The Clothes Make The Man...and The Landscaper

[greendoctor]

When someone meets me for the first time, I often get asked if I am the one who is going to be doing the work or if a crew of people will be coming over. I think it has something to do with the white buttondown and jeans without holes in them. What people usually get to see from others ranges from board shorts and no shirt to dressed up being faded, tattered long sleeve T shirts and similarly tattered pants. I must be some kind of alien or reptile because a long sleeve T shirt, especially if it is not white might as well be a sweater. An all cotton, long sleeve button down is fairly cool in the tropical heat and humidity.

[Toro 455]

Professionally, I'd choose the guy on the right. Not to disagree, you do have to dress the part. But the guy on the right has hearing protection, protection from the sun for his eyes, is running the Exmark with the safer-for-your-hands ECS controls. Plus he looks like he might have done this before.
Personally I don't care if he chooses to get a little sun. But he does have that swirly lawn pattern going on though.

And I'd bet every woman on the block could describe the half naked lawnmower man. So maybe that is part of his "uniform".

But don't go out there thinking you're invisible. You got to dress to your customer's expectations. They're always watching.

[New2TheGreenIndustry]

The guy on the right is about to spray that car down with clippings.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by Toro 455

Professionally, I'd choose the guy on the right. Not to disagree, you do have to dress the part. But the guy on the right has hearing protection, protection from the sun for his eyes, is running the Exmark with the safer-for-your-hands ECS controls. Plus he looks like he might have done this before.
Personally I don't care if he chooses to get a little sun. But he does have that swirly lawn pattern going on though.

And I'd bet every woman on the block could describe the half naked lawnmower man. So maybe that is part of his "uniform".

But don't go out there thinking you're invisible. You got to dress to your customer's expectations. They're always watching.

you really think people pay attention to if there lawn guy wears eye, ear and sun protection and the brand of equipment?

I've had clients come out while I'm loading up before I take my hearing protection off and try and talk to me. I always have to remove the head set and ask them to repeat themselves. there response is always, I didn't notice you were wearing those big yellow ear muffs.

[LawnMan19]

Originally Posted by New2TheGreenIndustry

Generally speaking, the business owner who has his crews in uniform, will be the one to pay closer attention to detail and do a better job. :closed

I still believe if someone is going to do a good job, it doesn't matter to them if they are wearing company shirt or no shirt. But I still make sure me and my guys always wear matching company shirts.

[jrs.landscaping]

Maybe the guy on the right is marketing to lonely housewives?

Like the girl who owned the bikini mowing company marketed to lonely guys

[weeze]

it's weird how things have changed over the years to be honest. when i was a kid growing up men and boys went without shirts all the time. not just cutting grass but just in the summer time in general. it was a quite normal thing in the late 70's early 80's.

i never go without a shirt now unless i'm swimming which is very rare anymore. alot of times even then i wear one of those swimshirt things lol.

[ELS Landscape]

Funny, I thought it was the man who made the clothes.

[ed2hess]

I had a lady tell me one day that the reason they didn't give us a chance to bid on the property was that we looked too expensive. I asked what she meant and she you guys got new trucks and trailers and nice equipment and guys with uniforms. Those who see my post know we don't wash anything and our trucks and trailers and equipment are not new and our guys only have caps and shirts matching. So with her it was a relative thing.....a guy drives up with broken down looking stuff is going to be cheaper. This was in an upper middle class area......so A long time ago there used to be solo guys working the area with new sporty looking trucks nice trailers and new equipment. Those good ole boys are gone forever in our area.

[New2TheGreenIndustry]

Originally Posted by ed2hess

I had a lady tell me one day that the reason they didn't give us a chance to bid on the property was that we looked too expensive. I asked what she meant and she you guys got new trucks and trailers and nice equipment and guys with uniforms. Those who see my post know we don't wash anything and our trucks and trailers and equipment are not new and our guys only have caps and shirts matching. So with her it was a relative thing.....a guy drives up with broken down looking stuff is going to be cheaper. This was in an upper middle class area......so A long time ago there used to be solo guys working the area with new sporty looking trucks nice trailers and new equipment. Those good ole boys are gone forever in our area.

Well, you're probably better off. Sounds like she was looking for the cheapest guy around.