No more bi-weekly accounts!

[Hedgemaster]

Originally Posted by mark123 It's a good idea. I don't schedule mowing on Saturday or Monday. Ideally, I don't schedule mowing on Wednesdays or Saturdays, that way I have a "buffer" for make up days, or projects like hedge trimming. If weather prevents me from cutting a Mon or Tues client, I can usually get them taken care of by Wed (and Thurs/Fri clients by Sat), keeping them fairly close to their scheduled day. If you push it off TOO long, you end up losing a cut for that week, and then they get it in their head that they can go to "every other week". So far it's worked, but I did have to throw a few cuts in there every other Wednesday, since I didn't have enough "other work" to keep my schedule filled all week long. Sundays are mine. I only work then if I have no other choice.

[cruzgardening]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by mark123 It's a good idea. I don't schedule mowing on Saturday or Monday. we have a full house now Monday-Friday we usually do our projects on Sat but there are no mowing schedule for the weekend. I usually don't like to work on the weekends but last month we had a big landscape and i had to work Sunday morning but it was well worth it

[Norcal]

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster

Ideally, I don't schedule mowing on Wednesdays or Saturdays, that way I have a "buffer" for make up days, or projects like hedge trimming.

If weather prevents me from cutting a Mon or Tues client, I can usually get them taken care of by Wed (and Thurs/Fri clients by Sat), keeping them fairly close to their scheduled day. If you push it off TOO long, you end up losing a cut for that week, and then they get it in their head that they can go to "every other week".

So far it's worked, but I did have to throw a few cuts in there every other Wednesday, since I didn't have enough "other work" to keep my schedule filled all week long.

Sundays are mine. I only work then if I have no other choice.

I too earlier this season didn"t schedule anything for wednesday or Saturday untill i singed 30 new accounts this year. now i do 10 to 13 accounts a day and 28 on Friday so I am also thinking about dropping the few bi weekly accounts I have left most of them drop in the winter time and dont do anything with it all winter and when they call back in the spring it needs an initial clean up wich they never want to pay for.
I think the way I am going to handle them this year is if they drop service around December and if they call back am going to either tell them that I am full or I am not taking anymore bi weekly accounts.
I also heard gas will be around $5.00 a gallon around december so I may start raising my rates starting with the Bi weekly accounts

[facework84]

I dont understand all the audacity towards bi-weekly accounts in this post. Can someone break it down for me? ALL my accounts are biweekly.

[petscanning]

Originally Posted by Steve

I would think it be better to talk to them about this because it would improve your chances of making the weekly sale.

Do you feel that taking bi-weekly customers is an important part of growth? Early on in your lawn care business career, is it wise to take what ever you can and then weed out the bi-weekly customers later or is it better to never take them in the first place?

Do they have their purpose for some?

I started my business late this season in Aug 1. I wanted to lose some weight and get paid doing it so I started my own ECO lawn company. I use both gas and battery operated mowers and equipment. I charge my battery operated one with my solar panels and this gets me the eco friendly customers.

I have weekly and bi-weekly customers and for me it works out real well but I have a full time job so I will hit the bi-weekly ones on the way home from work. It gets hot here in Oklahoma and some lawns need a mowing really only once a month so I can't justify mowing burnt ground. Yes I think they can be a good thing you just have to put them into your schedule. I have gained almost 70% of my customers from word of mouth and I have about 20 now and some I do a lot of odd yard jobs for and this has allowed me to make some good money and lose 30lbs. Remember a customer is a customer as long as they are worth the effort and you make some money but if its a break even deal then drop them.

[mark123]

Originally Posted by facework84

I dont understand all the audacity towards bi-weekly accounts in this post. Can someone break it down for me? ALL my accounts are biweekly.

There are so many reasons to avoid bi-weekly accounts but I'm sure it depends on where you are located. What is your service area?

Some of my reasons:

• It red flags the customer as a cheap skate
• Customer wants to constantly switch which week they get serviced on which isn't possible when you have to fill the slot in the alternate week
• If you have to skip and you have another customer in the slot on the alternate week then it is 4 weeks between mowings
• wear on the mower due to cutting two (or four, see above) weeks worth of growth
• lawn has my name on it as the service company and it looks like crap on the off week
• Customer complains on cut quality (see below)
• I'm sure I can think of more but I'm done for now

I have one customer that is bi-weekly that sometimes skips a whole month making it 6 weeks between cuts. She actually called me and said "There's something wrong with your mower. A week after you cut the grass stood right back up as if you didn't cut it at all." I tried to explain it's because the lawn needs cut every 7 days but she refused to believe it. We had a dry summer where it didn't rain and then when it did it started growing quickly again but she was still comparing the growth to the dry spell.

[Hedgemaster]

This season, almost every new call is interested in biweekly cuts.

That reminds me. I need to call someone and tell her I must go to weekly, or she will need to find another service.
It was insane high last week - like a lawn that hadn't been cut all season. I'd charge at least 3x regular for someone who calls for a "first cut" at this point - why should I cut her tall grass for "regular price"?

[CHEESE2009]

8:00AM the phone rings.


Lady: Hi I wanted to know what you would charge me to cut my lawn if I were to call you whenever it needed to be cut.

Me: I can give you a price for weekly service only.

Lady: Oh, I see. So I can't call you whenever I need to cut the grass?

Me: Nope. We don't work that way, sorry!

Lady: Thanks anyway.

[JLM]

I take bi weekly customers we have a long growing season down here. Even at... bi weekly customers still pay for 21-24 cuts per year...Gotta love the Sunshine State!!

[Hedgemaster]

I just picked up another biweekly. I am trying to avoid them, but it was too good to pass up. $25 and it took exactly 4 minutes to mow it. (I forgot to time the trim/blow)

It's right on my route between two existing clients. It didn't make sense to not accept it.
There's something to be said for tiny, city jobs. I have some bigger jobs that take me 30-45 minutes and only pay $30.