Upselling to bagged mowing

[kc2006]

Just wondering if anyone bag's their accounts? I've never bagged, but I'm thinking about switching over. I have free dumping access, so that's not a problem, and I feel it would be a big time saver and look alot better. This week is the first week cutting, some lawns are growing like mad already, and I'm having to double cut them, I don't charge extra to double cut though. If I were to bag I wouldn't have to double cut, in and out and alot less clean up. But...Price. The downside would be to get current customers to go up on price, and I'm afraid I might scare others off by having to be a few dollars more because I'm bagging. I have a Trac-vac system for my walk behind already actually, just I never use it because it has a seperate engine which means I'd have to start two engines every stop (just seems like a pain to me). I thought about getting one of the grass gobbler's instead, or maybe just live with having to start two engines. What are some others thoughts on bagging vs side discharge? I never really had a problem with S/D especially with sharp gator blades, but it's just starting to be a mess and I normally have to double cut when it's thick growth.

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[Steve]

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Hi kc2006, Your topic is "Upselling to bagged mowing." Would your goal to be to offer bagging as an upsell? An additional service at an additional price?

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[kc2006]

Sorry I worded that wrong. If I go with a vac or bag system, I'd want to solely go that route, no more side discharge.

[Steve]

Just wondering but do your customers ask for bagging?

I only bag lawns because of three reasons:
1. The homeowner asks me to
2. It is a commerical account where many people and cars are present which is a huge liability
3. If the lawn is so thick that I decide it needs to be bagged.

[kc2006]

I've have 3 people want their lawn bagged in the past 2 years so it's not like it's a demanded service.

I'm starting to wonder though, the upper class neighborhoods I'm advertising in, the houses that I can tell have commercial cutters cutting it look bagged. So do the upper class area's demand bagging for that extra clean look?

I'm torn between it right now. Bagging would be an inconvenience in the aspect of having to toss the grass in the back of the truck and dumping at the end of the day, but it's pro's would be no double cutting and cleaner cut I think.

I could always go mulch kit, we used to run mulch kits on every mower all year long at the old place I worked at, never had a problem and as long as the deck was clean and blades were sharp it wouldn't clump (unless it was wet out of course).

So many choices

[Billz]

well, I would be willing to bet if you advertised to the higher end areas, and any senior citizen that you would bag every time, you would get alot of business. Most lcos will never do it, and alot of the time customers simply give up the idea...but i bet that would be a great thing for you. My problem with it is the dumping. I would have to pay at least $20 per day...and the hour or so I would be driving back/forth.

[Steve]

kc2006,

I like Billz's view. I would market it as an upsell. For an additional fee. If most people don't demand it, some may want it and would be willing to pay more for it.

In Australia most of our lawns are bagged or collected and put into our trailers for disposal at the local council tip. I just add a few dollars to the cost of each lawn to cover the trip to the tip and the tipping fee. Out of 100 accounts I would only cut about 5 without collecting the clippings.

[Billz]

I still end up with 5 new customers every year, asking me to bag their clippings. I try to discourage it, but in the nicest area here, I bag 3 nextdoor neighbors. They provide me with the place to dump, or I would never do it. I have lost a few over the years for not bagging, but it is not free to dump here.