You get what you pay for

I received a voicemail message at ten past eight this morning from one of my clients asking if I could call them back urgently.It turned out that they had a “visit” the other day from a gardening company asking if they would like their hedges cut. Now we have previously quoted for this work a few years back but was too expensive as the client likes a bargain so happy to leave it for someone else.When I turned up at 8:30 it felt like world war three was about to start!The company was on-site to finish the job –it transpires that they agreed a price for cash and started the work until lunch time when they asked for cash to get some fuel. Apparently they came back three hours later (I am guessing they had a liquid lunch) and told my client that their equipment has failed and they would be back at 8AM on Saturday.The clients’ husband was “kicking” the company off site and saying how they have let them down and he wasn’t happy with the standard of workmanship. Now to be fair to this company I have seem their work on other jobs and they do a decent job for the money.I was asked if I could quickly tidy up the waste as they were expecting guests a little later.So all in all I think the client lost about £80, the hedges still haven’t been cut and they will have to spend £150 to get the work completed.Moral of the story is that you pay your money and take your choice. Being cheap doesn’t always saves you money.Hopefully I have another hedge job to do next week!
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Comments

  • Satisfying experience for consienscious professionals like you :-)
  • And hopefully rewarding in more ways than one :-)
  • if i buy a packet of crisps for 10p i get some rubbish made from american corn or is it maize 20gms ?

    for 30p i get a nicely flavoured bag of McoY's crinkle premium (in date) 35gms!

    for 60p i get Tyrell's? 'kettle' 'hand-made' crisps made from 'real' potatoes and 'sea-salt' from Anglesey hmm
  • Like the crisp analogy...
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Open forum activity

James replied to James's discussion What is average cost for mowing a garden?
"Price per visit.
Tell the customer it will be X amount per visit.
In you head charge £30ph or £35/£40 whatever it is worth and work out how long it will take you.
Half a day is half a days money.
View the garden. Take pictures. Tell the customer you…"
45 minutes ago
Lee Davis replied to James's discussion What is average cost for mowing a garden?
"How do you do price work for a weekly maintenance job though? Part of how these bigger clients justify knocking me down a bit is that they are 52 weeks a year, lawn jobs are only march - October really. "
1 hour ago
Lee Davis replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
"Wow that's impressive, what fuel do you it in it? The engine that has failed on my Hayter is Honda, but that's because I hadn't checked the oil level."
3 hours ago
Peter sellers replied to James's discussion What is average cost for mowing a garden?
"Exactly, you the supplier are in charge of the cost not the customer"
3 hours ago
Peter sellers replied to James's discussion What is average cost for mowing a garden?
"The underlying issue here is charging by the hour.
The only way to achieve realistic rates is price work, the customer will always have control of the cost along with a perception of what they "think" is a good hourly rate ( or bargain) . The odds…"
3 hours ago
Honey Badger replied to James's discussion What is average cost for mowing a garden?
"Vics right there's money in machines.
Do not negotiate rates with new customers what you want to charge is up to you, its not for them to set the rates you are offering the service. If you don't get what you need walk away to another that will…"
3 hours ago
Honey Badger replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
"The decks are very strong with no rusting issues. Honda claims in there marketing as tough as a rhinos hide."
3 hours ago
Vic 575 replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
"I have an Efco self-propelled hand mower. I am not here to recommend Efco particularly, but rather the Honda engine that is fitted. The Honda engine is as sweet today as when I first bought the mower in, wait for it, 2005. So 19 years on and the…"
4 hours ago
Vic 575 replied to James's discussion What is average cost for mowing a garden?
"Hi Lee,
Yes, I think this is the problem with general gardening, the more horticultural mixed type of work. It is hard to justify very high hourly rates for pruning roses and planting borders. I can do and have done all of this type of work, but…"
4 hours ago
Lee Davis replied to James's discussion What is average cost for mowing a garden?
"Hi Vic. Yes I realise that I'm not charging enough, even after 7 years of self employment (20 years in horticulture). I don't really do lawn only jobs, I prefer to do the whole garden, but still £20/hr isn't really enough. I recently got a new…"
6 hours ago
Lee Davis replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
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7 hours ago
Lee Davis replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
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7 hours ago
Lee Davis replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
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7 hours ago
Stephen r Brook-Smith replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
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9 hours ago
James replied to Lee Davis's discussion New mower time!
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Can't go wrong with either. 
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Tim Wallach replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Gadgets that were surprisingly useful: catcher on hedge trimmer
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