[LandArts]

With all this talk of pre-qualifying lately I thought it would be interesting to see what you all consider to be "red flags"-things a customer says or does that indicate they're jerking your chain.
Here's a few of mine:

"Could you mail/email me the estimate?"

"Just do the design and we'll pick and choose what we want to do later." Buffet-style

Not being invited inside the house.

Both spouses aren't at the second meeting.

And the biggie: Watching TV during the presentation. There are no exceptions to this one-just fold it up and walk out the door.

[HardDaysKnight]

Both spouses aren't at the second meeting.

Both have to be there at the 1st meeting as far as I'm concerned.
It's a waste of time otherwise. The second may mean you have been chosen if only one is there.

Watching TV during the presentation. There are no exceptions to this one-just fold it up and walk out the door.

Good-bye , the end. We once had the wife go to bed for a nap.
And she was the one pushing for a new landscape.

[Bill Schwab]

1) German cars in the driveway and they tell you they have a limited budget. If the can afford the German iron, they can pay what I tell them it's going to cost.

2) Too much plastic surgery and tight clothes. They are so into themselves they don't want to spend what it's worth to do the work and usually will gripe at all the dust.

3) Husband and wife on two different pages. They either get on the same page I am or it's over right then and there. The last thing you need is to get caught in the cross fire of a husband wife pissing match, because you will be the whipping boy every time.

4) Different cultures. What I mean by that is that there are certain cultures who will never invest what I charge to do their work. As a rule of thumb, they have no problem hiring illegal aliens with no insurance because they are cheap.
There are also certain cultures who will always go to the bottom line, and, when in the middle of a job will haggle with you down to the last nickle. I don't need that crap, no one does. If they want to haggle, move back to a country where haggling is everyone's mindset or learn the proper ediquette for a contractors environment. Typically, we spell this out in our contracts very clearly. We don't ride into our towns on wierd looking animals bargaining on goats we eat for dinner here. You don't haggle in the grocery store line, so why would you think your landscape contractor would? If I sense this, the deal is off before it starts..

5) Lastly, someone who is indecisive, so much that once a deal is cut, they still are dancing back and fourth at varieties and hardscape surfaces. Make up your mind. I can't do it for you. And don't put me in the middle of every micro decision you need to make. Ask a question, let me respond, and then execute or stop the project until you are ready to proceed.

[johnkeegan]

...relating to #1. I hate to drive up and see a driveway full of $50K+ vehicles. I just did an estimate where in the drive there was a new Vette, new ragtop BMW and a new custom Winnebago... in front of a $250K house with crappy landscaping they've had for 10 years. Where are their priorities?
And on #4. Let's just say I've learned the hard way. Now I screen out these people on the phone. When I hear that accent I double my consultation fee. And if I give them an estimate, I tack on an extra $1,000, so when they want to haggle and get my "best price" I knock off $500 and they think they've outsmarted me. And don't do any extras unless its written and signed. They won't pay for them otherwise.
Bill's right, it's a culture clash. In some cultures this haggling is the norm, even expected. To me it's obnoxious and insulting. It also shows a lack of respect for people that make a living by using their hands, as well as their brains. But again, their native culture breeds a real separation between those with callouses on their hands and those without. It's reinforced generation after generation. Wereas, in America, few of us are very far removed, if at all, from family and friends that make a living from turning wrenches, plowing the fields, working the assembly line, driving trucks or house cleaning. So, IN GENERAL, there's more respect for what we do.... Of course, I still live in the same small town I grew up in. So my perspective may be a little distorted...

[HRLand]

The TV watcher has to be the most disrespectful of all. I ran into this last spring. I agreed to go out and see this guys place during a heavy rain so I can see his drainage problem. This lazy SOB laid on his couch and wouldn't even look me in the eye when I talked to him. I told them to hire an engineer for a drainage plan and call me when they were ready to do the job.

[georgiehopper]

I agree with the differing culture thing...but I have had good luck with alot of those people. I just stick firm to my price... I tell them right off the bat there will be no bartering and our price is firm.

Where I am located its like the united nations with all the different cultures.

One of my biggest red flags is when I show up for an appointment and all the blasted neighbors come over and want to be in on it too...then They start talking about little Jonny's circumcision or FooFoos animal behaviorist. I try to get out of those ones real quick!

[cutntrim]

I don't like it when people will not talk budget. I understand that they may be thinking "If I tell him $10,000 he'll just max it out to be $10,000", but imagine walking into a car dealership and just saying "I'd like a new car" without having any budget in mind. There's a big difference between a Ford Focus and a Lincoln Navigator.

Also people who have to have it done by yesterday. Did they just wake up in the morning and say, "Honey, lets put a new patio in...TODAY!" If they can't wait, then they'll have to move on to the next contractor because I'm not just sitting at home waiting for THEIR call. "All right! Mr. Johnson called today, time to go to work!"

[Bill Schwab]

"Also people who have to have it done by yesterday. Did they just wake up in the morning and say, "Honey, lets put a new patio in...TODAY!" If they can't wait, then they'll have to move on to the next contractor because I'm not just sitting at home waiting for THEIR call. "All right! Mr. Johnson called today, time to go to work!"

Cutn, do you get those geniouses in Canada who call a week prior to their kids graduation to get a major renovation done on their property?

Like they didn not know their kids was graduating a year prior! But then maybe their kid was 38 years old...LOL

[Stonehenge]

I can honestly say I've never had someone whose TV show outweighed our appointment...thankfully.

The other ones you mention LandArts are good ones.

It's hard for me to rattle off all of my red flags - so many have to be taken in the context of the moment. But over the years there have been a lot of them.

[cutntrim]

Originally posted by Bill Schwab


Cutn, do you get those geniouses in Canada who call a week prior to their kids graduation to get a major renovation done on their property?

Like they didn not know their kids was graduating a year prior! But then maybe their kid was 38 years old...LOL

Yep. My favorite last year though was the guy who wanted a retaining wall along his driveway done and it had to be THIS WEEK!

He'd bought the home of a former maintenance customer of ours, where we still have properties across the street that we service. Anyway he had purchased the previous fall, had the house demolished and a custom builder had been working on it all summer. Well, now it's fall (we're in our final few weeks of cutting) and he walks over asking me if I can do a fast job for him. He wanted a retaining wall seperating the grade between an upper parking pad and his driveway, which slopes down to his underground garage (under his house). He figured a couple of days to do it..."can we do it THIS WEEK"?

"A couple of days? This week? ...<chuckle>...Let me think....ahhh, no."

[Bill Schwab]

I got another one. How about those times when you were too nieve to go to a persons home after they gave you the address and told you to check it out. My rule is if they can't invest 15 minutes time with you to meet you and see who you are and hear what you have to offer, you are wasting your time, even if they agree to pay for our first consulation..

[Nebraska]

How about those times when you were too nieve to go to a persons home after they gave you the address and told you to check it out.

I will admit.....it happened..... only twice though.

Typically, we spell this out in our contracts very clearly. We don't ride into our towns on wierd looking animals bargaining on goats we eat for dinner here. You don't haggle in the grocery store line, so why would you think your landscape contractor would?

...another classic "Bill Schwabism"

[Bill Schwab]

Wait for my soon to be released book entitled "Billisms" Phrases that you never haveheard before, published by Houghton-Mifflin

[Rick Carver]

Hey,,,, what are all yous talking about??? I thought these things mentioned were all normal things that GREAT CUSTOMERS DO?? LOLOLOL This is the best thread,,,,,,,, Ya gotta luv the fact we all have this stuff happenin to us collectively.

My 3rd year in bizz I get a call from a neighbor of one of my customers. Mind you I only had a hand full of customers, so I was excited. Owner ask's what do I do, I tell him my maint. service particulars.
He then starts asking me do I do mowing? (I already told him I do) do I do weeding? (again I already told him this) so he goes on and I noticed it seemed as if he was reading a script or something,,,,, soooo he then says OK,,, you got enough right we can go on to the next step. HUH?? I asked what is he talking about? He asked would I be available on XX date and time. I said of course say yes or sooner if ya like,,, he says ummmm,,, good answer but no XXX would be fine.
I go to the guys house and I obviously noticed another scaper's truck in his driveway,,, one accross the street and two in front of his house,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
OK,,,, what the ???? What would you do????
I am young...er,,,,and (was) stupider,,,, and so I go to the door and his wife answers and has a list says to me thank you for being on time,,, your name? I tell her and instructs me to meet her husband in the back yard.
Out back there is her husband and these other scapers who at the time I didn't know. I waited for 10 minutes. No body said a word to each other,,, finally the husband walks back and says OK,,,, thank you for showing up we can get started,,,,,

I am still lost,,,, remember I am a green horn in the bizz,,,, this is all new to me,,,,,

He starts by telling us this is his yard his flower beds,,, his pool,,, his property lines,,,, now he says that's it please give me your price for mowing first,,,, I want it bagged each cut also. Takes his pen in hand and says who's first,,,, One guy (who I ended up being friends with later) told him he would get back to him with his proposal. The owner said OH NO,,, I want yous guys to tell me now so you all can have a fair chance,,,
AND I WILL BE HIREING ONE OF YOUS TODAY,,,, so if ya want to take some time and figure it out,,,, go ahead,,,, but lets get this auction goin,,,, huh??? this what??? I am in the wrong place??? I had to speak up,,, and tell him I think I should go because I don't want to buy anything,,,,, he laughed, (the only one who did) and said no no no,,,, I'm giving my work to the lowest bidder,,,, this way is faster for me,,, I called 10 companies and yous are the ones that showed up so YOU GET TO HAVE A CHANCE TO GET MY WORK,,,,,,,,,, I looked around at the other guys and except for one guy,,, they all looked as lost as I did I'm sure,,,,,,

What would you do????

I asked him If we could speak to each other for a minute or two,,, he first said SURE go right ahead,,,,,
I started off telling the other guys why don't we all start off 5X higher and none of go below XXX,,,, of course that wouldn't work because who would win,,,, the one guy (a later friend) said this guy is NUTS lets get the heck out of here all of us right now,,,, at that second the owner and wife came out and said LOUDLY OK OK ENOUGH you all will be disqualified if I feel you are trying to fix the price,,,,, lets get started,,,

OK OK OK,,,, thats it. Even as stupid and young,,,er,,, I was I just couldn't hold back,,,, I broke up and laughed all the way walking back to my truck,,,,,

Even funnier,,,,, only 3 of us left, so there must of been a winner!

I luv reading this stuff yous all put up here,,,,, makes me remember stuff I haven't in years!

Remind me to post about why you don't leave your giant leaf vac running un attended when doin leaf service,,,,, wooohoooooo!!!


Startin a day laughing has to be a good sign that it will be a great day!!!!!!!!!

[georgiehopper]

Ok..I remembered another one:

Woman calls for a new landscape design..she wants a japanese zen garden so that she can feel at peace with the world.

We make an appointment for the following Saturday...... about 10 am. We get there and her "man" answers the door in his wife-beater shirt looking at us like we just shot his dog.

I meekly say...."we have a 10 am appointment" He gruffly says " I dont know nuthin about it " I say.." we made the appointment with Mrs so&so" and he says "I don't care, shes sleepin an I aint wakin her up and slammed the door on us"

We left feeling like we did something wrong.. I called the broad later on to find out what happened, she wasnt there and never returned my call.

I hate to admit...this happened just last year.