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No major problem in the West Midlands. Hours of rain today will add sufficient moisture to the soil to prevent the grass entering a dormant state, although many lawns are very dry. Lawns that are thatchy are high on the list for dryness and the weather is helping me sell the scarifications for the autumn.
I'm in the West Midlands Jack! It's been dry as a bone until yesterday. Agree yesterday's rain should give it all a lift.
I see no fairness in it at all. In peak growing season when you turn up to a meadow after 2 weeks do they offer to pay double or would they accept it if you asked for double. I have never had it and never asked.
Lawn mowing is a swings and roundabouts job and even if there is no grass as such to cut the site looks tidier when finished.
If all your customers cancelled in a day or week you may struggle to survive.and then when the grass starts to grow the customers will wonder why you are not there.
Sorry I could not do it to the window cleaner or house cleaner even if no one had been in the house from the previous clean for instance as I appreciate and recognise that I would be eroding their income. So I won't accept it at all, just get rid, very selfish.
Had this conversation before and if you mow only during the season then it has to be this way and I am solid booked everyday.
My customers respect that I will turn up even in pouring rain if that's what it takes and transversely I believe they respect it's my living.
To be fair, it sounds like these 2 customers treat Tony quite nicely... not as a "casual labourer" If you're paid to cut grass per visit and there's nothing to cut, you really can't expect to get paid for doing nothing. It would be a different matter if you're say paid £x a month to keep the lawns looking good no matter how many visits you made, Fortunately, this time of year there's always plenty of other work to keep us busy. I don't really think house cleaning is a fair comparison................ there's always something else to do in a house............. even polishing my silver trophies:)
Enjoy a day off of needs must
Annual contracts are the answer.
there are two things I struggle with about this post. The first is the 'fortnightly cut' comment - how can rapidly growing grass be cut every other week at the prime growing time and still confirm with the 'only take a 1/3 of the grass off per mow'. When it's growing fast then weekly is surely a minimum.
Secondly, all my customers pay me monthly, every month, for grass cutting. We cut as it needs it. If it's growing fast they get more cuts and if not, then less. That way the income in guaranteed either way and the customer knows how much to budget for lawn care.
What would you do if the customer asked you to come every three weeks?!
Oh and one more thing. I'd rather have regular paying customers and bring my own flask of tea thanks!
Oh and one more thing. I'd rather have regular paying customers and bring my own flask of tea thanks!
It doesn't taste quite the same out of a flask + I'd miss a chat with the customer! I know it's not the most efficient way of working but money isn't everything in my opinion.
the trick is to keep the bags in the van and just take a flask of boiling water with the milk in a separate bottle ;-)
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