# Invoice...math that customer doesn't understand **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 13, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580 "2015-10-13T21:29:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/1 "2015-10-13T21:29:54Z")
2013 Lawn service price …37 # Lawn service for empty lot (_ **always** every other week_)…15 2015 Lawn service price…37 Lawn service price for empty lot (every other week)…20 Out of the goodness of my heart, I would cut the empty lot 4 times during the month, and charge $10 each\* \*(because I could cut through it real fast) Customer is fine with the invoice looking like this: ## 6-3…Lawn service w/lot…47 6-10…Lawn service w/ lot…47 6-17…Lawn service w/ lot…47 6-24…Lawn service w/ lot…47 Total…$188 ========================================================== BUT ## What should this total come to??? 9-3…Lawn service … 9-10…Lawn service… 9-17…Lawn service … 9-24…Lawn service… 9-3…Lawn service (lot)… 9-17…Lawn service (lot)… Total… The response from customer after seeing the invoice. However, I do not understand you charging me $20 for the lot on 9/3 and again on 9/17 when you charge me $47 for cutting the lot and yard together. Please explain.. No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - [www.avg.com](http://www.avg.com) Version: 2015.0.6172 / Virus Database: 4447/10814 - Release Date: 10/13/15 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/2 "2015-10-13T21:43:53Z")
> [@LiveFree](#): > > ## What should this total come to??? 9-3…Lawn service … 9-10…Lawn service… 9-17…Lawn service … 9-24…Lawn service… 9-3…Lawn service (lot)… 9-17…Lawn service (lot)… > > Total… Why are you showing this without prices? > [@](#): > > The response from customer after seeing the invoice. > > However, I do not understand you charging me $20 for the lot on 9/3 and again on 9/17 when you charge me $47 for cutting the lot and yard together. Please explain… And how the heck can we evaluate his response without knowing what he was billed? No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - [www.avg.com](http://www.avg.com) Version: 2015.0.6172 / Virus Database: 4447/10814 - Release Date: 10/13/15 [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/3 "2015-10-13T21:59:58Z")
I’m showing it without prices because I want to see what you all think the total should come to. I gave the pricing information above. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/4 "2015-10-13T22:24:05Z")
> [@LiveFree](#): > > 2015 > > Lawn service price…37 > > Lawn service price for empty lot (every other week)…20 > > BUT > > ## What should this total come to??? 9-3…Lawn service … 9-10…Lawn service… 9-17…Lawn service … 9-24…Lawn service… 9-3…Lawn service (lot)… 9-17…Lawn service (lot)… > > Total… 37 \* 4 = 148 20 \* 2 = 40 Total = $188 ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/5 "2015-10-13T22:41:19Z")
Thank you. Baffles the hell out of me that she thinks the total should be $168 ---
**Author:** ![nesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@nesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nesta)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/6 "2015-10-13T22:43:01Z")
Were you not cutting the lot every week in September? If you were, why not continue to bill both as one weekly line item. If not, I understand the customer’s confusion. You were charging him $10 to cut the lot a few months ago and now you are charging $20. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/7 "2015-10-13T22:50:07Z")
Customer is right. Previously you charged $10 each time you cut the lot. Now its changed. Why? ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/8 "2015-10-13T22:51:01Z")
I did NOT cut the lot weekly in Sept. _“Lawn service price for empty lot (every other week)…$20”_ ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/9 "2015-10-13T22:53:08Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Customer is right. > > Previously you charged $10 each time you cut the lot. Now its changed. > > Why? I still charged her $40 for the month. The price for the lot has NEVER been $10 per cut on an every other week schedule $10 for weekly (because I was being nice) $20 for every other week. ---
**Author:** ![nesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@nesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nesta)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/10 "2015-10-13T23:04:49Z")
Both you and the customer are right. You: the agreement was for $20/cut for the lot, every other week. The customer: but in June you cut it 4 times and only billed him $20. Do you have the quote you sent him for 2015? That might help him understand where you are coming from, especially if you have an agreement he signed. On the whole, though, I think you caused the confusion by trying to be nice and cut the lot more often than agreed to, and made it worse by being inconsistent in the way you invoice from month to month. If you had invoiced for two lot cuts at $20 for June, even if you had cut it four times, I doubt you would be in this position. If you were asking for advice I would suggest you apologize for the confusion and eat the $20 for this month, and clearly explain the agreed upon amount for next month. ETA: I just picked up that the proper pronoun is “her”. Please excuse the gender assumption in my posts. ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/11 "2015-10-13T23:11:15Z")
> [@nesta](#): > > Both you and the customer are right. > > You: the agreement was for $20/cut for the lot, every other week. > The customer: but in June you cut it 4 times and only billed him $20. Not 20, my info in the first post shows 40. 37 + 10 each. \*6-3…Lawn service w/lot…47 6-10…Lawn service w/ lot…47 6-17…Lawn service w/ lot…47 6-24…Lawn service w/ lot…47 \* I agree that some of the confusion comes from me showing $10, when I cut it weekly (as a good will gesture). But, math is math. Either way it’s $188 total. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/12 "2015-10-13T23:13:05Z")
I find it very confusing. Why are you billing the empty lot in two two week chunks billed once a month when you’re cutting it every week? $10 per cut would make a lot more sense to me, if you’re going to itemize it separately from the lawn cut. I would understand it after you explained it to me several times, but I’d still walk away feeling a little disgruntled and confused and wondering just exactly how you were screwing me over, even if I was pretty sure you weren’t. It would definitely make me think twice about recommending you to my friends and neighbors, because I wouldn’t want them to feel as confused as I feel and blame me for recommending you. Either bill for the cut (the actual cuts you make) or bill for the month. It’s not a good will gesture to make your customers feel stupid. ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/13 "2015-10-13T23:16:39Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I find it very confusing. Why are you billing the empty lot in two two week chunks billed once a month when you’re cutting it every week? $10 per cut would make a lot more sense to me, if you’re going to itemize it separately from the lawn cut. > > I would understand it after you explained it to me several times, but I’d still walk away feeling a little disgruntled and confused and wondering just exactly how you were screwing me over, even if I was pretty sure you weren’t. > > It would definitely make me think twice about recommending you to my friends and neighbors, because I wouldn’t want them to feel as confused as I feel and blame me for recommending you. > > Either bill for the cut (the actual cuts you make) or bill for the month. It’s not a good will gesture to make your customers feel stupid. I did \*\*NOT \*\*cut it every week in September…it was every other week. Maybe it should look like this. 9-3…Lawn service (house) … 9-10…Lawn service (house)… 9-17…Lawn service (house)… 9-24…Lawn service (house)… 9-3…Lawn service (lot)… 9-17…Lawn service (lot)… ---
**Author:** ![nesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@nesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nesta)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/14 "2015-10-13T23:22:46Z")
> [@LiveFree](#): > > Not 20, my info in the first post shows 40. 37 + 10 each. > > \*6-3…Lawn service w/lot…47 > 6-10…Lawn service w/ lot…47 > 6-17…Lawn service w/ lot…47 > 6-24…Lawn service w/ lot…47 > \* > I agree that some of the confusion comes from me showing $10, when I cut it weekly (as a good will gesture). > > But, math is math. Either way it’s $188 total. Sorry, yes, my post should have said $40 for June. You billed her $40 for four lot cuts in June. You billed her $40 for two lot cuts in September. You think you did the extra two cuts as goodwill, but the invoice reflects that you billed for each one. The customer has no way to know that your rates hadn’t gone down since the original agreement, if she even remembers what she originally agreed to. She might just be comparing the current invoice to a recent one and noticing the price for cutting the lot has seemingly gone up without notice. ---
**Author:** ![nesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@nesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nesta)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/15 "2015-10-13T23:26:16Z")
> [@LiveFree](#): > > Maybe it should look like this. > > 9-3…Lawn service (house) … > 9-10…Lawn service (house)… > 9-17…Lawn service (house)… > 9-24…Lawn service (house)… > 9-3…Lawn service (lot)… > 9-17…Lawn service (lot)… And if you go back to cutting it every week for some reason, it should look like: 9-3…Lawn service (house) … 9-10…Lawn service (house)… 9-17…Lawn service (house)… 9-24…Lawn service (house)… 9-3…Lawn service (lot)… $20 9-10…Lawn service (lot)… $0 - I’m a nice person, but not obligated to be 9-17…Lawn service (lot)… $20 9-24…Lawn service (lot)… $0 - I’m a nice person, but not obligated to be ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/16 "2015-10-13T23:27:30Z")
^^^^^^ I like that. 🙂 True. The goodwill part was me spending a little more time, cutting more often, and still changing the same for the month. From here on out, I think the invoice for the lot will just show 1 line with the total for the month. ---
**Author:** ![nesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@nesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nesta)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/17 "2015-10-13T23:55:56Z")
As long as the amount doesn’t change month to month, and the customer is fine with it, not itemizing is probably the least hassle. In my experience this is why it’s very important to have a clear and acknowledged agreement that expires and renews on a defined schedule. In a service like lawn care this could be a signed quote or even just an archived email conversation where the customer agrees to the monthly price and services provided for the year. Another lesson you can learn from this is always be consistent with your invoicing. Either never include “free” services on the bill at all, or always include them with a price of $0 _and document on the invoice why you didn’t charge_. That way the customer doesn’t expect the free services to always be free. ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/18 "2015-10-13T23:59:56Z")
Thanks Nesta. Appreciate the comments. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/19 "2015-10-14T00:06:06Z")
I definitely didn’t understand your invoice because I came up to over $200. What the heck did you actually cut in September? ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580/20 "2015-10-14T00:10:24Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I definitely didn’t understand your invoice because I came up to over $200. What the heck did you actually cut in September? The house lawn 4 times. The lot 2 times. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invoice-math-that-customer-doesnt-understand/734580.md?page=2)