Customer payment options

[JLC]

Hey guys,

I am interested in offering my customers the option to have a budgeted payment over the season or possibly 12 months. How do you all handle this? What kind of form/contract do you use and would someone be willing to email me a copy of theirs? Should I definitely use a contract? Do any of you adjust if the amount of cuts is significantly lower or higher than what you based the contract price on? Any help anyone can offer would be appreciated!

Thanks

Ben Johnson
Johnson Lawn Care

[kutnkru]

We basically figure that the most cuts any contract will receive is 32(wet year) and the least would be 24(dry year). This season I am having clients sign a contract for 28 cuts. They will be billed for 4 cuts over 7 months beginning in April and ending in October.

I like to use contracts. This way our clientel will know EXACTLY the cost for each service they have requseted and can plot for their billing in advance. Services such as fert, aerations, shearing and the like are added on to the bills according to the work that was performed for that month.

Our contracts state that due to the changing weather that the number of cuts will either be increased or decreased. But they know what to expect and that it will range from 24-32 cuts depending on these conditions ahead of time.

Hope this helps.
Kris