My customers are freakin' out!

[Lawn-Scapes]

I have been trying to sell 'aeration & overseeding' @ $15/k to my customers and they are just about falling over backwards when I deliver the price. "OH MY GOD :eek: ... I didn't know it was that much".

Most of my lawns are on the large side, 30k and up... so it does get rather expensive.

From all the posts I've read and questions posted here $15/k is on the cheaper side... right?

Should I offer some type of payment plan???

I'm getting disgusted... Most of the lawns need to be seeded. I'm tired of breathing in all the dirt.

[powerreel]

Sell them on a lawn rip out and plant drought resistant plantings.

[Lawn-Scapes]

powerreel,

Why would I do that when I'm in the 'grass cutting business'?

[MOW ED]

Don't bend, you know its hard work to do this so stand on your price. I just went on an estimate yesterday and the lady told me what another company estimated a total overseed at ( I did not ask) and I told her that mine would be AT Least that high. I will see if I get the job.
Ya I know the lawns are thin but you don't want to be seeding them for nothing just to do some work.

The best thing you can do is know your business and educate your potential clients on how you can do a quality job for them and make them believe you. People aren't willing to shell money out for something they think they can do. Make them understand how you do it and that in the long run they will be better off with you.
Good Luck

[Lawn-Scapes]

MOW ED,

I have no intentions of lowering the price. Although how hard is it to use a tow behind aerator and a front mount spreader ;) I'm definitely not trying to sell them on something they don't need. I'm trying to line this up for the end of this month when hopefully we get some frequent rains.

I was trying to find out if anyone offered some type of easy pay terms...

Thanks

[khouse]

I believe that the people that gripe the most about pricing is the ones with the most money. I'll bet your b!tchers live in very nice houses with two new Mercedes in the garage.
Customers say "I think your price is too high" I here them say "fine job, you need to bill me 50% more on the next bill"
Charge more,work less, make more money. When a customer asks me if my price is negotiable, I say yes, I have a little room to go up! It always gets a laugh and sometimes the job too.

[Grasshog]

For over seeding and aeration it's pay as you go. I dont offer a easy pay plan for a once a year customer. Stand your ground on your price, ashure the customer your giving them the best.

James

[Lawn-Scapes]

They are not bitching... I think it's just the shock factor.

These are my lawn service customers that I'm giving quotes to.

[MOW ED]

I have never considered a payment plan for services. If you think that it will help move a customer to say yes then give it a try. Its not like they are gonna stiff you out of the money. I myself have never had a problem with them wanting a plan, they have the bucks and pay. (sometimes with a little whining)

If you were to set up some payment plan, what would it be? 100 a month for 6 months. You could even tack on interest of say 10% a month. I am not much of a numbers wizard but I know the banks make lots of money with interest.

Get yourself a Ryan Lawnaire IV and walk those lawns. You will change your mind about it being easy:D

[kutnkru]

You might want to reconsider not lowering your prices. Im not talking about lowballing!!!

However, something you need to consider is that we charge a higher dollar for Renovation services to smaller sized properties to keep them just as profitable as the larger ones.

We have increments where the price will begin to drop the larger the property.

If you are asking them to spend $450 for an aeration that takes you 90 minutes lets say. If you are grossing $150 hour on your other figures of $15/m then you should be charging $225 for this larger property although it may be 2-3 times as large.

At the $225 its not that you have lost money, because you are still averaging $150/hr. The question now comes down to how much extra silver are you trying to line your pants with???

I hope this makes sense. This is how we do it, and it works out well for us.

Kris

[Guido]

Do you have your regular clients on a plan now, where all the maintenance is figured up and paid over 10 or 12 months or whatever?

If so, you can figure in an aeration into those prices next year.

If they are your regular customers, you could always offer payment plans, but I wouldn't do it for a one time customer.

Also take what Kris (kutnkru) said into consideration. He brings up a good point.

[Lawn-Scapes]

kutnkru,

I hope you understood that the $15/k is for aeration & seed.

There is no way I could/would do 30k at $225.

Guido,

They are not on a monthly plan now but will be next year. We'll see..

[General Grounds]

:blob3: TSG, i have my renovation prices already in with my chem. program. I know every sept. i'll have 180 renovations to do, and the cutomer has been paying for it all year. For instance, a cutomers chem. work out to be $800, and the renovation $600, i start billing them for chem in april and their last chem bill isin Nov, so in add'nt to lawn maint. and any othwer side work i know that cust. is good for $175, it makes the pain of a renovation a little less for them b/c its not a hugh bill for them. Hope i was soom help. Tony

[powerreel]

That's the way....foresight! I still say to sell them on a lawn rip out and drought resistant plantings. ;)

[guntruck]

TSG we are not too far from you and we are getting 25-27$/m for aeration and overseeding, its odd you are having trouble getting 15$.

[SCAPEASAURUSREX]

Hey, Talking about payment plans,,, Do any of you guys accept credit cards. I have had a few cust's ask if I did for larger jobs, like plantings and such, but not enough to justify the expenses of the setups. Just wondering if anybody was already accepting them and if it helped bringing in new or more business.. Thanks

[Lawn-Scapes]

Rich,

I tell them this is a good price...

The $15/k is only for my customers with a fert program.... otherwise it's more $$.

I think I need to relocate.. people around here just don't seem to care... I don't get it, $300-500,000 homes with crabgrass, weeds and lot's of bare spots :rolleyes:

[kutnkru]

Tom two things:

First. Just because a client lives in an affluent neighborhood does not mean that they are rolling in cash. They are not always any better off than you or I when you compare their overhead expenses to yours and mine. The figures may be more but the percentages usually remain the same -LOL!!!

Second. I dont know your market, all I was suggesting is that for your larger properties try marketing them according to hourly production rates instead of by the sq ft. This may be easier for clients to digest - maybe not.

Good Luck!
Kris

[Lawn-Scapes]

Kris,

I understand what you are saying. Thing is I don't even know what my production per hour will be... This is my first year offering these services and according to my findings here, I thought $15/k was pretty reasonable... maybe not.

Rolling in cash or not... IMO, It looks rediculous when a beautiful home is surrounded by a scrub lawn... especially one with stripes ;)

[Lawn-Scapes]

I gave these bids for double aeration and overseeding (heavy rate). May possibly have to cut the lawn also... dependent on the day of thier regularly scheduled cut.

36.5k @ $550

37k @ $550

42k @ $630

46k @ $690

57k @ $850

Are these prices out of line in your opinion? If they are... how would I go about rectifying it without looking like an ass or desperate?

[Grass_Slayer]

i recently got a job reseeding and overseeding another part of this guys yard. it is a little less than 44k and i am cuttin him a deal at $725. im puttin down 200# of creeping red and 200 # of 15-15-15. that is a real deal around here.

slayer

[General Grounds]

:blob3: TSG, offer a cash discount of say 10 %.T

[Scraper]

I can say from inside knowledge that the "big guy" company that over fertilizes is charging about $800 for 30k overseed and fert. Don't ask me how I know that. ;)

[Lawn-Scapes]

Just wanted to update this thread.

To my surprise most of my customers have been telling me to go ahead with the aerating and seeding.

My problem is these lawns are large and not irrigated. There has been no rain and none in the near (5 day forecast) future.

How late can I wait to put down the seed? I have read October 15th... Can you still get good results after that date?

Thanks all.

[KirbysLawn]

First there is no way in he... I would offer a specialty service for bottom dollar. I suggest you educate yourself as much as possible, offer soil testing with your plan, discuss soil pH, nutrent requirments, and let them know you know what you are talking about! If you don't know what your talking about then work on that.

I offered a bid in a local neighborhood for aeravation and overseeding at $350, the home owner said another service bid $40 for aeration and and additional $50 for seed. I kindly explained that he might as well burn his money in the front lawn if he planned on getting a job that cheap. The guy had no plans of testing the soil and was simply guessing about what the problem was. I explained I had budgeted in supplies what the other guy was charging for everything. I did his lawn Saturday for the $350 as first bid. I did not budge nor do I plan on budging, simple explaining and education worked just fine.

If I do have a large lawn (20k>) I do offer discounts since I do not have to pack up and move often. The discount depends on the abount of seed needed and the condition of the soil. If soft and plugs easy then the better discount, if they did not take the time to water and prepair the lawn then the discount will be less.

Good luck!

Ray

[David Gretzmier]

tsg- I try to overseed here starting last week and running until Oct. 15. we have gotten rain this week and I try to use timers from lowes if they don't have irrigation. add another 100 bucks, you can usually sell folks on a timer, hoses and sprinklers. no profit in that, but it virtually guarantees your work if you set it for 4 times a day at 5-7 minutes or so. I'm thinking in mary land, way north from here, the time is Now or earlier.

thanks Dave g

[NC Big Daddy]

I've only had one say no thanks. And I've not discounted one lawn yet. Signed a fellow today 62k....yep $1550 and he didnt blink an eye nor did I :D Sometimes less is more.
Good Luck
Chris

[strickdad]

tsg i would say you were in line we just bid one at 45k for 588.00 so you are a little higher but in line (ps this one we bid is wide open no trees no beds . i figured we would get in and out faster

[ant]

how are you guys making out this yr. with seeding?
anthony

[Tony Harrell]

30k would be at least 2-3 bags of seed and fertilizer. At 3 bags of transition blend and starter fert it would be roughly $150 just for materials. I've decided that if any of my customers balk, I'm gonna do a patch for free in the most obvious place in their lawn so it will stick out like a sore thumb. That will get their attention and maybe they'll do it the next year and realize that turf is a living organism that needs attention.

[ranger520]

In my area I have a hard time selling overseed and fertilizer with aeration. People do not think they need to spend the money. I have guys running town aerating for $40.00 on a 15k lot. When people call me, I get $90.00 minimum just to aerate, one pass no fert, not seed on a 10k lot. I get about 10% of the jobs I bid at that rate.