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Cowboy customers

• Message 1. 

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Tuesday, 26th October 2010

  Hi all,
  Well i had a visitor i'd not met before come to see me today, an older man who like myself has retired to a life of gardening here in france, But this man gardens in a different way to you and me and this is because he's not got much of a garden "infact its less than the average size garden 15 feet by 8 feet, so he tells me and so he and his wife use this space for relaxing in and the odd BBQ,
  
  But he's not put off gardening having given up a house and large garden when he lived in the uk,
  "No"
  he looks after holiday homes owned by brits who come to france a couple of times a year for their own holidays and dont have time to look after the gardens they own here.
  
  Well his ride -on mower was giving him some odd cutting problems and a third party told him i'd be able to sort the problem out and this is how i found out the topic i thought i'd share with you all.
  
  We've all seen these T.V programs about "cow boy builders ect ect but i feel the t.v people should try doing a program called cow boy customers.
  
  This chap today was telling about the people who all of a sudden decide not to pay him after he'd been cutting their lawns all summer, or customers who decide to sell without telling him and again "no payment" and customers who have him checking for burst pipes after frost "as he's on their property anyway" but no extra payment or as he said "many a time not even a thank you.
  
  Its a funny old world at times.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by mummyduckegg (U8437139) on Tuesday, 26th October 2010

  Punpun I have lots of clients and never had trouble with payment yet. I've no doubt there will be a first! I did have a very determined 90 yr old lady who would always barter with me before I started, but that was honest enough.
  
  My neighbour told me today about his brother, who is a painter and decorator - he spilt a cup of coffee on a client's carpet, the client then claimed £65 back off the bill! Painter said no way, see you in court, and that's how it stands.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by nanpickle (U14258493) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  I used to live next door to a hardware shop where the man serviced lawn mowers. He said that he had numerous customers who either didn't pay his bill, or kept him waiting a couple of months for payment. This was most unfair as he was a small business man and could not afford to wait as it caused him cashflow problems with his suppliers. What surprised me most was the fact that the worst culprit came from the "best" addresses. My milkman also said he never received a Christmas box from those addresses either - perhaps that is how they came to afford to live there ! Nan x

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Twiggy (U3854938) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  My lovely milkman delivers to my last employer, one of these nuevo rich, new money - no finese, and whereas I paid as soon as I received a bill, he would be chasing them for months. Employer would have me calling all and sundry if any invoices were outstanding, yet he never paid anyone on time. I don't know how people can do that.

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  I need to find a spine. I just can't find it in me to demand payment. One elderly guy still owes me 180 dollars from last winter. He has paid me for all the gardening I've done for him through this season. He's a Korean war vet and legally blind. The elderly fella beside me has been slow paying up and I shovel his walks all winter for free. punpun, I take it cowboy, over your way isn't a good term. Cowboy over here in Alberta (cowboy country) is the opposite. Their hardworking and honest people. They even have a large group that writes poetry and holds readings etc.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Joe_the_Gardener (U3478064) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  I've had two people who didn't want to pay. I was suspicious of them from the start and sent them a bill for a small amount of work first, just to test the water. I was right to be be suspicious, but they soon caved in when I was assertive with them.
  
  Customers who think you're as well off as they are can be a problem. I've had regular customers who got into the habit of 'forgetting' to pay for seven or eight weeks, and that's after it's taken me a week or two to send the bill.
  
  It depends, I suppose, how much their work is worth to you and what your relationship is like. It's still a b----- cheek, though. A letter along the lines of 'I wonder if you would check your records to see if this cheque has been issued......' usually does the trick.
  
  

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  Rood words in bleach on the lawn........Cheers, Tony.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by hotsunlover (U5664870) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  I have had two people who I have had trouble getting payment out of, but believe me the worse one was taking over from a cowboy gardener. He went to an elderly lady and literally dug all her plants up and put them in pots and took them away! He then cut down some trees and left the wood behind. He covered the stumps with what he grandly called a 'rockery' but really it was just builders rubble. He even dug up her bulbs.
  And then, he demanded payment, scaring her so she would pay. Once he charged her £40 to mow her front lawn, its a pensioners bungalow so you can imagine how small it is.
  
  Her family have caught up with him and have retrieved some of the money and I am sorting out her garden for her using snips from my own garden and other customers who are happy for me to divide and share their plants. We can't give her back her confidence though, he's robbed her of that as he has the plants her late husband had planted.

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  Hi J.M.
  I hope your well and enjoying our english way of writing,
  Now the wording "cowboy " as the way i used this word in last nights thread is an english way of saying a person or company is not the best or honest to deal with "But i would like to say it's of no reflection on our american friends"
  
  So J.M please dont think we are being nasty to you in anyway (it's just an english way of explaining the sort of person that has not done a good service.)
  
  Well having explained this i must now ride off into the sunset,
  cheers PUNPUN;

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by mummyduckegg (U8437139) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  What would your term be johnmoodie - can I suggest "London city banker"?
  
  I agree that the well off clients are always the hardest to extract money from. Also my housing association/council house people always give me a generous tip at the end of the season, but nothing from the posher end!
  
  HSL I hope you have got your client sorted and reassured now, I'm sure she's in good hands with you. People like that are completely heartless - there is so much soul and memories in a garden, which they have ruined.

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  punpun, no i wasn't thinking you were being nasty. here in Canada we are kind of a mix between the England English and the American English. We have a few strange words ourselves.

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Wednesday, 27th October 2010

  How about shyster? Oh the fella next door just came a few minutes ago and paid up!

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• Message 13

  , in reply to message 12.

  Posted by nanpickle (U14258493) on Thursday, 28th October 2010

  Perhaps he has been reading this website !!
  Nan x

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