I GOT FIRED, THEN REHIRED! What should I do? | Gardener UK 🌱
In this honest video, I’ll share my story of getting fired—and then re-hired—as a gardener in the UK. If you’re dealing with job uncertainty, workplace drama, or just want to know what really happened, this one’s for you. 💬
👉 Expect real talk, personal insight, and tips, possibly in the comments, on what to do if you’re in the same boat.
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Thanks for watching 🙏
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Contact email – glossopgardening@hotmail.com
#gardener #help #jobdrama #sacked #worklifestruggles #gardeninglife #gardenmaintenance #garden
So, I was sacked, which I was happy about, and then I was rehired, and I was unhappy. And I currently am unhappy about it, and I’ll explain why. How’s it going, guys? Welcome back to the channel. It’s Tabby at Gloss Gardening Services, and let’s get straight into it. I’m going to So, like I said, I was sacked and I was really happy about that and then I was rehired and I just thought I obviously went ahead with it and I thought I’ve made a big mistake and it could have been sort of a blessing in disguise. So, to set the scene, it’s the start of the season. I get a phone call. Hi, the usual phone call to get a quote. Uh, I’m looking for someone to do some regular maintenance on my garden. um like great, where are you? Um can you do this day? And then I I go around and I basically do my quote, give the price, and then we get booked in. Um whilst I’m doing the quote, this lady, she’s basically telling me how she she’s got a gardener. She hasn’t cancelled him, but he’s just he’s just stopped turning up. Um he hasn’t been coming. Uh she can’t get hold of him. And at the time, I was just thinking, well, that’s really strange. Maybe he’s just done a runner. Like I don’t know why. It all makes sense to me now. Like what’s happened? Um yeah. So it’s like this garden has disappeared. She needs a new one. Um and that’s that. So we get booked in and on the first visit she’s not there. She goes on these um it’s like do you know when you see coaches and they go into like places like I don’t know Whitby or Scarra or just like coastal areas and they’ll go for a few days. She goes on a lot of these coach trips. Could be two, three times a month. Um, so a lot of the time she’s not there when I’m doing the visit. So the first visit I do the front and just to explain what the garden’s like. So the front there’s two patches of grass. There’s the the path going up straight up to the front door. Two patches of grass either side and then there’s a border like a soil border around the outside of them. And there’s absolutely nothing growing in this border. It’s completely bare. There’s no weeds. There’s no plants. And that’s that’s the way she wants it. All I have to do is go and cut the grass, edge it, and then I just ruffle up the soil. I don’t turn it over like with a fork or I don’t rotate it. I just ruffle it up to keep um like any little sprouting weeds just to sort of loosen them off and then they don’t really grow. And it’s the same in the back again. There’s a path straight down the center of the garden. Two small patches of grass either side and then there’s a soil border um around the side. And again, just ruffle it up. Um that’s that. It’s dead simple. It’s proper really simple job. So on the first visit um the customer’s not there, the neighbor comes out and we’re talking. It’s an elder elderly woman neighbor. Um, but they don’t get on. Um, same with the other neighbor. They just they just despise each other. I don’t I can kind of understand why. Uh, she comes out and she says, “Uh, just to let you know, um, she’s been through about the customer, she’s been through about 10 gardeners.” And I thought, “God, that’s really strange.” Um, and then she says, “Yeah, she’s really, really nasty when she wants to be.” Obviously, I hadn’t seen this at this point. Like, she’s sort of nice as pie to me. Um, said, “Yeah, the previous gardener who used to come and apparently he’s he’s had to cancel for it could have been could have been any reason, but what he said he knocked on, he sort of said, “I’m going to have to drop this one on from around because it’s the only one in this area and it doesn’t make sense for me to come all the way out here for this one job.” Basically, it’s not financially viable, which makes sense. Fair enough. Um and apparently she just switched um calling him all sorts all every like every name under the sun. Um and even after he’d gone cuz it was still that was that like he can’t do this job anymore. Just phoning him all the time. Um leaving voicemails all sorts. And this neighbor’s telling me this and I’m thinking, what what the bleeding hell have I got myself into? Um, yeah. And that was that. Um, a few more things about this customer. She sort of she she’ll ring you. She doesn’t ring you in work hours. So, sort of if you ring me 9 till 5, nine times out of 10 I’ll answer unless I can’t hear my phone. Um, the best way to contact me is to just send me a text and then I tend to just get back to her when I get chance. But she’ll ring you whenever. She’ll ring you at half 6:00 in the morning. She’s rang me on a Friday night. I was so I was getting ready in my house was I was going to go for a few parts with my friend. My friend was at the house in my house at the time. My phone starts going off and it’s half 10. It’s half 10 at night and I sort of show him. I say like, “Have you seen this?” And he’s like, “Yeah, he was there.” Say, “It’s one of my customers. She phones me and just sort of went over.” And a lot of the time cuz at that point, I just sort of stopped answering because you’ll answer the phone and it’ll just be there was absolutely no point in ringing me. Uh it’s usually to just double check that I’m coming on Monday and then she’ll just be going on about this coach trip she’s on. Yeah, which is fair enough. If you’re ringing me in work hours, I’ll kind of I’ll listen to it if I need to. Um, but half 10 at night, half 6:00 in the morning, weekends, Sundays, she’ll ring you. Um, and then one time I didn’t I didn’t really know this, but I found out she So, I’m at the house doing the garden as I usually do. She’s on one of her trips away. um do the front, do the back, and then I sort of leave and as soon as I get in the van, I start it, I drive off, phone starts ringing. She’s ringing me and I thought, “Oh, maybe I’ve forgotten something.” So I answer, I’m like, “Hi, are you okay?” And she says, “Um says, “You’ve done a good job.” And I kind of thought, “Oh, right. Um oh, are you at the house? Are you not you’re not away on like wherever you said you was going?” He said, “Oh, no. I was watching you on the camera. Oh, I kind of wanted to say sort of like how long have you been watching? But yeah, she’s got she’s got like a Ring doorbell front of the house, back of the house, and she watches the whole visit. Yeah, it’s just I don’t know. Um, if you sort of check I don’t I haven’t got a Ring doorbell so I don’t know, but if you sort of maybe you get a notification, you have a quick look. Oh yeah, it’s a gardener. Put it down. But no, she watches the whole visit on her phone wherever she is. And I think that is a little bit strange. Um, but I’ve sort of I’ve kept this one cuz one I heard when the neighbor said like once someone dropped the visit, she got really nasty and I thought if I kind of drop her as a customer, am I going to get phone calls all the time, voicemails? if you’re going to leave a bad review that’s sort of a false review on my page or my Google page. Um, so I’ve kind of just I’ve kind of just kept her on um because I haven’t really had any issues so far other than the one I’m going to tell you about. I didn’t have any issues. I kind of just go do it. I get paid when she gets back and then that’s I don’t really I’ve figured out a way to sort of just have her there as a customer without all the drama that sort of comes with her. But yeah, one time I do the visit and then a couple days later she rings me and she says, “Did you do the borders in the back?” And I say, “Yeah, I do the borders every time I come.” Unless sometimes she says, “Just don’t do the front this time. just do the back and I kind of adjust the price a little bit just because I save a bit of time. Uh I said, “Yeah, I did.” And she says, “You haven’t.” I knew I definitely did. I said, “No, I did.” And she says, “No, you haven’t. So when you when you come and pick the money up, I’m not I’m not paying for the borders at the back.” And I kind of just said I said, “Well, fair like fine, fair enough. I’m not I’m not an argumentative person.” And so I just I just thought, okay, basically if you don’t want to pay for the back borders, it is what it is. And then she says, I’ve actually I’ve actually got one of my neighbors to take over the garden now. And when she said that, I thought, amazing, amazing. I haven’t had to I haven’t had to give her an excuse as to why I’m dropping her as a customer. She’s kind of done it for me. And I thought, that’s brilliant. I kind of said, “All right, okay. So what what I’ll do is I’ll just come and sort of collect the money that’s owed and then we just kind of part ways. You’ve got your neighbor to sort it out and that’s that really. So it comes to me picking this money up. I go and knock on. She seems all right. She doesn’t like she doesn’t answer the door being really hostile. Um, but it kind of got brought up about the back borders and I don’t know if I said something or she said something. I think it come because when she was paying I think she said I’m only giving you this much cuz you haven’t done the back borders and I sort of said cuz at this like I knew she checked I knew she watches me on the cameras. I said you can check your camera and you’ll see me go around the borders with my fork or whatever. Sometimes I do with a rake and just ruffle them up. Said you can check your cameras and she says yeah check the cameras. You didn’t you didn’t do it. I just okay whatever whatever. Um, and then she gives me the money and I sort of say, “Right, well, best best of luck with um your neighbor saw in the garden.” And she goes, “I think I’m going to try you one last time.” And I should have said I should have said, “I can’t. I’ve already filled the slot.” Like that’s sort of said, “Right, okay.” So, when do you want when do you want the next one? Um, and that’s sort of that really. So, she I’ve still I’ve still got her as a customer, but the job, like I said, it’s just it’s so much hassle. Like, there’s so many rules. Um, another thing, once I go over the borders, she goes out with a tub, and I mean a tub, a big tub of black pepper, and she scatters it all over the borders. And from what I’ve gathered, it’s for the cats. The cat’s not like black pepper. I don’t know. I don’t think it’s working because there’s always a few cat cat messes in the border. Um, but yeah, she despises cats. The amount of black pepper she must go through is ridiculous. She must account for 10% of the black pepper sales in my area. My question to you guys, it’s kind of a couple of things. Do you have a customer like this that you’ve kept on? Have you dropped them? Is there someone like this and you’ve dropped them as a customer? And then how how have you gone about it or how do you think I should go about it? Because I’ve got a couple of options. I can ever do what the last garden did tell her. Unfortunately, I can’t I don’t know. I don’t even know. I don’t even know what why I’m panicking so much. I think it’s cuz I’m sort of like a people pleaser and I try and keep everybody happy. Um, and even like the bad customers or the awkward customers, I can kind of get on with them in a way. I just kind of change. Yeah. I don’t know. I’m just thinking how should I how should I drop her as a customer basically? Sounds really awful, but maybe I’m just overthinking it. But the reason is one she didn’t pay me for she didn’t pay me as much as she should have for the work that was complete but she said I didn’t do it. Uh and that’s what I said just remembered. So when she was away when I go over these borders they just get ruffled up. So, if she’s away for another 5 days, that ground’s going to settle and not look compacted, but it’s not going to look like it’s been freshly done like you’re seeing it like I see it on the day. I just I didn’t like the fact that she just dropped the money and I sort of accepted it and then I’ve still kept her on as a customer. Um, but what I’m asking basically is how should I go about dropping her as a regular maintenance customer? Should I do it like the last gardener’s done or one of them? Because there’s two that I know of and how they’ve gone about it. So, there’s the one that she couldn’t get hold of um that tended that just sort of disappeared. And I think that’s his way. That’s how he’s gone about it. He’s just disappeared. Um cuz she kept telling me even that even after I’d done a few visits, she was still trying to ring him and get hold of him, but she couldn’t get through. And I just thought he must be seeing his phone ringing still like a couple months down the line thinking this is an absolute nightmare. Um, so should I go about it that way and just sort of disappear or should I sort of tell her this is I can’t say I’m retiring like a lot of them do because I’m I’m 31. Yeah, unfortunately I’m retiring. So, uh, I can’t I can’t I can’t continue. That isn’t going to work. Um, what else can I say? I could try the other excuse that the other gardener use where this is the only one in the area. It’s not financially viable for me to continue. Uh, do I What I think I might do is carry on till the end of the season. We’re close anyway. be going to be like two, three more visits maybe. Depends on depends what the weather’s going to do and then sort of next year just disappear. Um, it’s not really what I it’s not really me that I’d rather tell her, but what I can’t be bothered with is the abuse that’s going to follow cuz I know that I know it’s going to come cuz I have seen her get nasty in front of me to a neighbor. There was like going at it and I was kind of just there like I’m just here to cut your grass like why why am I involved in this? Yeah, they was going at it. The other one wasn’t really saying much. I think she’s actually okay, but but the my customer was sort of saying all sorts like I’m going to punch your head in and stuff like I kind of just said like I’m just going to go carry on doing what I’m doing then I I’ll be out of it before it before it gets a bit violent. Yeah. What do you think? What do you think? I know I know I’ve been stupid and I’ve retook the job. Um, and I’m still continuing with it, but I just want to know like how should I go about it uh to get this customer off my round. I could sort of finish the season say, “Yeah, uh, I’ll start up in sort of March next year or something.” Um, block a number. Honestly, I don’t I don’t really know what to do. Yeah, I’d appreciate any advice whatsoever. Yeah, I look forward to seeing some of the comments, what you suggest. Um, in other news, I have got a new tool on the way. It is a handheld blower. I won’t tell you what brand it is, but I’ll give you a slight clue. It’s not still gone for something different this time. Um, it’s it’s pretty recommended. I’ve seen it a lot on YouTube and stuff. Um, but yeah, we’ll see. I’ll get I’ll I’ll sort of do an unboxing video about that and maybe like a test and stuff like that. the end of the day is a handheld blower. But yeah, I can let you know what I think about it and stuff like that. As always, any likes, shares, comments, uh, subscribes are massively, massively appreciated and I look forward to hearing some of your thoughts in the comments. I will see you on the next one. Jess.
35 Comments
Don’t put up with this shit man sack her and block her calls you are to nice for your own good
just tell her uve got 2 busy to drive that far ,not worth it
Get rid mate, no nightmare customers make life easier 😎👊🏼
Crazy woman lol . Great story… 👍
I've been a window cleaner for 16 years and have come across plenty like her, drop her immediately, I would just block her and move on 😂
Buddy just tell her you dont want to do it . Block her phone if she rings , The warning signs were there last gardener no show and so many dropped her . DO NOT WASTE ANOTHER SECOND ON HER . She is a waste of time . Toughen up 😃
Ring doorbell only records 120 seconds max. Although she can watch live 😅
Your too kind mate
You have to put yourself first. Send her a text saying due to unforeseen circumstances blah blah blah
Then block her before she even replies back
Over thinking things about how she will be after you get rid and stressing over customers like that is shite for your mental health
Sack her off immediately. She sounds neurotic. I will be something else next time.
Tell her you are only doing commercial customers from now on
Work to the end of the season then txt her you're too busy to come back, she then has all winter to find someone else, stop over thinking pal and don't read any messages, she'll soon get bored.
I had a client like that once, never again. She was going through a divorce and was all over the place, pleasant in the morning, then by lunchtime she would have switched and was horribly abusive for no reason. I work for a couple at the end of her lane, lovely people and they told me the rumour in the village is she has gone through seven different landscapers. No surprise there.
If you stay you will not feel the same way about the client
I feel the pain for the other passengers on the coach 😅
Maybe at the end of season "im giving up gardening and becoming a lorry driver next year"
Get rid. Plenty more fish in the sea.
Next time she doesn't pay for work completed, wait until the cash is in your hand and then, politely say that this (the non-payment) has happened on a number of occasions now, and you no longer feel able to do work for her. Then bid farewell and go. Short, sharp and accurate. As for 'what if she keeps calling…', block her number.
Nahhh. Sack her off mate. You can't put in all of the balls to the wall ground work to build a business, to get beaten down by a pensioner who's pissed off at the world. While I sympathise with her plight, it's not your problem. Just tell her you're downsizing that side of your business, you'll honour the next visit but she needs to start looking for the next mug. We are self employed, we control our own destiny. We no longer have to be told what to do, and when to do it by anyone. I've had many customers of her like. Why would you do extras for her when she treats you like shit, when you have the same demographic of customer who will make you a bacon sandwich, offer multiple tea breaks, loves your work, recommends you, never ever asks for extras and is a genuine nice person. Surround yourself with good people and good customers.
I would stick it out to end of the season, say your goodbyes etc and wish her a happy Christmas etc. Leave as if you are planning on returning.
Then, in Februrary, print off for her a proper letter along these lines "Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond mycontrol, i am going to have to terminate our contract for the upcoming season. I hope that you find a replacement Gardener without too much difficulty. Yours etc". Don't elaborate into whys and wherefores. Keep it short but professional. I would also block her number on your phone. Hope this helps.
"He just stopped turning up." Usually a red flag.
I just came across your video….. and totally get your anxiety! It is hard when you work for yourself and are on your own! I’m self employed for 20 years. I’ve had those clients (ones you see regularly…. Dread each visit…don’t quite know how to get rid short of praying they just pop off and make your life less stressful 😂). But, the art of a short simple letter… either stating a truth (something like … ‘on reflection of my last visit to you I no longer wish to continue my services to you and recommend you find alternative arrangements…blah blah. If they behaved in a way that was indeed rude/inconsiderate….just saying it (in a short) (again in a typed letter) is often succinct ….and they can’t argue with it…. Just re read it and perhaps wonder if you are indeed right! You do not need that client! When you do it in a letter, it is a very firm and actually grown up thing to do. You don’t owe them anything… it’s their bad! Keep a copy letter for your records 😂. Or, you can write a letter saying simply…’due to unforeseen circumstances you are having to reduce your current workload and can therefore not continue to offer her your gardening services. Thank you for your custom and I wish you well. Kind regards…. Then block her number. Then….no more dread or anxiety. You will be fine 😉
I'm same as you mate, I try to please everyone, sometimes a big mistake, found some customers are impossible to please, my advice get rid !
I was self employed gardener for 10 years mate and come up against similar situations a few times. And I learnt that you have to be just honest and true to yourself. I kept pleasing customers for too long and it just got me down. So I literally just said I am not able to continue with your services. You don’t need to go into it or need to explain yourself. Just stay professional. And don’t do anything until she has paid up. If she gets nasty then that’s on her mate not you. Just move on sooner rather than later or it will just get your down.
We've all had terrible customer's who you can never keep happy, Why put yourself through the aggro, just tell her that you've got so much work now you can't fit her in, turn and walk away!
You will make yourself ill and she sounds like a real handful. Im elderly and this is not acceptable behaviour, shes taking advantage of your good nature. I think she deserves nothing less than a bit of a stern word really. I would hit her with a price increase, well let's face it everything is going up. If she accepts the new price i would then make an issue when she starts her shenanigans that its affecting your health putting up with the hassle. I dont know why she deserves any of your time she should count herself lucky to have such a nice lad. Good luck.
up your price as a standard yearly inflation rate.
Tell her where to go
She will wear you down mentally and financially so get rid,you don't need that when your a good honest person.
Blockity block block!! See out the season, tell her your prices have doubled then block! 😅Good luck!
You sound like a really nice guy – unfortunately she has clocked that as well and is trying to play you like a fiddle. I also do a bit of gardening and treework now part time only as I am now 62 (so I suppose it is easy for me to say this). Sounds like she is on some sort of narcisistic power trip. I have worked for the occasional customer like this over the years but to be quite honest never one like this. The stuff of accusing you of not doing stuff when you both know you have is to wear you down mentally . She is playing good cop/bad cop, this is all about power.. To be quite honest get rid of her ASAP and block her number. Tell her what you like, but if you tell the truth I promise afterwards you will feel a lot better. This is not a normal customer/contractor relationship it is about one party trying to exert control. It is all about power. Do it NOW and concentrate on the customers who are decent people and the rest of your life. Good luck mate.
One of life's principles, never go back…
To end it, say this job is not working for me…Dont explain any further, be polite & thank her for her custom, dont look back…
Gardeners are sought after. Get yourself another client on your list and/ or put your prices up. Am only saying this as a customer, knowing how hard it is to find someone who is honest, hard working and reliable. Am keeping my gardener happy so far. She is a real asset.
You need a couple of bits of Bluetac to put on the camera lenses😆. Get rid of customers like that ASAP or you will find yourself not wanting to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. People like that aren't worth the hassle. If she goes full retard on you when you tell her don't say anything. Just get in the van and dissappear 👍
Drop that
Not enough time to deal with that bs
Block her no and ghost her
Check those empty borders. That's where the other gardeners are mate.