My grass hasn't grown so it doesn't need cutting this week !!!

How do you deal with that one?As soon as I see or hear that I know our relationship is finished . It's never going to work, try and explain its your living and they take umbrage. Forget it, if they didn't see its, Imo, not the right thing to do at the time then you are not going to get them to have a light bulb moment with the explanation you may feel is fair and reasonable.I do not have a written contract it's just based on an honourable arrangement that apart from holidays mine or theirs I will turn up and cut the grass as per the prescribed time period during the growing season. In 10 years of cutting 12 to 15 lawns a day it's only happened twice.Personally I would not dream of doing it. For instance, I would not say to the window cleaner " the windows are not very dirty, don't clean them today"On the 2 occasions it happened I found that I was never very enamoured with the customer anyway so it as no big deal to wave by by !!!Loads more fish in the sea where I live, perhaps I am lucky.

Replies

GORDON August 15, 2016 at 9:07pm

Sorry, bye bye
Graham Taylor August 15, 2016 at 9:19pm

Unfortunately, if the grass doesn't need cutting, there really is no point in running the mower over it just to get your money...... the customer really does have a fair point I reckon. If I was employing someone to cut my grass, I don't think I'd be too keen on paying them to cut the grass when there was nothing to cut!! It's a pity you couldn't find something else to do in the garden to justify the customer paying you.
- PRO
  
  Gary RK > Graham Taylor August 15, 2016 at 9:25pm
  
  You don't have to cut the grass to make it look better, especially if using a Roller.
  
  We've clients who insist on 'cutting' whatever, recognising that we can effectively 'hoover' the lawn and impart new stripes where image is key to them.
  
  Nice clients to have.
  - GORDON > Gary RK August 15, 2016 at 9:45pm
    
    That is exactly the fact. The lawn looks smarter and I often say no charge for cutting the grass just a charge for a new set of stripes.
- GORDON > Graham Taylor August 15, 2016 at 9:41pm
  
  So you would turn away your, assuming you have one or the other , your window cleaner or house cleaner if you decided your windows or house wasn't dirty enough.
  I honestly don't think that is the way I would treat fellow workers just t save a few quid.
  Perhaps ask the window cleaner to paint a window or the house cleaner to pressure wash the drive.
  And no I am not a gardener, I have no qualification and do not profess to be able to do the job. I cut grass and I make it clear that is all I am employed to do, one is not related to the other as you seem to think they are.
  - Graham Taylor > GORDON August 16, 2016 at 7:53am
    
    Unfortunately, windows and houses always get dirty............ they don't stop at certain times of the year........ wish they did:) Funnily enough, I've been asked to clean windows before now.. no housecleaning though thank God!............... makes a nice change.
    - This reply was deleted.
      - Elliott M > GORDON August 16, 2016 at 11:58am
        
        I personally love the odd jobs that come with it. It's the reason i left working in IT and various other mundane jobs. Yesterday i was sawing pot bound bamboo in half and the customer hinted that she didn't want the 16 plate car to get messy, i offered to drive them 20 miles to her family member, for a good price. Don't get me wrong if i was maxed out on only lawns and hedges i probably wouldn't have bothered :D
Derek Conway August 15, 2016 at 9:23pm

If it was a weekly cut then fair enough make it fortnightly , if it's a fortnightly cut I'd bin it straight away - I ain't cutting hay
Colin Hunt August 15, 2016 at 9:55pm

Another reason to get your customers on annual 'contracts' paid monthly. If the grass doesn't need doing, do something else, even sweeping the hard areas. Running a mower over a parched lawn on a very hot day can damage the grass.
Philip Blair August 15, 2016 at 9:58pm

Fixed price for the year, i don't mind if it doesn't need cut. Would they offer you extra money if it had grown more?