I realize the economy is a little down and people are trying to save money or get by on what they have but come on now people get real.
Being the owner of a landscape/lawn maintenance company I am amazed at how some can honestly call let alone have the guts to ask for a quote on jobs when they have no money or wish to spend any. Gotten to the point where being rude with them is the only way to go since they are wasting my time.
I would say so far this year have given about 50 estimates for lawn care to people who live on 1/2 acre to 1 acre properties and when they hear the cost throw a fit and give the line the last guy I had only charged this much.. Hmm, if the last guy was so cheap why aren't you still using him? Well he would not always show up and his work was sloppy, oh really! No shit....
Love when I get but your cutting grass and that rate is outrageous. Oh really now. Okay, so having to pay insurance, fuel cost, maintenance cost on equipment, labor cost, tools, taxes and about 10 other things is cheap? Well stupid me,can't believe I was thinking that way.
Get a call just the other day for someone who wants a patio, deck, pergola and some stone steps. Perfect, the kind of jobs I like especially this time of year. I arrive and meet the homeowners, we go over what they want and some ideas and I leave to go put together some numbers and drawing for them. I show up yesterday and give them my quote and I see thier jaws hit the ground and bounce back up, had to hold back from laughing. They had the nerve to say this is exactly what we want but you need to adjust the cost a lot, we can't afford this. Umm, and what are you looking to spend or expect to pay? Are budget is $3000, are you fuking kidding me? I could not hold back, asked them why they would call around for quotes and waste my time and that of others? I am a business man and run a successful company, it does not say on my business cards we are a flea market or garage sale and haggling welcomed.
Granted I understand looking for the best deal but honestly I provide a service and that service does cost. I normally tell them to go onto craigslist and look for the adds where they can't spell or say the words cheap, give them a call because that is what your looking for. If you don't have the money do everybody a favor and leave the phone on off.
I can say I'm lucky since in a position of being able to pick and choose what jobs I want and realize some out there are just trying to survive and do any jobs that come along but at least put some effort into it. Study what the rates are, what is expected and make a go of it, no matter what service you are trying to give people be serious about it.
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read more blogs!
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Fender
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Oct 22 @ 7:12AM
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Granted I understand looking for the best deal but honestly I provide a service and that service does cost.
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oct_cat
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Oct 22 @ 7:36AM
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I work for a wholesale tree grower, we sell mainly to landscape contractors. I always get a good laugh when a homeowner calls thinking "wholesale" means cheap prices; they want a price on a larger tree (thinking they can get it cheaper than from a garden shop that buys large quantities of small conainer trees). They don't realize that a 2-inch diameter maple is going to have a 28" rootball & weigh @200 lbs.
Then they ask why it's so expensive because "I can get one in a container for so much at Walmart". Guess they don't realize that a 2" tree grown in ground has had about 3-5 yrs of watering, fertilizing & pruning to make it look like a specimen tree.
Now I've learned to ask them up front what their tree budget is, before I even give them any pricing; It avoids embarrassment of me laughing out loud when someone says they want 2 or 3 trees for under $100. 
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Heart2Heart453
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Oct 22 @ 7:55AM
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I'm sorry for your distress, I would guess some people really just have no clue! I'm not in the contracting business but even I know that a $3000 budget isn't going to go very far when you want all the things the patio folks wanted. Did you by chance tell them what they could do for 3K then maybe they could have done the work in stages as they could afford it...of course supplies might change in price but oh well.
Unfortunately lawn maintance is somthing most folks see doing themselves for free and probably think of you as the teen down the road who is earning money for a new video game.
And just a suggestion....hang tough but be nice. When the economy comes around again and folks are willing to pay for what you think your serivce is worth they might be beating your door down with jobs. Remember the old saying a happy customer says nothing but an angry one tells everyone they know.
Peace Out
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Wing_Zero_75
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Oct 22 @ 8:27AM
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$3000? and that would buy what? All the materials leaving you what? $500?
I do pretty much the same as you do, except I do plumbing and the rest of the crap......hate electrical. It amazes me the audacity of some of the people. They want the Taj Mahal built for the price of bob house (winter fishing for those who dont know). Im lucky though, I work in a small town of rich people, they dont bitch an whine at the cost of things, and would rather you take your time to do the job right rather than go back and fix it. All of my work is gaurenteed, so if I make a mistake, its fixed on my time.
You have to be fair with the people you work with and for, but if they dot show you the same respect, then thats where things break down. Hope it gets better for you soon.
Larry
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chevymn
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Oct 22 @ 9:08AM
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Funny. Just two hours ago a guy at work asked me about fixing a small dent it a quarter panel on his car. I told him takin' it to a shop was his best bet. I told him it would run him about 120 he said that was too much. I assured him that by the time he bought the paint(the right paint that is) he would already be out the same price. He just filed bankrupcy, for the third time, funny, now he's worried about cost.
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silksox
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Oct 22 @ 9:37AM
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heya drs 
Many people are just really ignorant of costs...They have never been in business and do not understand "OVERHEAD". My son was a talented General Contractor who quit at the top of his career because he was  sick of haggling with clients over price...100's of time consuming "FREE" estimates....non payers...18 hour days and clients wanting something for nothing. He now wraps cars and makes $3, 000 to $10,000 a week. I am seriously considering having him wrap my older corvette.. It's half the price of painiting and lasts longer. AND I can pick the picture or design that goes across it.. coolz
I personally think landscapers perform one of the hardest JOBS in the world. Kudos to you for refusing to lessen the quality of your work to work CHEAPLY!
Just my 2c
silk
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cbond35
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Oct 22 @ 10:17AM
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Well, on the flip side, when you run/own a business, you are going to run into these types of people. It is the nature of business. It's like the blog I read yesterday about the waitress who lost her job because of a rude customer who could not be pleased. When you are in a "service" based industry, the customer is always right and dumb-asses abound.
I worked in the fire extinguisher sales and service industry for 4 years. You would be surprised how many business owners wanted something for nothing. When your dealing with things like being "up to code" in your building or business, it's cut and dried. Either you install fire extinguishers and sprinklers or the fire marshall will shut you down - period! Even after giving them a quote for the minimal coverage, some owners/managers thought the prices were outrageous. So I would offer to throw in free extinguisher signs or free mounting brackets for the extinguishers. But I guess you just can't please some people.
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1RockinDude
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Oct 22 @ 10:52AM
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Drs I have a friend in Alabama that does what you do. He makes contracts, with big buisness, factories.etc. They even pay him in the winter months. When all the leaves and etc. are gone.
So basically he makes money in downtime..
It works for him and his company. It inst chump money he makes either.
Try to check into that
I watched is company grow...he is doing quite well off.
Good luck Drs
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nickelbag
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Oct 22 @ 10:55AM
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let some of these people get burnt by shitty work at low prices. Sometimes you actually get what you pay for. I learned that lesson the hard way, had to pay a contractor to come fix what the "handy-man" halfass attempt on painting my home. good blog!
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beckyiv42000
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Oct 22 @ 1:15PM
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Drs I worked in construction for 20 years ...from major to minor jobs..and it dont matter what the estimate is .. people are gonna bitch...Trick to that is .. over bid ... then give them a "discount" cause they are so nice  trust me people JUMP at the chance for a DEAL...
I worked doing apatrment (rentals) refurbishing and some people would bitch if you charged them for changing out a light switch.. why does it cost X$ its only a switch.. one particularly nasty manager I told "well if its so damn easy YOU DO IT!!!" Oh no "he was only hired to do the books and rent."..yeah next time I did work there the price was doubled.. when the owner (who I had contracted to do all the work repairs refubishing etc on 6 apartment buildings he owned and had been in on the building of 3 of them) asked me about the raise in the price ...I told him "well Leon..if you manager wasnt such and arsewipe it wouldnt be so high but I need compensation for having to deal with him."...since Leon knew I was good at what I did and charged fairly that manager never bothered me again...  and I got a 3K bonus that year from him
Point is Drs.. sometimes you gotta just iggy the twits and realize that some folks are just damn clueless .. they will bitch about anything saying its JUST this or JUST that yet they CANT or WONT do it so that is why they call you.. you ARE in control
BTW  I thnk its just a time of year when everyone is a bit 
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Blaiserboy
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Oct 22 @ 1:53PM
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Keep on keepin on....
If they want your results they have to pay your price....
You might approach them by asking them to detail what they want you to do .... and then ask them what they would expect a job like that to be worth.... And then you have their number in mind before you quote.... or you can just walk away before starting into it.
To do a quote sometimes takes a bit of time..... you don't really have time to waste so you want them to commit to a decent number before you make your presentation.
Just an idea.
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drs297
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Oct 22 @ 2:45PM
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silksox - been looking into getting the truck wrapped but holding off for now since I will be buying an enclosed trailer and will have that done, what you can have done is cool.
cbond - it is a service based industry and have told plenty in this field the customer is not always right. Like you I might throw in a small extra or do something to show them the quality of work we provide but nothing big or that takes a lot of time for it will be expected.
RD - most of my customers around 95% are under contract for the year and your right, after the fall not much work to be done but still being paid for the services done during the summer. This year was tougher to lock people in because they did not want contracts so I left those alone since chances are they would stiff you on the bill after a month.
Becky - We think so much alike.. When I get a call and can tell they are from India I already put into my mind to raise the price. Not trying to stereotype here at all but its just how it is, they like to haggle so by raising price and giving them a little discount I'm still at what my regular price is. You win some and lose some,such is life.
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wrjones559
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Oct 23 @ 4:15PM
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I know exactly what you mean. I work for a commercial roofing contractor and sometimes I think that the big businesses are worse. They'll have us bid something and we'll hear from them a year down the road wanting us to update our bid but they don't want to spend the money.
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