Drive time

[akessinger84]

I have a potential customer that has a lake property. It is 1hour 12min from my shop. My question is, is it fair to the customer to charge them 1hr and 12min drive time? I normally charge half hour dive times and then look for a couple jobs in-between. Some one give me your thought on this please.

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Albert Kessinger

http://www.myspace.com/kcspropertyservices
www.kessingercommercialservices.net

[swstout]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by akessinger84 I have a potential customer that has a lake property. It is 1hour 12min from my shop. My question is, is it fair to the customer to charge them 1hr and 12min drive time? I normally charge half hour dive times and then look for a couple jobs in-between. Some one give me your thought on this please. That's 2 and 1/4 hours round trip drive time that you have to pay someone for plus gas and wear and tear. Don't take a job to lose money. Also that's 2+ house away from other jobs. Charge for it! Steve

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[Steve]

My first questions is why would you take this job? I am thinking there is a strategy going on about this?

Can you tell us what you are thinking on it?

[akessinger84]

Originally Posted by Steve

My first questions is why would you take this job? I am thinking there is a strategy going on about this?

Can you tell us what you are thinking on it?

Well I havnt got any work in the south-west quadrant of my grid, so I focus my attention ongetting work in that quadrant. If I set up a weekly route say hit North west on Monday North east on Tuesday and so on I'll be able to focus a particular day on one side of town. So if I leave my shop on Say thursday I can travel down S.R. 37 hit two or three jobs then go to this job, when Im finished Shoot across 144 with a couple more jobs along the way. jump on the interstate and back to the shop. I ran my property preservation buisness this way so I dont see why it wouldnt work for a lawn care buisness.

[picframer]

In my case we would pass, if I had to take the job then they would have to be charged a transportation fee, for me to pay for a staff member(s) plus fuel and maintenance, it's simply too far a distance not to.

[cutritelawncareinc]

Originally Posted by akessinger84

I have a potential customer that has a lake property. It is 1hour 12min from my shop. My question is, is it fair to the customer to charge them 1hr and 12min drive time? I normally charge half hour dive times and then look for a couple jobs in-between. Some one give me your thought on this please.

Have you brought it to the attention of the customer. Being honest with them may help out a lot. If you let them know and like your work they may be willing to pay the extra and may even try to get neighbors to hire you to help pay for you to come down.

[wildgoose]

i would take that job as long as it would cover all cost and there is potential of gaining new customers in that erea.That will make it worth your while,instead of drivin miles for 1 lawn,you can drive miles for 10

[Steve]

Well I havnt got any work in the south-west quadrant of my grid, so I focus my attention ongetting work in that quadrant.

This is a very interesting topic. As you have to drive further, you make less money. You lose your competitive edge as your expenses rise to service the customer.

Would it be better if you focused on getting more customers tighter in your immediate service area versus trying to spread out and get customers in multiple locations?

How do you feel you could price competitively against someone who lives in that immediate area you now want to service and they don't have the extra transportation expenses?

This sounds like one of my jobs !

I have a customer around 1 hour away. Got over another customer.
My Service there Lawn care and Grounds Maintenance like sweeping and leaf cleanup and positioning the waste boxes for the service.

My experiences:
17 drives to this object a month for service = 34 hours only driving (this is without emergency drives when they have problems with the fire alarm systems)

- 34 hours which I need for my other jobs. So I have not enough time for my standard jobs. These customers are not amused to get less of service.

This job is a 0-position: The gasoline for the car and the mower takes the money I earn nearly complete !!!
the customer pays only the service, no extra money for Gas.

Because this is the only job in this area, I will quit the Job latest in summer when I got new objects near to my office.

(Hope this will help to find the wright way for your job)

Greetings from Germany

Chris

[wildgoose]

I had one customer in cottage country that i was driving 50 min there and back.I made nothing! Now, with word of mouth and some advertising,i now have 13 customers in that area(Seasonal lawn contracts,Spring and fall clean ups and security checks in the winter)..One Can Lead To Many!!

Brian