Gardener

[PerkyOchrePeer]

I found a reasonably priced gardener
. He agreed to the job and im gang away for 2 weeks in June so he said ng me when you get back and we'll sort out a date. I would prefer to sort out a date now for a date when I'm back from the holiday but he doesn't want to do it like that he would rather I come back from holiday and then ring him and sought out a date but my issue is if I do it then then he might say to me I'm fully booked up until August so I wanted to do it now for a date when I'm back and then have it all books so that when I come back I can just think about him coming and say yes I've already got it booked up but he refuses to do that and I don't see what difference it makes why is he refusing to book in advance

I also don’t see what difference it makes to him but you can’t make him.

Maybe he thinks you'll be skint coming back from holiday, and may cancel.

It's up to him whether he accepts a booking or not. It's up to you whether you look for another gardener.

I don't trust this gardener and think he is unreliable because I found and left a voicemail to inquire as to whether I could book in advance and he didn't come back to me so I left him a WhatsApp and he didn't answer for 3 days and then I phoned his number and he picked up the phone and spoke to me and said he was still interested in doing the garden that he does not book in advance and could I contact him when I'm back from holiday but by then all the slots will be taken and I might not get a slot until about August time and if I book it now I might get July which would be better for me but he refuses to do it like this and I don't understand him

Bin him off and find someone who will do it your way.

He also told me he doesn't listen to voicemails so it's pointless me leaving him a voicemail because he won't listen to it which I think is very unprofessional for gardener and how can he run a business on this basis

Then find someone else.

Ive tried finding somebody else but they say that they won't come for less than two hours and will charge me for two hours whereas the man I originally found said he would do it for one hour and only charge me for one hour because all I want is weeding and the bushes trimmed and everybody else I've contacted said minimum two hours so obviously the charge for two hours which is beyond my budget

So your choice is to pay someone for two hours of work or to call the one who is ‘unreliable’ but cheap when you’re back from your holiday.

I've actually now found somebody else for the same prices the original gardener and I told him about the original gardeners attitude and he said that totally unprofessional so I've left the original gardener a WhatsApp saying I no longer require his services

I don't think he will respond he will just ignore my message good riddance

It does sound as if you are looking for just a small tidy up if you expect the work to take about an hour. Not many gardeners would want to load up tools and travel to work for an hour.
gardening is weather dependant and it can be difficult to give exact dates weeks in advance. If it’s been raining for a week even a tidy up can make a horrible mess.
I'm sure he would have fitted you in gardeners tend to be relaxed and flexible about times they have to be.
you sound very cross you can’t control other peoples lives and the way they work you can only control who you choose to work for you.

Well I now have somebody else who's agreed to book me on a date in advance and if it's raining we were just reset you and the new gardener doesn't cost anymore and the previous person who agreed to do it and the new gardener will do an hour

Im a gardener and I won't come out for less than 2 hours.

The reasoning is thus - I have to travel to and from your house and this obviously takes time and fuel money.

Obviously i cannot charge for travelling time. Generally my customers are about half an hour away. So if I had to drive to you, work an hour and drive home then I'd have "worked" for 2 hours and only been able to charge £20 - which is well under minimum wage.

Also, people like the fella you have booked make me really cross, because all he has done is undermined all the gardeners who are actually trying to make an actual living.

What can I say except the first gardener has the right to do a garden for one hour and perhaps he doesn't always need a two-hour slot for all his customers because he's built up his business and it makes him financially secure
Occasionally cards get put through the door from Gardeners touting for business and they say no job too big O small and they say they can tidy Gardens etc which is what I want anyway I've got someone else whose charging the same and also doesn't our so obviously there are some gardeners who will be prepared to do an hour and you just have to accept it and do what you do which is obviously a two-hour job