Bi-weekly or die?

[AllAmericanlawn]

I have so many customers that only want their lawns cut every other week. I want more weekly customers for more money ofcourse. But are Bi-weekly customers bad to have? Opinions?

[QualityLawnCare4u]

All mine are eow. As of right now its once a month because of the severe drought we are having.

[Trinity Lawn Care, LLC]

We have quite a few bi-weekly lawns. Although they are not our first preference they fill in gaps in our schedule, and if they are in same areas as other customers they are just extra money. Sometimes that turn into other jobs. The bi-weeklies that you need to be careful of are those that are getting it eow just to try and save money. We have some customers that in the peak season really need to be done more then once a week even. Between fert, water, and how thick their grass is if we did them every other week it would be next to impossible to make any money off of those properties. To sum it up. If you can make money off of a bi-weekly don't worry about it. If you can not make money then my friend that lawn is not worth it. Our first year in biz we had a ton of bi-weeklies. Each year after they started to become more and more weeklies. This year I could probably count on one hand how many bi-weekly requests we have received.

[Big M LawnnSnow]

I just turned one down today.
He wanted it down every fifteen days.
I told him we don't do that especially this time of year and if we did it would cost him more for the extra work and wear and tear.
He said he would get back to me......Yea I'll wait by the phone for this one.
Oh yea he was from India.....

[WJW Lawn]

India! Did he want you to bag it...trim with scissors...weed with your hands..stand on your head...juggle bricks.. and all for 10 bucks???

[CutsForLess]

Most of mine are bi-weekly, but in my case thats the way I prefer it since I work a full time job. You will find some that are just tight, but I get rid of them as soon as possible. Most of my customers just want good service and are willing to pay for it. I also get to do all their odd and end jobs in the winter months so I make money year around.

[ed2hess]

In many of our major size subdivisions of 400+ homes I would guess that over 60% are bi-weekly. And the trend is increasing toward that direction. And we see very few solo guys and more crews Eventually the weekly customers go with the companies that are mowing the bi-weekly because they are usually less expensive. It doesn't really matter to us whether we have 50 weekly customers in a neighborhood or 50 biweekly in fact easier to get the bi-weekly.

[Cut n Edge Lawncare]

i convince most of mine to go every ten days. Tell them the yard is easier to maintain and keeps the yard looking neat vs every 2 weeks. for me it increases the income off of them by 33%:clapping:

[Grits]

Nothing wrong with some bi-weeklys. But you either need to mix some weeklys in and/or have enough bi-weeklys to fill up the schedule.

[cm82pa]

I had two people ask me for every other week services. First I gave them a weekly rate, when they asked about bi-weekly I told them it would cost "x" amount more for bi-weekly. i.e. $50 a mow/trim weekly, 65 a mow bi-weekly. I explain to them that it will take more time to make the yard look "right" doing it bi-weekly. You figure also more clippings to bag/dump. The first guy told me to leave the clumps in the yard (that what he has always done), I explained to him that others do not see our contract between us, they only see the finished product. I can't go in and do a bad job to save someone else money. The second guy agreed that was fair and accepted. He also called me back after my first mow at his place and asked if I could do his sisters also bi-weekly on the off weeks of his. He will pay for both. Of couse I agreed, the other guy didn't call back and after waiting 2 weeks AFTER he orginally called he mowed it. You would need a hay bailer to see his lawn again this year. Maybe I'll give a door hanger for dethatching this fall.

[tjsquickcuts]

Most warm season lawns really dont require weekly maintenance during the transition periods. I have all my accounts bi-weekly from March-May, and from Sept.-Dec. I go weekly on everyone from June-Augs., which is the peak growing season for most warm season lawns. This way, I get to add 7 to 8 visit per year to everyone. During my bi-weekly period, I used the off week for lawn treatments, and landscaping. I really think the trend here in Atlanta is bi-weekly all year, but I explain to my accounts the importance of weekly maintenance during the summer. My first year I was bi-weekly on everyone, but realized how much money I was losing. But there are always exceptions, and thats all of my high end properties. I visit them Weekly all year round, on thursday and friday.

[HOOLIE]

I have 3 that I still do, these are real crappy lawns that I've done for years that truly don't grow much even in spring. For the last few years I haven't accepted any bi-weekly's. The cool season grasses here go crazy in April and May and these people will express mock surprise when you tell them, no way can a lawn go 2 weeks. These are usually the same folks that haven't cut the lawn at all now, a full month into the cutting season here :laugh: Maybe it's different elsewhere, but here, most if not all requests for bi-weekly service are just cheap people.