Spring and Fall cleanup Schedules

[nemow]

I tried in the past to emphasize to all of my customers in spring and fall letters that cleanups are scheduled on a first call first serve basis. My cleanup contracts are seperate from my mowing contracts because it allows some of my customers to save money and pick up their own sticks in the spring or try to rake their lawns for five to ten minutes in the fall before calling me and shelling out the cash. It is just how I started five years ago and I think I would loose customers if I tried to tie them down for the extra money in the fall and spring (even though I usually end up doing them anyway). This fall I made a point of telling customers that they need to call ASAP to be put on a fall cleanup list. I also made the point of telling them that we would wait as long as possible to complete cleanups if leaves were still on their trees. Of course most of them waited until the last frigging leaf fell from every tree in the neighborhood to call and tell me they were ready right now and come by tomorrow afternoon at 2pm. Needless to say some even called to tell me the last leaf fell the night before the first snow, after seeing the 5pm weather forcast Im sure. This year I would like to state something like,

. Barring any further snow, we will be completing cleanups between March 17 and May 1, 2008. Cleanups will be completed on a first call first served basis. We are asking that anyone interested in a spring cleanup to please call by March 17th to ensure a wait of less than ten days for a cleanup. We are anticipating a busy spring, so please call as soon as possible to schedule your cleanup!

I would really like to say you are all a bunch of F'ing idiots (but I do understand it is my fault for not including cleanups in my contracts).

Any help or guidance would be apreciated, How do I switch them to all contracted seasonal maintenance? OR, How should a word a letter and continue on the way I have been?
How do you guys do it would be the best question.

Thanks

[grassman177]

we make them commit to our clean up, or otherwise they are worked in as we can with no guarantee. most mowing customers have us pick up the leaves etc automatically. i would make it more of a contract type deal if i were yuou.. but never give a firm price , always a range .

[nemow]

I just posted a 500 or so word reply to this and it didn't go through, awesome. It comes down to 80 customers at one hour each in the fall. That turns into bi weekly due to time and manpower constraints. When they turn bi-weekly in the heavy leaf part of fall they turn into over an hour mowing, then it snows and everyone has some leaves left over some more than others. The best way I have found to do it is one time cleanups and everyone that wants a cleanup gets done. All new customers will be on a full seasonal contract from this point forward. I would change all of them over this year but many of them will be charged for a fall cleanup in the spring becuase they didn't call before the snow, thats right some called after it snowed to have a fall cleanup.

Do some of you charge more for end of season mowing (more time and diposal fees for leaves) and then do a final cleanup and charge a full price?
I make a killing on cleanups if people would just call me in a timely manner. If they wait I cannot get to all of them. Thats all Im saying. Contracts would make people commit. Thats for next year.