I have some areas of lawn that need thatching. I bought a thatching rake to spot thatch, but doing the entire lawn by hand is not an option since it is so large.
I stopped by the local rental place to check out the size of the thatcher to ascertain whether it would fit in the back of our van. With lots of machinations we could probably get it in. However, the blasted thing weighs about 160 pounds (real weight - not an exaggeration.)
So I say to the nice gentleman, "Coeur d'Alene Tractor charges me $20.00 to pick up and deliver my lawn tractors when I have them serviced. Do you think we could work out something to have it delivered?"
The nice man asked where we lived.
"If you hit all the lights, we live exactly 7 minutes away."
"Well, we usually charge $50.00 each way."
Huh?
Well, okay. They have a right to charge whatever they want. So, for $100.00 delivery and pickup plus the rental fee which would come to about $100.00, I thanked the nice man and said I'd get back with him (that was a lie.)
I realize that the nice man probably didn't have the authority to change the pickup and delivery fees. But, a well trained employee would have said, "Let me get your name and number and I'll speak to the owner/manager."
Instead he turned me into a "be back", which in the sales world means they'll never "be back."
I also have options.
Picking this up today:
Yeppers. I get to drag it around with my tractor. I paid $99.00. No smelly gas to deal with, no pulling a starter rope, and no walking behind a behemoth of a machine. And since it's mine, I get to use it over and over.
Nope. I just get to drag this lovely thingy around my copious lawn and, when I'm done making a mess, I'll get out the other lawn tractor that has a chute, and blow the mess into a neat little pile for pickup.
Life is good.
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