How do you deal with difficult customers???

[powerpace]

A rate card showing what a certain dollar amount will get done.

Minimum = $$$
Travel = $$$ Time
Per acre = $$$
Damages to equipment = $$$

Hand them a copy when you get there, ask if they have any questions etc....

This solved a lot of problems for me when I did mowing a million years ago.

 

[Turbys_1700]

People really have no clue about the cost, maintenance, insurance, taxes, and repair costs associated with equipment...
My neighbor owns a small grading company including asphalt and hauling...
He will haul me a load of stone for $100 which is in my opinion very fair...
You can't run a tandem dump for peanuts...

 

[cqaigy2]

Ok, will you take $35 to do the other acre, i mean while your here? People have been trying to get a deal since time began. I think you did the right thing.

 

[mikehaugen]

This solved a lot of problems for me when I did mowing a million years ago.

Are you really that old???

 

[Degolyerent]

She was a cheap skate for sure, that is why I always look at jobs first and give them a bid for total job and that way there is no surprises. When I started I tried by the hour but that seems to draw all the cheap skates that want something for nothing. I don't have time for those types.
If they ask me an hourly rate I will explain to them that I need to look at job because every job is different and I would rather give them a total price to protect them and I from a un-expected outcome, I want them to know price upfront. I look at all jobs and make arrangements to meet with them at a time that is good for both of us. I will spread loads of dirt or rock for a per load price in driveways, as long as they understand there is a minimum charge which depends on their location if they don't have enough loads to cover minimum cost.
John

 

[BeeferMan]

whoever was wrong, am i the only one that seems to sense people are getting much more difficult to deal with?

I have to say this is true. But I'd have to say this is true on both sides of the equation - there seem to be more people who want you to pay them for doing less quantity or quality. (No bad implications to the OP here, sounds like he earned his money.) It's just more and more you have to be careful of who you hire. Just recently had a friend who was getting a septic inspection for a house purchase. Outfit showed up, found the tank, couldn't find the field after a couple hours. Wanted to bring a dozer to find the field - at his expense, of course! Left without giving the customer any report or any idea of when they'd be back or what the next step was, and they still cashed his check. So it works both ways...

But for this incident, not knowing any more details, I'd still assume that there are no "bad guys" here until proven otherwise.

 

[RDrancher]

Her reply was "well Im in the wrong line of work then"

Here's a quote taken directly from one of my customer's emails..."Thanks for getting out to the property yesterday and getting the brush taken care of but holy cow....$150 for an acre????? I'm in the wrong business!"

This the exact reason that I give most of my mowing jobs to my Father-in-law. I did culverts, grading and driveways for this same customer and charged more than that...per hour. She'd have that cow on the spot (maybe a calf or two as well) if she knew that!

 

[SPYDERLK]

LD1, at essentially $50/hr it would be pretty easy to show how that is reduced to a rather much lower "net" that should convince people they are getting as fair an exchange as you are. Those talking points raised as conversationally as possible will have some influence over those who listen. They need to know that youre doing your best for them as a customer and part of that is to stay in business.
larry

 

[Arc weld]

What I learned is never give a price without physically surveying the job. I used to charge a 2 hour minimum to cover travel expenses. What if there's hidden rocks or baler twine, barb wire and other debris? You can put that as extra in your contract. I generally charged by the hour but would give estimates on the straight forward jobs. Sounds like your job was more than you expected so that is your fault. That said there are customers that try to haggle on price or suddenly find fault with your work (after it's completed) hoping to get a reduced price.

I had a few bad deals. I remember doing a job for a lady selling a Million dollar acreage. I think it was inherited. She needed the fenced in horse corrals mowed down. It was 4 ft. tall so I think it had been a while since there were horses there. Anyway, I showed up and she was really nice and told me what she wanted done. Then she said she had to run an errand but would be back in about an hour. It was about a 2 1/2 hour job and she wasn't back when I finished. I waited for a while then finally went home. I tried calling her when I got home and left a few messages. After 2 days with no reply, I figured I was set up. I wasn't laying down though. I went back to the job site and got the realtors name and number off the for sale sign. Amazing what one phone call to a realtor trying to sell a million dollar property can do. The realtor wasn't dumb and totally understood the situation. She said she'd call the owner ASAP to get it cleared up. The lady must have felt like an idiot when the realtor said the property couldn't sell with a lien against it! I had my cheque in 2 days and even got an apology from the lady.

 

[Big Barn]

On our turf farm we run into this type of problem all the time. Customer places order then wants free delivery. Our reply would go something like this: madam I don't know what you do for a living but I'm sure no one expects you to do your job for free. Please don't expect me or my staff to either.

Terry