'He was going to know that I hit every inch of his yard...': Lawn care worker gets back at a petty pedantic homeowner

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Dec 15, 2023 9:00 AM EST

The problem with working in a job where you're providing a professional service is that your clients will constantly tell you how to do your job even when they have no idea what they're talking about—no, especially when they have no idea what they're talking about. This intensifies when it comes to anything people regard themselves to be an expert in just because they've done it at the lowest level a few times in an everyday, unprofessional sense.

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  • So, when it comes to things like lawn care and landscaping, suddenly everyone's adept and has opinions outside of the scope of their understanding, micromanaging every little part of the job they've paid you, the professional, to do. 

    Take, for example, this petty, pedantic homeowner who tried to micromanage the job that their landscaper was doing for them. The homeowner didn't believe that the worker was actively completing the job and demanded that the worker evidence the areas they had tended with flags… so the worker put flags across every square inch of their yard.

  • 01
    1111 !!!!!!!
    via Jared Muller
  • 02
    Posted by u/Either-Antelope-4330 Petty revenge on a petty homeowner. So, about 20 years ago, I worked for a lawn care company. My job was to apply fertilizer and weed killer. I had to drive all over and got to meet a lot of people. This guy sticks out. I was in a very nice neighborhood. The lawns were huge and required over an hour to get the job done. No big deal, that's what they pay me for. After putting down the fertilizer, I would go
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 03
    around and spot spray the weeds. While I did this, I would put out pesticide treatment flags. I'd put one in each corner of the lawn. I figured if I showed I got the corners, they would assume I got the middle too. The owner of this house was home. I could see him watching me through the windows. No big deal. He was a smaller dude. I am not. This becomes relevant later. Anyway, he watched me do the whole treatment. I put out my four flags, got in my truck and moved on, like I always did.
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 04
    When I got back to the shop, the secretary asked me about his lawn. Apparently he was upset because there were no flags in the middle. How could he be sure I did it all? He apparently screamed at the secretary about it. I was stunned. I assured her I did my job and she and my boss believed me. I even said he watched me do it. They asked why he wouldn't say anything to me. I said he looked small. Maybe he didn't want to confront me. I had
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 05
    played offensive line in college and looked the part. They laughed and said that was likely the case. But they said I should go back the next day and spot spray the weeds again, making sure to put out more flags. The flags came in bundles of 50. I put at least one bundle in my pocket (it might have been two. It's long enough ago where I can't remember) and got to work. About every six steps I put down a flag. He was going to know that I hit every inch of his yard. He watched me do this. By the t
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 06
    When I got back to the shop that afternoon, my boss and the secretary were smirking. They told me he called again. I shrugged and said, "Well, he knows for sure I got his whole yard now, right?" They burst out laughing and said, "That's what we told him!" If you have a problem with me, talk to me about it. If you would rather bully a 60 year old lady over the phone, enjoy picking flags out of your yard all day.
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 07
    INTEGRE PEACE KINDNESS coltar3000 I had a very similar experience as a plumber. We rarely did jobs far out of town but this time we had a house that was two hours away. After I was done with the job, my boss got a call from the project manager saying that I didn't strap one pipe. I was super bummed at myself that I missed something and I could tell my boss I that I was going to have to was drive all the way back out to strap one
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 08
    pipe. I get out there the next day and see that I did in fact strap this one pipe. The project manager on the job thought it needed more straps (he doesn't know about plumbing). He wasted sooo much time over something he knows nothing about. So in the 8 foot length of pipe that I had 3 straps on.....I must have put 15 more. That project manager got let go from the company he worked for a month or two later. 383 Reply Share
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 09
    baronessindecisive That's one way to weed out complaints. 130 Reply Share Inshpincter_Gadget I think he got to the root of the problem 45 Reply Share
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 10
    00 Gorilla1969 I hope you put down every single flag while never breaking eye contact with him, while he cowered behind the window. 100 Reply Share
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 11
    Expensive_Heron3883 He sure got what he asked for!!! ✩ 46 Reply Share CoderJoe1 Did he ever complain again or did he wave a white flag? 23 Reply Share
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330
  • 12
    Chewiesbro Go back every second night and place them randomly all over the yard, flower beds, cracks in pavement, gaps in pavers, mailbox etc. 27 Reply Share jonny3jack Put me on the schedule. 7 Reply Share ●●● ●●●
    via u/Either-Antelope-4330

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landscaper revenge homeowner petty revenge lawn care customer service karens entitled parents karen-customer customers karens in the wild entitled karen entitled people
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