bagged and placed in the back yard. Not a problem
And she wants the little fenced in area where she plans to keep the leaves cleared of the jungle of vines that have taken over. Well she didn't want it... it was just necessary for me to keep from getting my eyes poked out She had some rotten old fence posts she was going to use for "something." I told her they were rotten and had nails in and she should let the city take them because they were trash and I had to move them anyway because they were trapping pine needles. She reluctantly agreed.
So I do everything I need to do and the place looks great. And it was hard work.
I talked to her today and she says she isn't happy. "The black trash bag is still by the side door and so is the wood and plastic curtain on the patio. And you put those fence posts out for heavy trash. And why didn't you clean the flower beds?" :confused2:
I tell her she instructed me to put the rotten fence posts out. She says yes but only because you insisted.
I explain to her that weeding flower beds is not part of the agreement. I agreed to clean up the leaves and that's what I did. If you want flower beds weeded that's something I can do but it isn't part of lawn maintenance and a price will have to be negotiated.
I explained that nothing was said about a black trash bag or any wood or plastic curtain on the patio. She says "oh I see... I have to tell you about each and every little thing?" :frown:
All this for $150... which will be paid as soon as she has time to write a check.
Sorry... just a little rant :thumbsup:

 

[mowerman05]

Hope your not that hungry that you go back for any more work:thumbdown:

 

[Mike88se]

Hope your not that hungry that you go back for any more work:thumbdown:

You read all that?
No, I'm only going back to pick up the check. I told her that she needs to find a new lawn service and wished her good luck finding one that would meet her expectations. I wonder what she'd say if one of her patients said I'll write a check for you when I have the time and call you when it's convenient for you to come by and pick it up lol
I had another woman that wanted me to do her lawn. I did the front and rang the doorbell to get her to unlock the gate to the back yard. She didn't answer the door or the phone. She never answered any calls later. I bet most of us have a story like that.

 

[davbell22602]

You read all that?
No, I'm only going back to pick up the check. I told her that she needs to find a new lawn service and wished her good luck finding one that would meet her expectations. I wonder what she'd say if one of her patients said I'll write a check for you when I have the time and call you when it's convenient for you to come by and pick it up lol
I had another woman that wanted me to do her lawn. I did the front and rang the doorbell to get her to unlock the gate to the back yard. She didn't answer the door or the phone. She never answered any calls later. I bet most of us have a story like that.

So what are you going to do if the dentist doesnt pay?

 

[Carscw]

She is not going to pay now that you told her to find a new lawn person.
Time for some roundup balloons.

 

[Mike88se]

So what are you going to do if the dentist doesnt pay?

She is not going to pay now that you told her to find a new lawn person.
Time for some roundup balloons.

You guys have even less faith in human nature than I do
I suppose I could make an appt with her to get a cap or crown or something and when she's done tell her I'll write you a check later :laughing:

 

[exotion]

You didn't give her any reason to pay.... She could not pay you and there's nothing you can do. I am licenced and have an agreement with a local collections agency if I provide proof they asked for the work at what price which I do in form of work orders they sign before and after the work. And pics of every job before and after time stamped. If I give them that info they will buy debt at 20% so ya I still lose money but at least they learn not to cheat the little guy

On the original topic customers like that are more trouble then they are worth I have them we all have had a few and its up to you. Are you desperate enough to let them f you ? Because they will if they can and if you believe they won't you are going to lose in the long run. I generally drop these types of customers I end up losing money if not on the first job then the next one where they won't twice the work done for the same price. Or over time where they ask for one thing extra every once in a while untill you end up doing twice the work for the same. It happens a lot get used to it and don't go back.

 

[mowerman05]

I am a small lawn care company, no work orders, no pictures, no signatures, that all takes time just use your gut feeling about being burned. only been took once in about ten years, still mow the neighbor of that person, if I can catch her out mowing I will stop and mow the neighbor because she cant face me. she quits mowing and goes inside its quite funny to watch.:laughing:

 

[reynoldston]

In your case I don't know what you can do. For 150 dollars it can cost you more then that to collet it. The advantage in repairs I keep the mower till I see the money. The most I have been burned for so far is 5 dollars because I didn't have any change. That person called me to do more work for them but I am just too busy.

 

[wjjones]

I am a small lawn care company, no work orders, no pictures, no signatures, that all takes time just use your gut feeling about being burned. only been took once in about ten years, still mow the neighbor of that person, if I can catch her out mowing I will stop and mow the neighbor because she cant face me. she quits mowing and goes inside its quite funny to watch.:laughing:

Thats priceless.:laughing:..:thumbsup: