Scheduling for July 4th

[Lawn-Scapes]

What will you guys do with the 4th falling on a Thursday this year?

Business as usual (cutting the 4th)?

Skip Thursday 'til the following week?

Cut 'em Friday and Friday's on Saturday?

Other?

[LAWNGODFATHER]

We be working.

[KirbysLawn]

If things work out all lawns will be mowed by Wendesday and I will be in Atlanta for the weekend, going to Stone Mtn and a Braves Game.

[Esby]

Have to see what the weather does of course. But I am going to try to get all of the accounts done by wednesday. And if I don't, I may work a bit in the morning on the 4th, but otherwise everything else gets pushed to friday/sat.

[P&J Lawncare]

We are cutting on a five day rotation so we definately will be working.

[KirbysLawn]

Just wondering...many people around here have family over and cookouts on the 4th, what do you guys do when you show up and they are having a family gathering? Personally I would try to schedule and plan to have all done by Wednesday or Friday, I would not be happy having my lawn mowed on a holiday.

[JimLewis]

Well, we work every week day, regardless of holidays (except Christmas and Thanksgiving). We ALWAYS arrive at the same time every week. 100% consistent and reliable. That's just the way we do it. So we'll be mowing, as usual.

But when I say "we'll be mowing" I mean, my crews will. I'll be off at the family cabin for 5 days relaxing and riding a SeaDoo! hehehe. That's the nice thing about having multiple crews. :D

[65hoss]

If I was working that day it would be comm'l properties only. No residentials for me. But I will not be working that day. We will have things handled in a way to be off on the 4th. Great thing about being the boss. I get to make the decisions. ;)

[Phishook]

working on the 4th, but will probably be taking Friday off. Weather permitting

[Richard Martin]

I'll cut a few of 'em on Wednesday and the remaining ones on Friday.

[David Haggerty]

I'd really like to be on a 5 day rotation right up to the 4th of July!
But it'll probably slow down.

My wife has a big cookout/reunion planned for the 4th. My mom's the guest of honor. If I have to work I'll keep it a short day.

Now that you've mentioned that long weekend thing, I probably will have to work, because all the residentials will get crowded into wednesday. To make that work I'll have to slide some commercial accounts to thursday.
Dang! I keep telling her to plan things for Christmas time.

Anyway thanks for the heads up on the long weekend coming up. I usually need a couple of weeks lead time to fit something like that into the schedule.

To answer your question "am I working the 4th?" I havn't got a clue. Ask me again on the 3rd.:D

Dave

[P&J Lawncare]

If I pull up to a customer's yard anytime and they are having a party we skip it.

[Brickman]

The fourth this year is on Thursday. Thursday is all residential for me. Almost all of my customers would be unhappy to have me there on a holiday. So I will work ahead on Wed, and play catch up on Fri.

[marley]

I AM NOT SURE. PART OF ME THINKS THAT IT IS DISRESPECTFUL TO WORK ON THE 4TH, OR MEMORIAL DAY OR EVEN SUNDAYS. AT THE SAME TIME I CAN ALSO UNDERSTAND LEWIS LANDSCAPES APPROCH.

[Toroguy]

I think concerning yourself with it NOW is a good choice, I'll admit the Memorial Day caught me by suprise, it seemed early?

The 4th does pose an interesting challenge being a 4 day weekend? Or do the regular people (plebians) return to work on Friday?

I'm planning to work Th and Fr. But will readdress it with customers on that schedule two weeks prior.

And Yes, keep going if there is a BBQ or gathering at a residential. It would be funny to see the expression on their faces as you ask them to move aside as you blast grass clippings into their tuna salad.:) and ice tea.

[thelawnguy]

Make believe the day is a washout, enjoy yourselves, and pick up again the next day.

[smburgess]

Never been a problem - paid holiday for my crews.

A little planning goes a long way, meaning I wouldn't want my lawn maintenance company showing up in the middle of my cookout, If Thursday was my normal day to get cut, I would expect some planning ahead on their part and be there either Wednesday or Friday. Most of my clients expect me to think ahead, and MOST of the time I do!:cool:

[FrankenScagMachines]

And Yes, keep going if there is a BBQ or gathering at a residential. It would be funny to see the expression on their faces as you ask them to move aside as you blast grass clippings into their tuna salad. and ice tea.

Yea! A true Candid Camera moment! (Or America's Funniest Home Videos)
It would be sweet if someone set it up with a homeowner to do this and have a camera hidden in a good place, and then try it and send it in to one of these two places! That would be so frickin' hilarious! ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!

[slingshot]

It is pretty bad if you have to cut grass on holidays or have your crews out cutting on holidays.they wont be around to long if your at the lake and they are doing your mowing for you. if you cant switch a couple of theings around to give the guys a day off your pretty bad.and if i was a customer and you had your cews cutting my yard on a holliday and you were at the lake or home relaxing or even if you were there also i would send you packing.

[KirbysLawn]

Well said slingshot.

[johnhenry]

We will be off but will proably busting our tails off to get everything done in time. Might go to gulf shores alabama for a much need rest. Thats if everything goes to schedule

[LawnLad]

We take the holiday off... paid day for the crew. We front load our maintenance schedule to the early part of the week anyways, and we'll add more guys to maintenance that week to get through the cutting/bed work that week and take the day off.

I am a believer in not being on your customers property when they're home during their off or down time. To me, that means not cutting after 6 pm (if possible), no Saturdays or Sundays and no Holidays. We cut during business hours when they're at work. We do not want to disturb people enjoying their yard by coming and booting them off the lawn on a holiday/weekend.

[gogetter]

I won't be working on the 4th. Will probably be at a family function.

If I was a homeowner and my lawn service showed up to cut on a holiday, I wouldn't be too happy. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be too happy if my neighbors lawn service showed up while I was having family over for a cookout.
And I sure wouldn't make employees work on a holiday, especially since I have the ability to arrange the schedule to accomidate.

[LAWNS AND MOWER]

I have 8 weeklys on Thurs, so I´ll push 4 to Wed and bump 4 back to Fri.

LAWNS AND MOWER

P.S. Shame on you, Jim Lewis, making your guys work on the Fourth. I´m with Kirby and Slingshot on this one. When I use to have employee´s, I would never make them do something I wouldn´t do.

[Brickman]

I agree, you shouldn't make your employees work on a holiday. Having been on both sides of the fence on this issue, being an employee, and being the employer, nothing PISSED me off worse than knowing that I was still BUSTING my hump on a holiday, late at night, or on the weekend, and the boss was out playing. If I was employed for the guy that says he will be at his cabin for 5 days and his employees have to work on a holiday, I would quit working for him!!!!
I have no problem with the guys working regular days and the boss taking a vaction, but forcing them to work on a National holiday is wrong. DID YOU EVER STOP AND THINK THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO SPEND A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES????

[Bob Minney]

Make wed/fri long days
take a day off, be with family

[maple city]

I believe that life is too short to miss even one holiday with your family. I will not work on holidays. We have too little fun time in life as it is.

Take a day off and celebrate the fact that we live in the greatest country in the world.

Believe me, the grass will still be there Friday.
;)

[eslawns]

I'll be working, but I'll call everybody earlier that week and see what they need. Some folks will be cooking out and such, so I'll need to know whether they want me to skip or mow early. A lot of people here go to the Outer Banks that week, so it won't matter much to me.

The 3rd weekend in July is another matter. I will have all my lawns mowed by Thursday evening. My wife and I are leaving for KY as soon as I finish. Whatever can't get mowed will just need to wait until Monday.