Farmwithjunk vs. Kendall69.......................Farmwith' wins the day.
IF this guy had approached LC in a better manner, tried to understand LC's position, discussed a long-term arrangement, or considered LC's business realities........then things might be different. But, as relayed by LC, this individual came across assumptive, cavalier, and overbearing expecting him to do something for his price but nothing else.
"Man I've never heard so much negative about a CUSTOMER in my life, seriously."
Read more. "Customers" can be a damning lot to deal with.
"customers are the ones that buy the tractor, pay for the fuel, roof over ones head and food on the table..."
Only if they are paying you what it takes to buy the tractor, fuel, groceries, etc. If they can't or won't, you're in the hole in the end.
"Are you telling me, you all pay the price you are quoted from everyone you deal with - now we all know that's not true, so how is this guy any different than all of us."
Well, actually, yes. I'm not a haggler. I look at the price and determine whether or not I can afford it. I buy vehicles this way as well as computers and tvs and propane and groceries. If it's reasonable and I can afford it......I do it. Someone wants to get into a pi$$ing match with me and I pretty much lose interest real fast.
"And as far as "neighbor might approach and expect LC to his for the same" DUH, that's the point - I think LC would be laughing all the way to the bank. That's called Gorilla marketing.
If LC doesn't want to do everyone in the neighborhood for $400.00 a whack, let me know I'll drive over and do it myself."
Just exactly how many long-distance, money losing jobs would one need to do before they get to make that chuckle inducing trip to BOA? If that's the recipe for success, please, do tell your secret.
"To assume this guy would want the next job for less and his neighbor then would want less than that, is ludicrous. Quite the opposite "might" be just as true, they could have more land, for more money or less land for the same $400.00, or any combination thereof."
They could, but customer perception is as much reality in so many cases. No one believes their place is really bigger or rougher than their neighbors....especially among the suburban and ranchetter set. It could reasonably cost LC $800 to cut the first guy's place but his neighbor may not understand this.
"I'd rather have a shot at those 10 neighbors to at least have a foot in the door to see if I could glean some or any business, at least I would have a chance at making more money. Now there is 100% chance of making no extra money."
No problem here, but how much time and money must LC lose before hoping to see a gain? He wasn't going to see any extra money in this case.
"And this "about negotiating once sets a precedent" - hogwash. The price was determined by the circumstance available at the time, period. Each subsequent neighbor and bid stands on it's own, determined by terrain, vegetation, access, sq. footage, etc. etc. etc."
My point exactly without argument. Every job is different. One acre for $400 is not the same in Kansas as it is in Georgia. It's also not the same for every customer even if they are neighbors.
"Now about the statement adding another break even job, doesn't make any sense. The break even job was the first job, that figures the price of time and fuel to the FIRST job, and back home - that's all computed in the first job.
The second job is the money maker, because there is no fuel to get there, no drive time to and from the job, the only additional costs are labor, tractor fuel, and tractor depreciation, in other words job number two was sweet profit. In fact job two would have always taken job one from break even to profitable job."
It makes absolute sense. Consider time and wear-and-tear once you've figured your per-hour costs. You're breaking even on two jobs on top of the drive time costs versus one. It costs $150 to get to your job which earns you $100 ultimately on top of costs.........and then another job with equal reward............who wins here? Let it go.
(ok, in this one case anyway)
