"RED FLAG" WARNINGS LAWN CLIENTS WILL GIVE YOU!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
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MY STORY:
In 2016 I had been in law enforcement for 7 years.
I was not in control of my schedule, I was hardly making any money, and I was away from my family working nights and holidays. I was capable of more, and I was silently suffering. I knew I was selling myself and my family short.
I started Florida Turf Pros as a side hustle in 2016 before going full time in 2017.
My lawn business changed my life.
I control my own schedule, control my own income, and I am proud of what I have built; a business that supports me, my family, and some employees.
If you are a lawn care business owner, this channel will be a valuable resource for you.
This really is a great industry to be in, and I hope that by documenting my journey it will help you.
-Jonathan C. Christian
I always try to be as flexible as possible with clients, but lately I have been standing my ground because I have a business to run
I had a customer who said, "Hey man, you always leave trash in my yard. I said it was in the yard when I got here. I said I'm not here to pick up all your trash." You know when I'm coming, so you can have it picked up before I come."
Five words that make me run like hell.
1.) Bid
2.) Afford
3.) Quote
4.) Single Mother
5.) Fixed Income
If a potential customer says any of these on the phone, I refer them to another Lawncare Service Provider.
Lol The same here I always send them 2 or 3 other local companies that I more or less compete with.
I will say the people that mention fixed income sometimes can turn out good. Sometimes they just got over charged by previous companies And they're being honest about how much they can afford per month. But I would say maybe half end up good
Whats wrong with quote?
@@Pemo98339
Nothing
Bid or quote, means they're looking for the most for the least amount charged.
I couldn't agree more.@@bobafettfan32
8:54 I had a client's neighbor ask me for a quote. The yard was an absolute mess, and stick edging wasn't a part of their vocabulary. I gave her a really fair price ($55 with a one-time $25 edging fee), and she responded flabbergasted "why is it so much, the guy that cuts it now does it for $40" so I said "ma'am, if I were you, I would keep your current guy, it was a pleasure to meet you"... i was proud of myself for not justifying my price to her.
Jonathan, I have not been doing lawn care as long as you, but I have already seen every one of the red flag issues you've pointed out.
@user-ei9cz2uj8b best of luck to you, I thought about starting a channel discussing the ridiculous encounters and demands I've had, but I don't want to start anything based on negativity lol
From the looks of your yard. It shows you pay a guy less than min wage. I wont start my mower for 40...
“Well little Johnny did it for 20 bucks, and it only took him 10 minutes ” 😂
that's the worst
Then you need to call Little Johnny....Have a nice day
Was giving a quote to a rich, old lady for mowing and treatments, wasn't going well from the start and then she tried to tell me when I was going to be there. That was the final straw. I told her that if she thinks her yard is more important than my sons baseball games, she can get F'd and I left. The look on her face was priceless. She was definitely not used to people standing up to her.
I had this new client, I had a few red flags that did pop up after 3 months of mowing for him, he was on a 3 week cycle and it was arranged that when the lawns were due to be cut, I’d give him a courtesy call to let him know that I will be at his place and to have the backyard gates unlocked, he then told me, “I will tell you when my lawns are ready to be mowed.”
It was at that point I “fired” this client. I’m with you on the disrespect things, as I don’t have time for it, very informative vid, you got a new sub
My big ones is when they object right off the bat to some part of my process. They always fight you like you said. The other big one is "not a big job, couple of guys could knock it out real quick"
Haha, that means it's an all day event to provide a quality service.
Those people always paint a rosy picture. You show up and theres obstacles everywhere or lots of dog poop or its on a mountainside.
Another good one is when they name their own price. 😂😂😂
Great information. I have to review my red flags each year. Customers are so funny when you're an owner operator.
My biggest red flag and it still makes me upset to this day…
Dog poop. Holy mother load of dog poop. Had a client for maybe two turf applications and I told them the backyard MUST be clean of dog feces or I’m not treating the lawn.
First time I show up, they forgot I was coming. I give them the benefit of the doubt.
Second time… the husband runs outside with a shovel and begins picking up after their 3 golden retrievers. It took him 30 minutes. I treated the yard, got paid, dropped them.
It’s downright disrespectful, disgusting, and I will never understand why people don’t pick up after themselves or their animals ESPECIALLY when they have company or contractors over to do work. Blows my mind.
Haha no wonder my lawn guys ghost me, never considered this a problem before
Absolutely. Had a client my first year that was the last house of the week. Ended up running over dog poop constantly. Since it was the last house, my garage smelt like dog poop all weekend when I stored my mower. They are dropped now.
Great video...another one is "I'm just shopping around"or "I'm getting more quotes". Those folks are usually not happy or can't afford your service. Not always but usually.
Great point
This is a great video and applies to all trades
Glad you enjoyed it.
All of them are spot on. Especially the, my last guy mowed the yard for 5 dollars cheaper, customer.
those are the worst.
When they agree to weekly and each time they come out and say "its not to bad, lets just skip it this week," and then complain if you charge extra for bi-weekly...
I let them go because it's weekly only. Told up front, I only skip under my own discretion. So nice not having biweekly!
Major red flag
LOL "im on a fixed income" Hate hearing this one while they are holding their latte'. or wait my best one "since ya........." my grass isnt green anymore.
Oh my... yes, I have heard the "fixed income" many times.
spending $12 a day is roughly around 4300 a year spent
Spot on this is exactly how I screen them by talking over phone to get a good sense of what kind of customer there going to be always follow your gut feeling it's usually right 99.5 percent of the time we still get treated like peasants in South Louisiana
Ya, unfortunately that still happens in a lot of market... it's tough out there!
big bro you forgot the one who says if you give me a discount and do a good job ill give you more work or refer my family members to you
haha, those are the worst
Yeah, I get that often, they get a yeah nah outta me, and I move onto the next job
Thank you for listening to us about the music
A client's BF who just got out of prison saying he'll take me on his boat he just fixed up to fish instead of them paying for their lawn care 🤣
Oh my.
lmao
🤣🤣
Gimme my money dam Dat I cut it pay me
You are right on the. money. With everything you are saying. Thank you.
I tell all new lawn guys, because everyone wants to start mowing lawns around middle of March, not everyone needs to be your customer. It took me a while to figure it out, but when I did, I was glad that I did.
I seem to get a lot of customers who were unhappy with their last guy leaving grass cuttings all over the lawn/pathways. I either mulch or catch, and then blow it off and so far the ones I picked up are happy. Even if they discharge clippings, it can't be that hard to just run over a couple of strip's of cuttings and disperse them and clean up.
Wow Florida turf! I was a beginner two years ago and that last red flag literally happened to me. So condescending. I thought maybe I was just hearing things on my initial visit for possibly talking her on as a client. But then the comments just kept on coming. I was like did she just say what I thought she said. My gut said leave her alone and I did. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing!!
@4:19 100%. ... im not your nephew... im your lawn guy!!
What about the ones that you tell them exactly what you’re going to do each visit and they always assume that we’re doing the shrubs too.
we ask some times about previous service provider and ask follow up cause yeah don't want the very picky ones who will literally walk out and be picky and im sure youve had someone like that. and yeah im the same if i can't get in the gate we are skipping it or doing just the front and they are paying for full service. And not coming back till next visit and if its tall getting charged a little more. we use to have a couple clients that wanted a gardner and expected the price they were paying was for everything done and dont care how long it takes. but the minute your gone faster then they feel they start nit picking and complaining. It boggles me how people feel that they are paying for a service for time and not paying for that skilled trade.
I change bank accounts all the time. Gets rid of scammers, or business that say I cant cancel service, etc... Sometimes the services I want to keep i miss, and cards decline. Or I keep separate accounts, etc, for services, and over looked, transferring money to that account. Its not always a red flag, a card declines. But I agree, it is upsetting...
I had a client attempt to tell me which mower to use on his yard. Emphasis on "had" after that conversation 😂😂
Once again you are spot on!
Great video! You touched on most if not all concerns not to take on or fire problematic customers. I agree, communication is key to having long term loyal clients. I will try to accommodate customers with pet peeves although I will not tolerate disrespect.
Absolutely!
Good video! I think my number 1 and 2 red flag is same as yours
When they start the conversation off, talking about how they are so unhappy with their existing lawn service. Or if they tell me they have been through three or more lawn services in the past couple years. I think my third biggest red flag is when people call later in the season mid to late summer to get a estimate for service. Most people who call late in the season just wanna sign up for 1 to 3 months And they're not serious. So when I since that red flag I email my estimate with a 1 year service agreement. And I quickly find out which customers are not serious and only want to use my service temporary. I am not
Big on service agreements or contracts. But I use them for commercial properties and to weed out residential potential customers another eed flag is when they start off by saying my yard is small and doesn't take a long time! .........towards the end of this year Joe Biden yardsigns will be a red flag for me LOL.
haha, now that's funny! and yes, that's actually a good idea to sent out service agreements to the folks who want lawn service only when it's July and August 😂
@FloridaTurfPros How do you collect past due account I think that would be a good video. I think a lot of people in the industry Just call it a loss when people don't pay. Or They don't know when to be proactive to collect past due balance. I'm Curious when other people stop service. How long past due does a account have to be non Paid before they stop service. I have struggled with that still due.
Great information
Every one of these is true. This one kinda goes along with your point of haggling: asking for discounts.
Good customers value your business and don't mind paying for it, bad clients don't value the service and try to pay as little as possible. They also try to get as many extra tasks done for free to feel like they got their money's worth.
Another for me is if they are elderly. I have had some great elderly customers, but I have found that most of them are still accustomed to the dollar's value under Ronald Reagan and can't fathom modern pricing. I don't give quotes over the phone but I give them a ballpark range for properties their size and 90% of the time they call someone else
You're my teacher when it comes to alot of shit that's saved me tons on college business degree lol and several other things. I can learn from these videos you make alot, thanks brother and God Bless!
Hey, i've lived in a condo my whole life, so I have no idea on lawncare costs. I have to take care of my mom's yard now that she's too old to handle it herself.
She has a .66 acre lot, about .5 acres of lawn. It's not a manicured lot, not even close. I've cut it a lot, and to me it seems easy on a basic riding lawn mower. Theres no real hazards, and can run the riding mower under the trees without dodging branches. Around 250ft total of string trimming around the walkways and driveway and it's done. What is a reasonable price that i should pay for this?
When I had my mom's mower torn apart for repair, I hired the neighborhood lawn guy that everyone complains about for a single cut. He charged me $75 for the single cut which seemed high, but i needed it done, and he was available to do it on the spot. i guess i'm that red flag, but his work was too sorry for me to consider rehiring (left patches uncut in the center of the front yard, and must not have had his blades sharpened for years which did a number on the lawn). When he returned 4 days later, he offered to do it for $70 per cut.
Whats a reasonable price for a cut and trim every 4 or 5 days?
Thank you.
Yes you're right I've dealt with a lot of them some complain about pricing
Great information and tips Jon. Thank you for sharing all the knowledge to the Lawncare care community. 💪🏼
Any time!
Great video
Gold! Thank you!
You're welcome!
This entire video is LOADED with truth! ... kids toys in yard 😳
Man I think your video jinxed me lol had someone anonymously message me on google and told me how much they will pay me each time to cut their yard!! Spoiler it’s was way under priced for there neighborhood and I mow a bunch in that neighborhood! 🚩🚩🚩
Is there any way you could turn these into like a podcast ? If I just listened to all of these on repeat would be super helpful!
Hmmmm. maybe i'll do this
id love to have you interview other lawn owners and employees before the season gets going strong again@@FloridaTurfPros
Good points John. My first client this year has proved difficult. Never answers her phone, keeps rescheduling on me for mulch estimates. Complained about our first cut, expecting me to clean out her overgrown flowerbeds when the estimate clearly states that, that service is not included with lawn maintenance. I should have listened to my gut when the first flag when up and said NO.. SMH. How do you typically let them go? Has it backfired on you, meaning bad google reviews, etc.. lol
I'll do a video on this topic. I've had a couple people ask how to fire clients.
good tips
Glad you think so!
Another I hear often is something along the lines of “It’s a small yard” but it has this tone to it… a tone of cheapness. 😂
haha, dead on!
when they say the last guy charged 10 dollars less i say you should have keep them good day and leave
My main red flag is when I go to someone property, and they sound and act just like my sister. They normally want a cheap price and to stand outside supervising me. When I helped my sister that's what she did. So if someone is similar to her I run and won't deal with that. Because if they stand there telling me how to do it they should do it their self not use a lawn care service.
💯
Doing mowing on the side and i had this guy trying to size me up in a condescending tone because he had a water transportation company. I immediately stood my ground in a firm tone of voice and told him his last lawn care company wasn’t doing the full job because they are going to leave after a certain amount of time due to the low maintenance price . I told him I don’t want to waste his time and I have to meet the hourly rate of 55$ per guy plus we only quote palms and grass out separately or else we can’t make profit.
“Firm tone of voice” 🤡
@@mikekerbaugh6449 You got triggered lol
@@MsCwebb latino mommas boys unite!
@@mikekerbaugh6449 Calm down ma'am.
@@MsCwebb Raised by your mother to be weak. Now daddy Biden says you’re special. Generation of fairies.
Can you make a video on how many lawns you should have for it to make sense to buy a commercial mower? Roughly 20 seems like around is where it makes sense to me
This is a good idea.
There’s a lot more to it than just a number.
@@clevercloverlawncare5066 I agree but I'm not sure what else goes into it!
@@chadpilled7913 depends on whether or not you are happy with 20 customers. Do you intend to grow? How many customers do you- how long did it take you to get to 20, assuming you have roughly that many? What do you mow with now? Do you have another source of income? That’s a start toward making an informed decision.
oh and when storms happen weve had some who figure oh the lawn guy is gonna clean it up. not knowing or dont care that its a seperate service and if we show up and trash and limbs are all over we are not servicing. whats your thoughts on that? maybe make a video about it jonothan
Ya, I've ran into that before. If it's not a bad cleanup I will let it slide, but if it's going to take a considerable amount of time I will let the client know we need to spend some extra time getting everything looking good again and may need to charge a little more. Everyone always understands.
Great info Johnathan. Do you charge monthly or at time of service? I do monthly, but some older clients pay weekly
We charge the week after each service on Mondays.
my one lawn boss had a customer that didnt pay for 4 months......skipped weed eating it every time until he paid
4 months?! i'd be skipping a lot more than string trimming. i give 45 days max and then they are cut off completely. 60 days and it goes to collections. (maybe 90 IF "communication" is there and its a sound reason) past that. hell no.
They say the other guy did it cheaper and I say so where is he now?
I'm on a fixed income. I need it cheap but do a good job.
Mine: Let me talk to my wife about it….those who have dogs I dislike having to remind people of poop so I up-charge $40-45 if it’s some still out there…ones that use buddy and deal in the same sentence looking for the cheap price…those that have neglected there yard for a long period of time and want an estimate usually don’t want to pay the higher price to fix there 2-3seasons or years of build up… also being that I’m Black I can feel the energy of no matter how professional I carry myself and business social status I have they do not want to spend there money with me😂 especially since I’m confident in premium pricing
Keep being confident and let that confidence be known and seen! You got it
@@Likethetacosauce agreed!
@@Likethetacosauce aw yea for sure I never have lost it! Ones ignorance can’t affect me. I walk with The Lord Jesus
Sounds like you been on the right track for a while... keep on, friend!
Do you send any kind of auto message that you are coming the next day, so please remove trash, open gate, etc? Thanks for all you do!
We mow each clients yard on the same day each week and they know what day it is. I do not send messages prior to each service.
How about if when a customer wants to start skipping services?
I had this exact scenario and I had to explain to the guy that a spot on my schedule is really valuable, and if they start wanting to skip services then we are not the best fit. I'll do a video on this topic.
You didnt pick the sticks up on your last visit,which I did, then the following day we had 15 mph winds, it wasnt until the next bi-weekly visit that the client mentioned it. I told the that she should have called me back immidiately. No longer with the client, and she wanted it pushed mowed.
Oh wow!
I realized I could also charge a higher rate per hour and do the detail stuff
@happyman5389 what made you come to that realization?
It's also important not to have a condescending tone towards the client.
I've seen lawn care maintenance businesses where they pull up in a truck, a few guys hop out, they are there to rake leaves and they maybe get a few leaves out of the garden beds, but leave most. They'll keep all the leaves piled up and visible under the bushes, plants and hedges in those beds, add to those piles by just blowing more leaves into there, and then spend time on blowing the driveway and go. What is the client paying for exactly? That feels so low quality and scammy.
If a client requested that the post-fall and winter leaves be cleared out, I would say that's not unrealistic expectations or nit picking, but a fair request for a quality job. So I'd add that unrealistic expectations and nit picking can be subjective.
The lady who wanted the jungle under her deck taken care of, I think is also being normal to want that cleaned up, and that can be an extra job with an extra cost.
what are your thoughts on crawling under trampolines and moving objects??
I would be glad if I had a helper. Would just be an extra upcharge $10 or $20, get that average ticket up
We do not move objects in the yard and do not service under trampolines. It opens us up to liability/breaking things. I've just found that if we are constantly moving chairs and grills and hand tools leaning against the house then we can never get any work done. That stuff needs to be put up and off the ground!
I started a new yard and almost ran over a mini shovel hidden in his foot tall grass. Beer cans all over the yard...slow bout paying...complained that I blew dust in his pool! I let that one go!
How about Mr. Big Shot who implies that he knows everyone, and if you do a good job for him, you be swamped with work
Haha, he's the worst.
“How much do you guys charge to mow lawns?” Most times you can hear in their voice that they know it’s a feeble question. I’ve replied “a million dollars” before but have since advised myself against that. I’ll just stick with (this year) “we start at $55.” And I do think that works and sounds better than “our minimum is…”
I like that, " our minimum is..."
@@FloridaTurfPros contrarian! Yeah, probably tomorrow I’ll like the other better.🙃
Can we negotiate or I charge this but they want pay less when you collect
run
Do you have a video on the best way to drop a client?
I'll do a video on this
@@FloridaTurfPros Thank you. I’d also be interested in hearing your take on upgrading equipment (mowers, trimmers, blowers).
Is it better to sell after a couple years than buy new again or use your equipment for many years until it gives out than buy new equipment.
Amen... if I had a dollar. The only bad review I have ever received was from one of these customers.
I had a guy, but it quit coming! I had a guy last year, but he didn't come back this year! Maybe you are behind on paying.
Gave a lady estimate on spreading fertilizer an then told me she would pay as much as 20 an hour i said no thank you
I had a prospective customer tell me, she didn't pay the last guy bc she didn't think he was doing a good job. See ya, is what I said.
haha, I can't believe she would say that!
On a fixed income, and can only have it cut monthly 🤨
How about the ole “I have a bunch of friends who could use you”
Haha, they are the worst.
Why?
ABSOLUTELY NO LOYALTY mowing since 1995 in humid South Louisiana Geaux Tigers
Fixed income
Single mom
Itemized invoice
💯
Lol your second red flag is the devil. I drop them after the first time, because it’s not worth the hassle
Red flag: I’ll make sure when you come that the dog toys are picked up! 😂😂 you don’t say do you
I have a client who waits until I arrive to start picking up dog poop in the backyard. It's so annoying because they know I comebat the same time every Tuesday. As soon as they hear my mower in the front I see them pop out in the back
Plain just cheap
You copied The Lawn Care Life
About what?