Open Association of Landscape Industries
Customers who argue the price once the work has been done
I did a general garden tidy up today- leaf clear, re-edged borders, cut back what needed it and the usual other bits with taking it all away.
The garden is pretty big and has not been worked on in 6 years so i filled my van twice with bags of leaves etc.
8 hours work and for a brilliant price as she was a friend of a regular client and then once the work was done she argued that she didn't want to pay as she expected more to be done!
I got the money in the end after about 20 mins of discussion and then she has the cheek to ask me to drop my hourly rate for future work!
Has anyone else had this problem and what was the outcome?
The garden is pretty big and has not been worked on in 6 years so i filled my van twice with bags of leaves etc.
8 hours work and for a brilliant price as she was a friend of a regular client and then once the work was done she argued that she didn't want to pay as she expected more to be done!
I got the money in the end after about 20 mins of discussion and then she has the cheek to ask me to drop my hourly rate for future work!
Has anyone else had this problem and what was the outcome?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kirsty Blair on -
No, not come across it, I usually do a walkround with clients after I've done the work and we correct stuff if they're not happy - unless its unreasonable to do so.
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Permalink Reply by Matt Rolls on -
i did the walkaround after and i showed her what i did. She was in all day and saw i worked straight through with no break.
She was happy with the work which had been done but tried to make out that i had said i would get her garden perfectly landscaped for the one price which i did not.
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Permalink Reply by Kirsty Blair on
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just sounds a wee bit unreasonable then - do you need clients like that?
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Permalink Reply by Jez Wardman on -
It happens some times no matter how hard you try. It can be a problem with major tidy ups like this one as some clients expect the garden to be perfectly manicured with not a weed in sight and perfectly tilled soil.
I always try to manage a clients expectations and explain what we will not do as well as what we have agreed to do, and then write it down and leave a copy with them. You can be sure the one time you don't give a detailed written quote is the one client you have a problem with.
I once quoted to do a 'leaf collection' where the garden was surrounded by trees and had a huge beech tree and in places was about a foot deep in leaves. After collecting, blowing and hoovering up several truck loads loads of leaves we had just about every one. The client still wasn't happy as she wanted 'all the leaves removing' which to her also included all the annuals and perennials that had died back in the borders and all the leaves still attached to the weeds.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Kieran Ray on -
I have had it before, once on a landscaping job that went over schedule as I broke my thumb on the job so couldn't work for a wile, apparently it was such an inconvenience to have the garden finished a week later, it was still ready for the party they wanted. They tried to get out of paying £500 of the bill for their inconvenience, luckily after explaining to them that i was too inconvenienced due to my thumb they had to pay or i would take them to the small claims court, they paid in full.
And the odd garden tidy before I put everything in writing, I got my money in the end but took a few phone calls and threats of legal action.
JUST MAKE SURE YOU PUT EVERYTHING IN WRITING AND DO A DETAILED SPECIFICATION OF THE JOB ENTAILED.
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Permalink Reply by Kirsty Blair on
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Hi - you ever thought of debt collecting as a side line? I just wouldn't have the confidence to do that. Have only ever not been paid once and that was for doing a drawing for another landscaper - not agreed in writing and the guy told me what he wanted as he drove off in his convertable bmw - right wkr!
Pro Gard said:I hope you told her were she could stick the future work.
I had this once not long after starting, the job was the cut of a lawn that had been unn mown for several months, 2' long lush grass, they wanted it doing immediately so said no need for written quote they were happy with price £70 I explained that it would look fairly rough after being cut as it was obviously so long. the response was no problem we will just be glad to see it done.
Next day I did the job strimming and raking off, mid way through the customers left saying it was looking better and they were popping out and would be back before I went.
All packed up and no sign so I left a note with my details so as they could send a cheque. That evening I got a call to say they were not going to pay as no quote had been agreed. A very heated exchange followed.
No one but no one gets the better of me so at 6am bright and early the next day I visited completely blocking in the drive with my vehicle and making it clear that I had done what was asked and expected immediate payment and that I would not move my vehicle until I got it.
The guy payed up and as soon as he had I took the £70 (he payed cash) and tore it up in front of him ..... his face was a picture........ Priceless!
Subsequently i learned from a number of sources that these people were renowned for non payment.
I learned a very valuable lesson, ALWAYS put things in writing specifying every detail and go with gut instinct. I had thought something was not right but ignored my feelings.
Thankfully I have never since had any further problem payers.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gardens4u.co.uk on -
tell her to f*ck off .
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Pip Howard on -
Good on you Paul, have had similar happen to me at start. I know there are quite a few out there who will test every new outfit in town in order to get work for nothing, this is actually fun for some people but thankfully they are few on the ground and can be smelled out.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gardens4u.co.uk on -
typing error ! meant to say ; sorry i cant do that, it costs me ....blah...blah...blahhh etc etc.
Steve Kenyon The Garden Company said:robin did you forget on purpose to not add the u in the word or was it a genuine mistake lol
Robin Ainsworth said:tell her to f*ck off .
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Pip Howard on -
It was a u then?
Robin Ainsworth said:typing error ! meant to say ; sorry i cant do that, it costs me ....blah...blah...blahhh etc etc.
Steve Kenyon The Garden Company said:robin did you forget on purpose to not add the u in the word or was it a genuine mistake lol
Robin Ainsworth said:tell her to f*ck off .
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Permalink Reply by Richard Boyd on -
Robin Ainsworth said:tell her to f*ck off .
Too right!
I remember sending out two lads to do a small ongoing maintenance job.
Week 1 they did 5 hours
Week 2 they did about the same
Week 3 it pissed it down by the bucket load, no work done so no charge
Week 4 client cancelled 2 minutes before they arrived on site
Week 5 they did about 4 hours, client phone saying she had not agreed to pay for two people and only wanted one on the job.
You get the idea, clueless shit of a client…if I would have sent just one they would have achieved very little and got bored, why did she think I sent them out in pairs…?
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd on -
I once constructed a fence which was quoted for with a fixed price in writing detailing exactly the spec of work to be done.
The fence was duly completed and the customer happy with the end product except he asked me to reduce the amount.
I typed a 2 page letter explaining what a fixed price quote was and how it might allow me to come back if there are any future problems. Bearing this in mind I knocked off a very small amount as goodwill (about 5%) and said that if they chose to pay the smaller amount I would not be able to help them as my contingency fund had been used up.
Of course my workmanship on this fence was good (it was of close-board construction) and I did not think there would be any future problem but made the discount for good customer relations.
They immediately paid up (the lower amount) and I have never heard from them since.
One thing to also note on projects like this is if the customer asks for any change in the spec, no matter how small is to ask them to sign something on a piece of paper first. I was nearly taken to court last year when someone asked for something to be done in a particular way, we obliged and then he changed his mind afterwards. He got Trading Standards involved who saw common sense and sided with my case. I knew I was in the right but it was a stressful period. I did also get paid in full!
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