"Looking" more professional

[syzer]

I was on my way home last night when I noticed Loranzo's (or something like that) Lawn and Landscape, INC. pull up next to me. He had a pretty rig 2000-01 Ford power stoke 4x4 with pretty lettering on the doors. A nice trailer with a Toro Z master ZTR and a Toro WB. The truck was white trailer was orange.

I am thinking damn that's a nice setup which got me to thinking about our setup. When I did I thought about how our trailer was black and the truck is green.

A lot of us have awesome rigs on this site but all in all they are the same you can still tell the guys that do this "on there own" so to speak.

When you look at true green EVERYTHING is green and brickman has EVERYTHING brown, same with RAR EVERYTHING is red. We are gonna set our rigs all up to be entirely black with teal bluish green lettering. That way we can make EVERYTHING match.

I think it look so much more professional that way. For some reason when you see a truck going down the street from true green or brickman even though our work will look 100% better I always think their rigs look better then ours =(.

Any ideas guys?

[Guido]

Those shiney rigs do like a lot nicer when everything is neat and uniform, etc, but its only good to a point.

Now, I'm not saying to look like a rolling junkyard, but as long as the priorities are straight, go for the uniform paint jobs. You seem to have the right attitude, but some people put the paint job and their image before their performance, education, and quality equipment.

Most of the shiny setups I've seen on the road, I see again the next year.......




In the classified Ad's!:eek:

[Lawnshark]

Its kind of like any sports team that walks into the gym or onto the feild that all have matching jerseys and warm-ups and shoes and bags, etc. They are intimidating and are already starting to beat you and you haven't even started playing yet. My philosophy is RIGS-SHMIGGS. I know a company, actually called Precision lawncare here in tennessee and they do incredible work! Their rig is old and the mowers are ancient, but everyone knows them by their work. I agree that a sharp rig is cool, but don't concentrate only on that, concentrate on your work!
GOOD LUCK

[syzer]

I agree 100% work first, but what do you graduate to from there. Obviously educate yourself more in the field of what you want to do. We do what I consider excellent work and have letters from customers and word of mouth to base this on. I want to have a rig now to match. One thing I really like and I think looks so darned professional is matching equipment and rig. I know the rig isn't everything cause the other companies out there with this awesome stuff do work that is sometimes sub-parr.


I just want my rig to stand out, someone to drive by and see us in the distance and go "there is precision landscaping, you should see the work they do". I want to stand out like RAR, tru green and the others do to me, though I don't follow up with a "you should see the kind of work they do" =).

[lee b]

Fancy rigs don't do quality work, good hard-working people do. The biggest LCO in my area has super nice trucks, uniforms, the best equipment and does the sorriest work of anybody I know. What most of ya'll on here would call "scrubs" do much better work. Like everybody else I would like to have the sharpest looking set-up around, but the quality and reliability of my work is the best advertising that I can do. Besides, there are other directions that I'm investing into that'll pay much better returns than tying up money in fancy trucks, and also give a measure of security in case the lawn biz goes haywire.:cool:

[Eric ELM]

I agree with the others here. I'm not trying to impress other LCO's, just my customers.

I met a guy 16 years ago out where I work that does great work. He still drives the same truck, (77 F150 4x4) has the same trailer, (never seen one like this, has small tires, tandem axle and both axles are bent) and the same mowers (Bobcat w/b)he had back then and they were not new then. To see this rig going down the road, you would not be impressed, but to see his lawn work, I know you would be impressed.

[guntruck]

Well, along with agreeing with everyone here, i think the post got a little off track, as far as not comparing the rig to the quality of work.......lets just assume that a company had an excellent reputation and the profibility of that company enabled them to by very nice equipment and have it all match. I think that looks much more professional than the mismatched trailers. Now it will be sometime and like yall said i know its not the rig that makes the company i just want someone to see the rig(clients not other LCO's) out of the corner of there eye and recognize who it is! To me thats really nice. Here we have a paving company they have all newer dumps black with bright orange lettering man are they nice!! I get a glimpse and i know who they are, if i ever need a paver the name will be fresh in my mind, now i may not go with them but i remember them from the impressive equipment. I guess there is different ways of looking at things this is just some thoughts felleres.

[Grapevine]

If you've been in this awhile it's nice to have trucks that start every time and equipment that runs and can be relied on. I've seen more guys with new trucks, trailers and the oldest, crappiest mowers you've ever seen. My main business is property maintenance, my guys have company tees and sweatshirts. I have mowers that are bought new every 3 years (Walkers) and 1 drive a 85 one ton Diesel dump
Also own a 97 Chevy CK2500 ext cab (both w/plows) The new 2001 F550s 4*4 are running over $40,000 with plows. Thats a big nut every month, especially if you're just getting into it. You definitely should reinvest back into the business, I would rather buy mowers than trucks any day.

[Evan528]

Grapevine, A truck is a landscapers most important peice of equipment. If a truck is down you cant work that day. I beleave in replacing a truck every 4-5 years.

[John Allin]

Remember...
In the eyes of the beholder, "Perception is Reality".

[MikeGA]

Ever thought a customer awaiting someone to come give them a quote sees the lawn guy pull up in a new truck and think, "D*MN, this guy charges way to much if he can afford a truck like that, maybe I need to find someone who charges less"?? Don't get me wrong, I like to drive new equipment and would like to someday have a truck and matching trailer, but that $32 to $45 grand says i will be waiting!

[LoneStarLawn]

Ever thought a customer awaiting someone to come give them a quote sees the lawn guy pull up in a new truck and think, "D*MN This guy's business must be striving. He must know what he is doing"

[guntruck]

LOL Lonestar i was thinking the same thing!! :cool:

[Runner]

I DO own what is called by about everyone, the nicest looking and classiest grounds maintenance rig in the entire county of Genesee. This doesn't make me any better than any of the others out doing it. I get compliments ALL the time from other owner/operators (and yes I occasionally get some fun poked at me for everything being so clean, neat and organized.) I have one friend in the area that mows about 350 lawns a week, several commercials, and does this with 3 crews and 6 Lazers. He will be the FIRST to tell you that he doesn't make any money mowing, he just does it for the access to the spraying. (He does about $700,000 anually.) Anyway, he has about a dozen trucks, and they ALL look like they are pieces of junk. He says as long as they are mechanically sound, they suit the purpose. It's just not worth having newer trucks for his "brain surgeons" as he calls them, to beat on. One thing about this guy though, his workmanship is like second to none. I don't know how he does it with his help, other than he says he's had alot of the same guys for a long time.

[Mike (MLC)]

My truck is old and I just bought a new trailer last year. I would love to buy a matching truck but just don't have that kind of money right now. Even though I don't have the newest of new I still get plenty of calls a day and great compliments from my clients. Have have a lot of customer referrals also. I try to be as professional as possible. And so far so good. :cool:

[Grapevine]

Evan528, New trucks are great and my 85 Chevy Diesel has been redone top to bottom. New engine 2 years ago, the thing will pull a school down. Having 2 or 3 of everything in this business is key to no down time. My personal philosophy is that your mowers should be maintained and replaced regularly, for they are the key to making money.
Having a pickup truck is one thing, look at the new F550s dumps or the Duramax dumps and see what your paying a month.

[cos]

I was thinking the same when it comes to customers thinking, "This guy is going to give me a really high price, cause of his high dollar equip." I drive by other LCO's and they have the oldest beat up trucks doing the high dollar houses. The truck's look like they been to the junk yard and back, but they still day after day service these high dollar residential landscapes. I believe that I see the newer rigs and equipment doing more commercial properties than anything.

[KD'sLawns]

I believe that it is a double edge sword: If you have great equipment and a great truck some people will think that you are going to price everything too high. Then, on the other side of the sword: If you have shotty looking equipment, even though it may be sound some people will think that you will give them a better price, but your work may not be that good either! Many people base things on appearance and you can not change that. I say that if someone is going to turn you down because you do not have the best rig, then they were not worth doing the work for anyway.
Everyone would like to have matching equipment but sometimes it is not feasible. I say, do great work and that will make you more proud than any equipment will!!!

[kris]

I agree that this post got off track.... sure there is fancy trucks that do shoddy work and no so fancy that do shody work.... thing is he said he would like everything to match....nothing about the work...nothing wrong with that...I think you are on the right track....I know of one company that paints orange and blue...ugly colors but you know what..when you see them on the road you can spot them a mile away... everyone reconizes there trucks.... also you can give your old truck cheap paint job.... doesn't have to be new truck to look clean.

[Greenkeepers]

I believe that John said it!! Perseption is reality to most people.. You have to
"look" professional and good and people think it. They can't see your work when your riding down the road. I got a couple jobs when I was the highest bidder because I wore a shirt and had a lettered truck... People are amazing.

[CSRA Landscaping]

Hey, John, on that perception is reality thought, I heard about a guy that would paint his wheels on his truck a different color every day, I think it was, to give the appearance of having a fleet. I also hear he's doing pretty good now.;)

[syzer]

Personally I think if I see a guy with a nice rig, almost immediately "Damn, that guy is doing something right he has one bad rig". Now I know that's not always the case but if I want an estimate to put pavers in my drive I don't want some redneck with a tee shirt and an old hoop ride that's filthy with the license plate falling off pulling up. I want a very professional pretty truck pulling up. Gives me the assurance I need to say hey this guy has it going on, he has a nice truck his business must be good enough to afford that so he must do decent work.

Maybe this is the wrong way of thinking but I'm not the only one =).

[LJ lawn]

if you got the scroll to burn,then by all means paint on! don't forget to get some of those cool polished aluminum rims for the mowers too.

[Island Lawn]

Perceptions count!

People judge books by their covers!

But I dont think that you need brand new stuff. Just good, clean stuff.

A good, clean, professional image is a good place to start. But you still hjave to BE professional!

New stuff dosent hurt!

My .02

[GREG R]

We drive all white trucks and lettered.
white trailers and a black one, and green
mowers.(except for the honda push mowers)
If a potencail customer has a probem with us
looking professional then I don't think I
want them as a customer they need to call one
of the local scrubs.

[KirbysLawn]

I have 3 customers right now that are directly related to the appearance of my rig. One of them was talking to my son and he told him that he called me because he figured if I could afford a set-up like I have I must do good work. I also agree, people who have old, beat up equipment also do great work, I prefer to have new equipment and am very blessed to be able have it.

Nothing wrong with old stuff, just keep it clean.

[HOMER]

I'm just happy mine cranks when I turn the key.

Can't seem to keep them lifters from rattlin' though.:confused:

[Farmer]

I got the perfect solution, older trucks that are very clean and good shape, I have seen a truck around town here, it is a late 70s or early 80's chevy 1 ton dump, white truck with red steel bed. Even though it is an older truck, it looks great, very clean well waxed, nice paint. I personaly drive a 91 F-150, Super Cab nice shape, even though it is an older truck, I like it. I would like to paint my trailer to match, but I always hear when you repaint something, repaint it the original color, I don't know why it would make a differnce if you prime it first.... as far as my equipment I try to repaint them or at least the decks every winter. I have a 93 BobCat belt drive, that every winter rolls out of the shed looking like new, but on the other hand I have an 89 Cushman Diesel FrontLine that is a little harder to paint lol I like to have equipment that matches in color, so when I buy my new Hustler, I guess I will have to paint the BobCat Yellow lol;)

[Lawnmedics]

Even though we are a new LCO when we built a new trailer we painted it and the truck the same color. Everyone is always commenting on how they have seen us here and there. Any advertisement we will take.

[RedWingsDet]

all my stuff is red and yellow.... truck is red and yellow (red truck with yellow stripes and yellow hood) and trailer is red. even my mowers are red execpt for the two cubs, those are yellow, but it still matches! lol, but ya im only 16, my first year, im doing pretty good so far. if i keep it up hopefully ill be pretty big. i will plan on having all my trucks red and yellow and all red trailers with maybe yellow accents. anyway, yeah all the same colors is real professional. same goes for uniform.... im have red tshirts with co name and services and also white sleeveless used when landscaping and cutting. red is more for the casual look. well i get the shirts on the 10th ;) ordered em monday :)

i plan on having everything red and yellow because it sticks out sooooo much, and people will reconize my company, when (no ifs) it gets bigger with more crews. but i dont plan on having another crew for a year or two, but who knows.

[all ferris]

First impression is everything. I drive a nice 02 duramax 4x4 and I have a 1997 16' utility trailer that I painted the same color as the truck. All my mowers are red and get repainted if they start looking bad. I have even painted the plastic off a blower and trimmer when it gets sun faded. Paint is cheap and so is soap and water. I wash equipment when it needs it. My truck is my office and I'm always gonna work in a nice, clean "office". I think that people would much rather have a nice looking rig pulling up to their house than some peice of junk. I know I wouldn't want some rusted out, smoking, oil spot leaving POS in front of my house so I wouldn't do it to my customers.

[Envy Lawn Service]

I didn't read this whole thing. But I will be honest and tell it as I see it. To me, most everyone fits into or between the following categories.....

Intimidatingly Flashy
Super Neat
Busy Neat
Average Joe
I do this Evenings & Weekends
Sanford & Son
Need Beer Money

If you think about every outfit in town, you will find they fit somewhere in that list.

[txlawnking]

Right now my truck looks Sanford &Son, and my new enclosed trailer looks Trump tower... LOL

[MiracleMan]

When I started in this business 11 years ago, it was an old Ford Van I bought for $500., a 5x8 Utility trailer, JD curved weedeater, 21" craftmans push and a Homelite hand blower.
We've come a long way baby since that day. A van, a couple of trucks, trailers, tractors, yada .. yada .. yada ...

! Thank you Lord for my many blessings ~

I think it just all comes in time. My first priority back in 1993 was to make money. To be able to pay bills. I needed to work. Today, my priority is working with class. The philosophy and integrity are the same. We just have collared shirts and a more professional demeanor now :o) . Yeah, the big rigs are great. As long as you don't forget where you came from.

[Acute Cut]

Image is not about how New your stuff is. It is about appearance. I have said it before and ill say it again, we dont have to look like scrubs, we choose to. Ya my stuff is newer. I got tired of mechanical headaches so i ponied up. I am paying for that too, but peace of mind dont come cheaply.

Wash your stuff, try to get your truck one or two colors (not rust and primer colored either) and get a uniform on. Now you are ahead of probably 80% of your competition. JMO though.

[Liberty Lawncare]

Brickman and truegreen ?? They are the worst hacker craps in the industry!! So the truck is pritty thier work is POOP!!!

Keep doing a good job when you have extra money and time make your stuff match. I understand about makeing everything uniform it does look better but the work is most important.

Thats just my thought good luck.

[dishboy]

Originally posted by Liberty Lawncare
Brickman and truegreen ?? They are the worst hacker craps in the industry!! So the truck is pritty thier work is POOP!!!

Keep doing a good job when you have extra money and time make your stuff match. I understand about makeing everything uniform it does look better but the work is most important.

Thats just my thought good luck.

Be careful! One day these company's are going to grow tired of the libel that flows so freely here and drag a bunch of you guys before a judge to collect damages. If it were my company I would.

[fixer67]

There is a man around these parts that does the reverse. He sells fire wood in the winter and product in the summer. He wares clothes that are little more than rags and his old truck does not even have good brakes. He has the kids that ride with him jump out a block of wood under the tire when he does get it stopped to keep from rolling. The kids are so dirty it looks like they have never even seen water. My mother and me both use to buy from him until the day he had to make change for a $20. He pulled out a woad of money big enough to choke a horse and that was not the end of it. He put that one back and pulled out another one and still a wallet with a rubber band around it. I would have to say he had about $5000 on him. We had been had. I found out later that this man is rich as all get out. His "look" is a scame that works. My point of this little story is people DO judge a book by it cover.

[Kelly's Landscaping]

Originally posted by dishboy
Be careful! One day these company's are going to grow tired of the libel that flows so freely here and drag a bunch of you guys before a judge to collect damages. If it were my company I would.

Would be a fun case to follow and you’re assuming they would win what if they failed to prove it was libel and a court ruled they were in fact as bad as people say. That would go through my mind before I dragged some one to court on something as hard to win as this. You forget tru green has some of the most despicable customer relations tactics you have ever seen it would not be to hard to find a few thousand if not hundred thousand people that feel they were screwed by them.

[lawncare3]

My truck is a 1975 f250 it works great for me and it built like a tank (I reversed into a tree at 10 mph) it made a little dent. I reversed into a tree at 4 with a jepp liberty and the taillight was broken.

[txlawnking]

I try to avoid those trees man!!! :D

[dishboy]

Originally posted by Kelly's Landscaping
Would be a fun case to follow and you’re assuming they would win what if they failed to prove it was libel and a court ruled they were in fact as bad as people say. That would go through my mind before I dragged some one to court on something as hard to win as this. You forget tru green has some of the most despicable customer relations tactics you have ever seen it would not be to hard to find a few thousand if not hundred thousand people that feel they were screwed by them.


By the definition of libel in this state the above statements easily meet the criteria.
In this state it does not have to be false info to be libel, so what other people think does not matter, only that someone was slammed in writing, in public and it affected the public's perception in a negative way. If they can dig up one person who claims they chose not to do business with the slammed company because of the statements that were seen, then damages of the lost revenue will be awarded along with attourney fees.

[lawncare3]

Originally posted by txlawnking
I try to avoid those trees man!!! :D

I'm telling you the tree jumped in front of the truck. ;) :D :D

[Jpocket]

An old truck can be just as good as a new one, you just hav e to take care of them. I have a 76 Chevy dually w/dump insert and fresh paint. In my opinion it looks alot better than these "Plane Jane" white f-250s guys get. :blob4:

[PMLAWN]

Very old post still going strong. The very reason for Lawnsite.
Pulled this up doing a search on John Allin after reading about SMG in the May issue of Landscape Management.
Funny thing is, That same issue is all about Marketing and building brand recognition. I believe that $ wise new trucks and old trucks can have a great impact on the bottom line but I think that this thread was more about looking the same.
I believe that you should try to be consistent with a color or logo with all you stuff.( not talking mowers) My trucks and trailers are all the same color and that matches all my shirts and sweat shirts. Lettering is a different color but than all the same with the type all matching. All stationary, business cards, checks E-mails and ads match and the logo carries thru on everything. Colors always match as close as possable. Only thing that is slightly different is the "golf" shirts that are for dress (estimates) and the jackets, I have reversed the colors on these. I am still a small company but I believe that this has been a good thing for our business.
I believe that the customer who feels that you making a living off of your work is a bad thing and will look for the beat up truck guy is also the customer that I do not want. I aggree that the best looking outfit will not hold up if you do bad work but I also believe that a nice set-up with great work will go far. My Ads state that we will make you (the customer) proud of their property. This idea transfers much easiler if I have pride in my work and my equipiment.

[NNJLandman]

Professionalism doesn't come down to the image of your company vehical, or fancy shirts. It comes down to customer satisfaction and quality of the job. So if I were to go out purchase a $40,000.00 truck then another $20,000.00 in equipment, and maybe $2000.00 in lettering then screw over all my customers half ass their lawns does that make me "professional." I don't care what you say, and you've all heard it a million times, who cares what equipment you have or vehicals its how you do the job and present yourself to the customer.

Jeff

[PMLAWN]

Jeff is right, and his last statement sums it up. Its how you do the job--AND-- how you present yourself.

[syzer]

Wow, old thread =), funny to see it having been revived after years.

If you guys look back in the begining.....no one is in anyway saying to sacrifice work, or screw customers over. Its about doing quality work, fair to customers, AND PROFESSIONAL image!

[JustMowIt]

We have run trucks & equipment both ways, new & old, and we have found that customers do not care! Most of our customers are not home & if they are home, they are not checking out the truck!

Lets be real.......LCO's buy fancy trucks & trailers to make themselves feel good & to impress other LCO's, not to increase the bottom line!!!!!! :waving:

I am the exact same way, I like nice trucks, but I have found a middle ground. I buy used trucks with 40-50K miles, they are all white 12 trucks, and our crews wash them every Monday. The trucks are nice enough not to offend but not so nice that it lowers our margins!

If it is important enough to you to lower your margins, then do it, but don't pretend it is because it is better for the business!

[stxkyboy]

Lets be honest with ourselves no matter how professional we think we are or maybe really are when it comes down to it we are just lawn boys. The customers care very little what truck we drive what equiptment we use aslong as we arrive on time and the job looks good when we leave. This being said I think that there can be an advantage to those in the highend landscaping biz. People in this line are presenting an actual product that the must sell. Its hard to convince people to spend 100g if your company doesnt look like it has any money invested into it.