ztrguy
02-03-2006, 12:38 AM
Ok...for 2006 I'm trying to change things up a little bit. No longer will the customer say they only want it cut every 10 days....or every 2 weeks....or the dreaded whenever it needs it. So, here's my thinking:
Whenever I go to do estimates I'm going to price my service at say $98/month. No more saying, well it will be $25/weekly...if you want it cut every 10 days it will be $30...and if you want it cut every two weeks it will be $40. From now on, starting in 2006 it's going to be: Hi, if you would like for us to service your lawn it will be $98/month. We will maintain your lawn weekly.
Here's my thinking: Say you have priced a every 2 week lawn at $30 per mow. You're making $60/month. Not too much is it? Well, how about you tell them $80/month. That's only $20/cut. Sounds cheap right? But you're making $20 more per month. If you have 50 customers that's $1000 more per month. You make the weekly price sound low...and yet you're getting more money for those that only want it cut whenever. Plus, you don't have to worry about them calling and saying my yard don't need mowed. You don't have to worry about going by and checking to see if it needs mowed or not. You just tell them ok it's going to cost you $98/month to have your lawn maintained. Pretty much take it or leave it.
Then it will be easier to make your schedule. We all know how those every 10 day accounts are hard to work around at times. And we know those every 2 week accounts are always grown up and depending on the amount of rain...it could take up to twice as long to get them mowed. So your schedule gets all screwed up b/c it's taking you all day to mow 2 accounts when it should have taken about 4 hours if they were maintained weekly. This way it will be easier to maintain, easier on the equipment, and it shouldn't take as long. Billing will be easier with monthly billing.
So, here's the deal. You lower your price slightly, make more money, have less headaches w/ scheduling, no questionable should I mow it or not garbage. And the customer knows exactly how much it will be each month. No surprises.
Whenever I go to do estimates I'm going to price my service at say $98/month. No more saying, well it will be $25/weekly...if you want it cut every 10 days it will be $30...and if you want it cut every two weeks it will be $40. From now on, starting in 2006 it's going to be: Hi, if you would like for us to service your lawn it will be $98/month. We will maintain your lawn weekly.
Here's my thinking: Say you have priced a every 2 week lawn at $30 per mow. You're making $60/month. Not too much is it? Well, how about you tell them $80/month. That's only $20/cut. Sounds cheap right? But you're making $20 more per month. If you have 50 customers that's $1000 more per month. You make the weekly price sound low...and yet you're getting more money for those that only want it cut whenever. Plus, you don't have to worry about them calling and saying my yard don't need mowed. You don't have to worry about going by and checking to see if it needs mowed or not. You just tell them ok it's going to cost you $98/month to have your lawn maintained. Pretty much take it or leave it.
Then it will be easier to make your schedule. We all know how those every 10 day accounts are hard to work around at times. And we know those every 2 week accounts are always grown up and depending on the amount of rain...it could take up to twice as long to get them mowed. So your schedule gets all screwed up b/c it's taking you all day to mow 2 accounts when it should have taken about 4 hours if they were maintained weekly. This way it will be easier to maintain, easier on the equipment, and it shouldn't take as long. Billing will be easier with monthly billing.
So, here's the deal. You lower your price slightly, make more money, have less headaches w/ scheduling, no questionable should I mow it or not garbage. And the customer knows exactly how much it will be each month. No surprises.