Scheduling

My question is how do you schedule your weekly and biweekly customers in during the week. Do you scedule all your biweekly ones all on one day or do you do them just as you can fit them in on any given day?

[swstout]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by gonecountry My question is how do you schedule your weekly and biweekly customers in during the week. Do you scedule all your biweekly ones all on one day or do you do them just as you can fit them in on any given day? I try to schedule by location. If weekly or bi-weekly jobs are in the same area, I will schedule them together. Reduce your travel time as much as possible. Steve

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[mark123]

Wednesday is my biweekly day. If someone wants biweekly, I shift them to Wednesday unless I'm doing a next door neighbor on another day then it doesn't make sense to shift them. Right now I only have one biweekly on Friday and that's because it's a one drop/two lawn stop with a neighbor. Keeping the biweekly lawns on one day seems to work out because it seems that I mostly get biweekly suggestions from one area. I can't decide if that's luck or a symptom of the area (maybe it's in the water ).

As Steve said, schedule by location is the most important idea because you're not making money sitting in a truck. But keeping biweekly lawns on one day allows you to fill that day both weeks and it doesn't interfere with scheduling of weekly lawns. It's a balancing act and both hold importance. My Friday route is very full and having that extra lawn every other week is rather rough. It would be worth switching it to Wednesday if it weren't so close to the other Friday lawn.

As I grow my business I plan to phase out the biweekly lawns altogether and then phase out all mowing replacing it with fertilizing.

[CHEESE2009]

I have a Monday - Friday list

After Friday I have a "Variable" list which includes all my bi-weekly customers etc'

I just have to make sure I check it every day so I don't miss any out. I'll usually check it in the morning just in case they could be done efficiently as I'm in certain areas.

Though I only have a few bi-weeklies considering I enjoy them as customers from the previous season. Other than that, I don't accept new bi-weeklies anymore - makes my business less enjoyable when I'm stuck in the office.

It's best to organize a route depending on where your clients are.

Mondays I do the South part of town

Tuesday I do the West part of town

Wedensday I do the center of town

Thursday I do the East part of town

Friday I do the outskirts North of the town

I also try to put my smallest route on a Friday, considering that keeps the day partially open to service customers that should have been done on earlier week days that couldn't get done due to rain, etc.

Overall, Bi-Weekly customers are a hassle. They are worth throwing a ridiculous price at.

A few customers of mine want Bi-Weekly, but I told them I'm not lowering my price, they've got to pay the original weekly service price.

They take up room on my lists, & just because they don't require as much labor - they are still a pain to deal with on paper & in the office.

Run your business like a buffet. It's up to the customer to grab as many plates of food (lawn mowings) as he/she wants, though everyone's bills are similar in the end. I like this method because it's organized & keeping it simple.