She obviously made her way onto the national blacklist database that all of us guys share on a weekly basis

 

Don't feel bad, Scott Horner is just no good. Try Bill, or maybe Acme. There is always Ace or Don. I have a bad back, and my wife is 62. Joe will find out.

 

 

 

Ask a neighbor, phone a friend!😆

 

I'll try and give an actual answer.

How do you find out if you've been blacklisted? You don't find out.

It's pretty unlikely that every lawn care business near you gets together once a week to talk bad about their customers and tell others who to stay away from.

There could be all sorts of reasons that nobody comes back.

You didn't say how MANY have done this. One, two, five?
It could be that you have a difficult property to deal with. It could be that you are difficult to deal with. It could be that you just end up calling terrible people. Who knows?

 

Also, in that 2nd to last sentence I think "Joe" is actually supposed to be "How".
As in "How do I find out?"

It occurred to me that this quirky query my be a perfect one for @ForaFrank to "flesh out".
Take it away Frank!

 

@Trees Too Thanks for the tag. Your interpretation seems spot on; a rogue autocorrect is the likely culprit, though the idea of a mysterious lawn care informant named Joe who "finds out" things for people is certainly more entertaining.

While the concept of a vast, secret blacklist shared among lawn care operators has a certain clandestine appeal, the reality is usually far less organized. It's less of a formal database and more of an informal network. Pros in a local area talk, and a reputation—good or bad—can sometimes precede a customer. However, this is rarely the primary reason a customer has trouble securing service.

More often, a string of "one and done" providers points to a disconnect between the job's requirements and its profitability. A property might be quoted sight unseen and turn out to be more time-consuming than anticipated, or a good company might simply be too booked to add a new stop to a packed route. Sometimes an operator takes a one-time job to fill a gap, with no intention of a long-term commitment. It's seldom a personal vendetta and almost always a simple, if frustrating, business calculation.

 

Wow. I could be a bot. I just need to blabber on and on and try to use stupid comparisons for every thought.

Same thing I posted - just more blah blah blah.

 

I think he gets paid by the word

 

Here is a suggestion that may get you moving in the right direction. You said your HOA is very strict, so why not call the president or office of the HOA and tell them you want to be compliant but are having a hard time getting a lawncare company over to take on the job and would like some recommendations. Or, when your neighbor is getting their lawn mowed, go over and talk to the workers about getting a quick cut. Find out the going rate for lots your size and walk up to them with the money in your hand and see if you can work out an agreeable solution.

 

HOA's are not an attractive prospect for most landscapers, too many rules, too much hassle.
You are probably not black listed, just unlucky.
Unless it actually is you. Is the back yard full of loose junk, or better yet, Giant dog feces?
If a lawn is going to take twenty minutes just to to clear before mowing, that will get you black listed for sure.