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Permalink Reply by steve lowe on April 12, 2012 at 15:40

We are about 4 days behind now, the grass has grown since the last cuts about 8 inches! We are not allowed to work Sundays or Bank holidays. Thankfully, most of our customers live in UK or elswhere, and they dont see it. As long as its OK when they arrive, then its all good. However, I should be cutting an entire villages gardens today - all residents, but its peeing down, so I will do it tomorrow. 1/2 the other customers will be 3 days behind, but I will end up leaving it a week, to get them back on their correct cutting days, albeit a week behind.

Bloody rain.........

Steve

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Dan Frazer Gardening on April 12, 2012 at 15:54

If the lawn isn't extremely soft/boggy the grass gets cut as usual. I don't think stopping grass cutting simply due to rain is any use and it's not the way a busy professional business should operate, although a small hobby business could very well get away with it.

If I DO get behind then I employ extra hours to help me catch up again, OR work out of hours.

Steve - you state you are not ALLOWED to work bank holidays or Sundays? Are you an employee or a business owner?

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gary Hedges on April 12, 2012 at 17:37

I think Steve works abroad where you can't use machinary then.

Dan Frazer Gardening said:

If the lawn isn't extremely soft/boggy the grass gets cut as usual. I don't think stopping grass cutting simply due to rain is any use and it's not the way a busy professional business should operate, although a small hobby business could very well get away with it.

If I DO get behind then I employ extra hours to help me catch up again, OR work out of hours.

Steve - you state you are not ALLOWED to work bank holidays or Sundays? Are you an employee or a business owner?

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on April 12, 2012 at 18:06

I work even when its raining - thats what my etesia is for - I can cut grass in all but the worst rain.

For maintenance I usually work late till 7pm to catch up if I've fallen behind due to weather. As with this week though, when the forecast is particularly bad, I go to some customers lawns a day early, get the grass cut, and then return in the rain to do the borders and weeding. This way over a 3 day period all the customers for that period get their visit, but split over 2 to accommodate the weather.

For bigger one - off jobs, where weather or un expected underground disasters (Buried crap and utilities) the job can be come "Ex-diary" as its called, where it has to be fitted in around on going commitments, otherwise it could be like a pack of dominoes and go from being one job running late, to 3-4 jobs all running late, and that quickly becomes messy. Basically be like a tree - Compartmentalise delays so they do not cause other delays.

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Roy Parker on April 12, 2012 at 18:15

i got 3 that have water standing inches deep on  . the last time i was at one of these gardens the mower blade was spinning in water

and weeding on some of the heavier soils is becoming difficult as you get half the garden stuckto the roots of the weeds

i been cutting today even after rain yesterday afternoon and today but i do draw the line that i not work in a thunder storm 

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Permalink Reply by steve lowe on April 12, 2012 at 18:38

Tis true - I am a owner - You are to stop making noise between 12 and 2pm (lunch time) Saturdays no work before 8am, stop at 12 till 2, then until 8pm. Sunday, no noise before 10, and after 12 mid day. Same as Bank hols. Its a pain, but if you are complained against, then the feds turn up and confiscate your kit! Home owners, treated more leniently, but pro's its a no no. Good old Frenchies :)

Steve

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Permalink Reply by steve lowe on April 12, 2012 at 18:42

Stopping cos its raining no way! stopping cos your up to your neck in mud, different matter! 

Steve

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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey King North Yorkshire on April 12, 2012 at 19:26

I would tell your customer to get a grip of reality, we all have schedules to keep,we need to have a bit of slack in the system to accommodate the weather.

We always say, we will do xyz, weather permitting, afterall we don't want to ruin the garden, with muddy mower tracks, and heavy boot tracks.

Weeding in the rain, is all very well but how effective can it be?

It is a matter of balance, expertise & experience & your decision to make, but also bearing in mind the H&S of operating machinery when it is slippery underfoot, when visibility is poor and being mindful of your health & well being.

Some customers ask / demand us not to work in the rain., we say we don't mind, which translates as, we want to get paid.

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Roy Parker on April 12, 2012 at 19:44

i want to work i need to make a living the same as every one but if you make a mess cutting the grass turn it in to a mud bath you not get any more work

just to make things worse a industrial unit i been looking after ask for 1 hour or so a fortnight have phoned today say that they expect me to be there every week , first i knew was when they phoned and kicked off because i not been ( new site manager feeling his feet )

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Permalink Reply by Colin Hunt on April 12, 2012 at 20:14

Sounds like a breakdown in communication here Roy.  Make sure ALL of your customers know how you work(or dont!) and there can be no problems. 

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Paul McNulty on April 12, 2012 at 21:28

Roy, I think you need to get your terms and conditions documents sorted.

a industrial unit i been looking after ask for 1 hour or so a fortnight have phoned today say that they expect me to be there every week ,

An industrial contract should have copies of your terms, and you will have them signed. "An hour or so a fortnight" isn't a contract, so you can't blame them for trying to add in extra work at your expense. Pin them down to a tight contract.

In reply to your first question. I rarely accept fortnightly contracts. If I do, they get it written in to their terms that if the weather is awful they will have to wait another two weeks. Weekly contracts are worth their weight in gold; they pay you 52 weeks per year and you need to be flexible with them. If you're at a property weekly you should have everything under control, and missing a visit won't be a problem whatever the weather.

If a customer called me with that demand I'd drop him immediately, unless there was a very good reason for him to expect a special service. I include a note in my terms that I'll always try to help out with extra work if I can; for instance running the mower over on a Saturday morning at no extra charge if they have an important event on. But, I would only bend over backwards to help a client if they were going to be a good long-term contact; I've done too many favours for people who drop you when they've used you once too many times!

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Permalink Reply by David Benson on April 12, 2012 at 23:56

Ive brought the etesia out of retirement for the domestic lawns that have not been cut this year but if the ground is wet it tends to leave wheelings on the lawn and you have to clean the deck and wheels off before you move off the lawn and you Carnot hoe the weed off properly if its peeing it down

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