So yesterday the wife finds a guy to mow my tiny yard for twenty bucks. Monday at noon he says. I just so happen to take a very rare day of vacation, wanting to do so light lawn work after the guy is done. At 2:30 in the after noon he says he's having car trouble and will be by later. 4:30 rolls around and I'm getting antsy. Contact him and he's says be there after 6, I told him I'd put the money in the mailbox. He never shows. Early this morning this guy is mowing my grass, in the rain doing a shitty job (I work nights and would never have some one start this early), woke the wife up and pissed her off. He then sends us a surly text wanting to know where his money is. Well since he didn't show we took it out of the mailbox. My wife, in all her morning glory, replied to his text...FU...He sends one back saying "You don't want to go that route with me" Oh boy we got a live one. Now he says he's coming over in the morning to get his money. I don't feel compelled to pay him. My verbal contract with him was for noon yesterday. His threatening manner is grating on me although he was apologetic finally after he and the wife sent messages back and forth. Because I don't like prison sex or CNN, I'm putting 20 bucks in the mailbox. Not a good business model chump. The wife is pissed I'm paying him, I think she wants to see my old ass get kicked around the yard a few times. 20 years ago I would have been confrontational about this, I have new approaches now. By this time tomorrow night I will know more about him than he is even capable of imagining. Knowledge is power and lack of testosterone gives calmness and clarity of thought.....20 bucks ain't nothing to me but he's willing to risk his life for it.

While he was remiss in his duties and punctuality, "FU" might not have been the best way to go. I'd just pay him and not hire him again.

Know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Not a hill worth dying on.

Yup paying him and done.

Guy has car trouble and can't get there, so comes as early as he can the next morning and cuts yard, even though it's raining. Asks where the money is that you said was in the mailbox, and gets "FU" as a response.

Perspective.

When people ask me why I persist in taking care of my own yard after all these years, I can give them this example as yet another reason.

A guy (or gal) could get really upset about the guy failing to do what he said he do, coming too early in the morning, sending a snotty text, probably other things too.

However, life is short, far too short to waste it being pissed off over something so small. I’d pay him and move on. I’d never hire him again, never give him any kind of reference, never look back. I wouldn’t waste my time researching him or trying to create trouble for him. It simple is not worth wasting any of however many minutes I have left worrying about, dealing with, or thinking about him.

About the only thing I’d do with the whole thing is take away that if someone I am trying to deal with seems that flaky, I’d cut him off sooner. With the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, when he said he’d be there after six, I’d reply, “Sorry, that isn’t going to work for me. Maybe I’ll give you a call next time.” And no, I would not, but leaving it open-ended is less offensive than something like, “Forget it, I don’t deal with flakes.”

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
Guy has car trouble and can't get there, so comes as early as he can the next morning and cuts yard, even though it's raining. Asks where the money is that you said was in the mailbox, and gets "FU" as a response.

Perspective.

You're giving a contractor the benefit of the doubt? Way too many put the con in contractor and will say anything to get another customer (i.e. be there at noon, I know I said noon but I'm having car trouble, etc) and then show up when it's convenient for them not the client.

My Dad had a lawn guy do the same to him last year at a property about 20 minutes away that he was getting ready to sell. Lawn guy never showed up when he stated, was always on his way despite getting there 3 hours later, etc. but as soon as he showed it up it's where are you with my money? Heck, his wife even showed up in the middle of a mowing to chew his ass because he had been promising for the past 5 hours to be at her sister's house putting on a roof.

Now we used a kid last year I really liked. happy to help you out. Strange bird, man bun, heavy tats and muscles, vegan, mowing wearing house slippers and works out at the local Karate studio. I don't think he has a regular job, maybe MMA. 25 thirty some thing. The nicest, most personable, happy, humble son of a gun I ever met. Charged me 10 bucks and says he's headed to Taco Bell for a bean burrito feast happy as can be. I'm gonna" see if he's still around. I've been having physical problems and need a little help now and then

Pay’em and move along...

Consider it as paying him to go away.

Guy like that has alot of time on his hands, ie, you can wake up with flat tire of other vandalism to your property while you are away. Pay him and move on, if he asks to come back, tell him your regular guy is available.

Id pay 40 dollars to make someone go away.

Pay, move on.
FU text was very unnecessary.

Sounds like a guy I used to have wash and wax my cars before I sold them. Always some issue. I blocked his number and am a lot happier now.

You could always go the yard sign route. Pay him, put a sign in your yard advertising his services. An example of his work surrounds the sign.

Seems like $20 was a big deal. For $20 I don’t raise my blood pressure for anything. Like others said pay him and move on.

Best phrase about something silly like this I've heard went something like this.

A neighbor of my uncles had an old truck bed camper at his up north property. It was really old, but didn't leak so when he had extra people at the camp people slept in it.

Well while they weren't there a couple of local yokels decided to strip the aluminum skin off it presumably to sell. We're talking probably $5 worth of aluminum, for what probably took a good hour or more of work as it was all riveted on.

His line was this "hell I'd have given them $20 just to leave it alone".

Still chuckle when I think about that line.

I made the mistake of overpaying for crappy aeration service this Spring. Was getting into the game late and wanted it done so I could plant seed. $60 for a $40 job and it was done poorly too. Lesson learned. I paid the price agreed but I will never use them again.

The man cut your yard, but he was almost a day late getting it done. In your estimation he did a poor job, plus you and your wife are not happy with his timing.

You made an agreement to pay him $20 for the work. You didn't make a contract that deducted money for being 12-18 hours late. You owe him $20. You never have to call him back, and he may not come back if called after being sworn at, but you owe him the money.