dog mess

Sorry, it's a bit of unsavoury topic and hope none of you are eating your tea.

I would like to know how you would deal with the situation i have with a customer.

I started cutting the grass for this customer a while ago, at the time she had just had an operation on her arm and couldn't do much so before i cut the back lawn i'd clear up the dog mess.

Then winter came and i didn't go round until this spring. The grass was quite long and there was a LOT of crap! The woman had recovered from the op but had not cleared it up.

I tried to clear it up but inevitably missed some and by the end of the mowing it was on my mower and my boots, i had to hose me and machine down before i could pack up and get in the van. I charged her more for this.

I then missed her out for a couple of weeks due to other jobs and not actually wanting to go there again, when i did go back i told her why i wasn't happy and she agreed to clear it up before i came round each monday. this worked for the first visit then it was back to how it was again.

I am going to drop her, because A) I HATE having to clear up my own dogs mess let alone anyone elses! B) It is the only job that i dread going to! C) I doubt very much any other gardener would do that!

I will write her a polite letter explaining why i am ceasing the job,

So, Am i being unreasonable? Or would you do the same?

Has anyone else had this problem?

Replies

Gary Atkins June 24, 2011 at 8:45pm

If it's just the odd bit that's been missed, I'll try and mow round (if I see it in time!). But if they're just not bothering to clear it up, especially after having had a gentle word with them - I would definately drop it. It's all about the customer showing some respect in my book. Nothing worse than getting it all over your mower and than having in your van!
briggsandscrapem June 24, 2011 at 9:17pm

don't be such a big girls blouse
andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance June 24, 2011 at 9:27pm

lol, what do you do? Just mow straight over them? lol

briggsandscrapem said:
don't be such a big girls blouse
PRO

Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care June 24, 2011 at 10:00pm

I would not be going back. If you've asked them and they are not keeping their end of the bargain then nuff said.

It's ok if your mower sucks it up and you put it in their green bin. The problem comes when it's on your kit and boots and ends up on the next customers garden.

I had a customer last year who had a broken soil pipe. I pointed this out to them. After two months of wading through human poo to get to the garden I called it a day.
David Channon June 24, 2011 at 10:06pm

I use the bags they sell in supermarkets for putting soiled napppies in = nappy sacks. Cheap and easy to clean up behind my dog.

If I were doing it for a client, I would be charging extra for the time and inconvenience and the slight additional risk of worms and toxicara.

If I had to clean up my equipment before moving on to my next job, I would charge for that too.
briggsandscrapem June 24, 2011 at 10:13pm

Yep, got it in one. Just make sure your van has a reasonable bulkhead fitted or it can get a bit wiffy at lunchtime.

I've always found leaf season more hazardous on the dog turd front if your not wearing gloves, and the least said about faces full of shit off the strimmer the better.

andrew doughty said:

lol, what do you do? Just mow straight over them? lol

briggsandscrapem said:
don't be such a big girls blouse
andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance June 24, 2011 at 10:42pm

Montys! lol i've not heard that before, do you mind if i use that one? lol

edward maul said:
One of my lawns always has a weeks worth of montys for me to clear up. Makes no difference if theres one or ten, if theres a dog im not mowing before the lawn has been well and truly scanned.

I added an extra fiver onto the cut (for five minutes clearing) and we are both happy. Doesnt bother me, not after working on the demo and carrying toilet pans over to the skip rather than getting the machine covered in crap.
andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance June 24, 2011 at 10:43pm

You're not kidding about the strimmer!! Glad i got a full face mask! lol
briggsandscrapem said:
Yep, got it in one. Just make sure your van has a reasonable bulkhead fitted or it can get a bit wiffy at lunchtime.

I've always found leaf season more hazardous on the dog turd front if your not wearing gloves, and the least said about faces full of shit off the strimmer the better.

andrew doughty said:

lol, what do you do? Just mow straight over them? lol

briggsandscrapem said:
don't be such a big girls blouse
andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance June 24, 2011 at 10:45pm

Thanks paul , you got it in one!

Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care said:

I would not be going back. If you've asked them and they are not keeping their end of the bargain then nuff said.

It's ok if your mower sucks it up and you put it in their green bin. The problem comes when it's on your kit and boots and ends up on the next customers garden.

I had a customer last year who had a broken soil pipe. I pointed this out to them. After two months of wading through human poo to get to the garden I called it a day.
Matt Brown June 24, 2011 at 10:49pm

i have one customer that allows their 2 dogs to mess on the lawn, they dont pick it up, i use their mower as they have a new hayter and i just mow straight over it.