Lowballers

[Lawnboy18]

You guys are unbelievable! Just look at you throwing **** at each other!

Just charge what YOU need to charge. If you have that fancy zero turn and all, well you are going to have to charge more! I will be honest, I did some big mistakes when I first started. I was about 16. I just wanted yards to mow, easy money with only an electric trimmer and cheap mower which I still have and works fine. Thing is, I still have some of these clients. I am gradually raising my prices tho and I have now learned to be firm with my customers when it comes to pricing. I am now 19 and have full commercial equipment, liscence, business cards, website and all the pro stuff. Even shirts. I am proud to do what I do. I know what I am doing and work well. I stay in school, because I know education is very important and I am not sure I want to do this all my life. If I end up stopping all of this well I will have some fancy tools to take care of my yard later on. Them low ballers will always be there. I get them once in a while and I don't even care. I just tell them my price and if they are not happy, they can just walk away and get a cheaper price and get a ****** job. They will learn.

 

[exotion]

Houses are easy to replace... If someone lowballs and your customer moves on well then that customer probably was not a very good loyal customer anyway. If someone takes a house I can replace it threefold being firm on my pricing. This is one reason I like doing residential over commercial let the low ballers do there thing they are either going to sink or swim but that's not your problem.

You are making it your problem because why? They are invading your neighborhood? Because they think they can do it cheaper.. they probably can. Because they aren't licenced? That's their problem. Charge what you want to charge no less. The right people will pay you and you are not going to lose out

 

[Carscw]

OK OK If you say so you must be right.Free gov. cell phones are Obama's fault. You are right, I'm wrong. Will that shut you up on that. If you are doing a good job and your customers are happy,why are you so against someone charging less then you. If they go to your customers and try to take them and if they do take them, your customers must not be happy with your work. This so called "low balling" is nothing new, I had customers taken from me, but I would talk to the customer and ask what I could do to get them back. If they still went with the other person must of the time I would get them back after the new company made a mess of things. Then I knew the customer was mine forever, then I now knew my work was fair for the money. I didn't scold or charge them more to fix the mess. I got holiday bonuses from some of my older customers. I also sent cards of thanks. I did free cleanups after parties, weddings, funerals, ect. In the winter I not only shoveled and salted their porches, landings and sidewalks, I would sweep them also. I even would get their mail from the mailbox for them. I had customers that would call me at all hours and always I said was happy they called, and how can I help them, usually older folks. After awhile I had other people doing the hard work and I payed them very well. I did not have all new trucks, trailers, mowers, ect. I had my own above ground bulk fuel tanks, cheaper by the gallon that way, bulk engine oil and 2 cycle oil by the case. I never had to worry about the bank coming to repo my trucks. If I could not pay cash/check, then I didn't get a new or used truck. I had trucks that were 20 years old, new paint or new motor got me by. My equipment, mowers, trucks, trailers, tractor, roller, sprayers, ect. were always clean and the same color with my logo on the sides. If it rained I had my workers fix things, work on equipment, powerwash things. That way they had a good check at the end of the week. I had a good customer base and I did whatever I had to to keep them. That didn't always work, but I tried. I still sent cards to keep my name in their minds. I think if you give the customer their moneys worth the other guys can't take them from you. But thats just me.

Did not read this whole book you just wrote bit if you read back to what I said.

People call them Obama phones even tho he had nothing to do with them.

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

Assumptions, baseless assumptions. Where do you guys come up with such petty small minded ideas. I have always payed my taxes, I have never got any government help, no free phones. I started cutting grass and snow plowing in the 60s and have watched guys like you come along and talk big, dream big and go down crying that its someone else's fault. I had a lawn care business for 40 years and was a shop rat until I sold it and retired altogether so don't say I don't pay my far share of taxes. Oh and by the way, people were getting free phones from the government years before Obama was elected. Just another fact you have wrong.

I honestly could care less when the first cell phone was given out. Its an upside down triangle power people at the top spending money of the tax payer.

More I've respect for what you've accomplished in the green industry. We could all most likely learn a lifetime of knowledge from your experience.
What am saying is low ballers are a hassle. Ironically enough I had the chance rub shoulders with one tonight.
I'm pulling into my last stop of the evening. I notice some guys preparing to unload in the middle of a round about. Instead of waiting for me to get around their rig they proceeded to take notice of me stopped at this point and just unloaded as much riddled pieces as they could. Once the path was clear I progressed around them to the curb side put my cones out and to service the yard across from them. All the while I was legally parked and not hap hazardly in the middle of a round about. I did pay them the courtesy little wave nodded my head while squeezing my rig through.

So I'm running my walk behind and one comes over. Couldn't tell by his rough appearance what was about to happen. To my surprise it was fairly friendly. His blow took a crap and he was asking to use mine. I told him I would just get it for him. So I did he was greatful. They had done a horrible rushed job with the now but I didn't comment. I just ask how much they where getting I won't disclose that figure but it was a fifth of what we charge for the similar yard right acrossish. I just nodded told him if charged a little more he would be able to maintain and afford some back up equipment. He looked confused, but his name was litteraly duct taped poster board on the side of his truck. Shortly after his customer came over and ask why the lawn we done looked so different I explained it a little and told him I charge way more then your guy. All he said was he'd be calling. So yes I feel animosity toward these kinds of lowballers. I kept my thoughts in but they want mean mug then come crawling over with their hands out when they want something.

 

[gfp55]

TaskForceLawnCare I understand how you feel about "lowballers" ,but you might be getting a new customer because of their poor work. People see how you handle yourself, how you do good work, you being careful where you park and all. It sounds like the work done on the two yards was like night and day as far as quality and people see that. Now you were much nicer then I would have been to the competition, but I wasn't there to feel things out. It sounds like these guys are from south of the border? Am I right?

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

TaskForceLawnCare I understand how you feel about "lowballers" ,but you might be getting a new customer because of their poor work. People see how you handle yourself, how you do good work, you being careful where you park and all. It sounds like the work done on the two yards was like night and day as far as quality and people see that. Now you were much nicer then I would have been to the competition, but I wasn't there to feel things out. It sounds like these guys are from south of the border? Am I right?

Actually you would think that but they where a couple white thuggish types. It was day night but either way they can stick with the thuggish fellas or just continue to envy the view out their front windows. We treat the house I was at as well. I give them a touch of wet application iron on the lawn tonight just to separate it a little more on that side of the road.

 

[exotion]

Actually you would think that but they where a couple white thuggish types. It was day night but either way they can stick with the thuggish fellas or just continue to envy the view out their front windows. We treat the house I was at as well. I give them a touch of wet application iron on the lawn tonight just to separate it a little more on that side of the road.

I do that to. I use an organic low nitrogen fertilizer with iron makes it about 3 shades greener in a week. I only put about 5 pounds on 2000sqft but it works nice I think its a 10-4-5 with iron and sulfer just makes my yards stand out that much more. Another big one and it seems like I'm the only one who does it around here because of all the pine needles I clean my customers half of the street and weedeat the weeds on the curb line down and carefully edge you can be 2 blocks down the road and spot my lawns

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

We mechanically edge all our yards that we can. It does make a huge difference. Not only does it help your name but also justifies your price. My stance with the low ballers that Ric was discussing still stands.

 

[BHLC]

What kind of idea is that? They are going to end up bankrupt. I bet there equipment sucks.

They're cutting with scissors! Ohh! And dull ones at that!

 

[BHLC]

Did I really see see that, LOL....Yes I seriously seen that. I couldn't make up something that ridiculous. It was on there advertisements or flyers they hanging on doors all over the place. They also have a site you can view it on but I wont post it or there name here but I can PM you the site if you like? I just really like the last section where it says: 1. Simply tell us when you want us to start 2. Select your package 3. Pay online to begin service:

Pm me! I'd love to see the site!