Received a call from a superintendent of a residential, 'older community', apartment complex. Actually, there is only one building to deal with...so it is not an apartment 'complex' per say. Wants me to provide a bid for weekly services. Basically the whole thing...mowing, trimming, mulch, seasonal flower arrangements, spring/fall cleanups, etc.
I have experience with commercial accounts...funeral homes, business condo units, and realty offices. However, no experience with any type of apartment complex. So, for those with experience in this field, should I be looking out for anything? Is their anything different about a apartment complex than say a Realtors office? I realize the question is vague...or might seem stupid...but I don't want to overlook anything.
For instance, I know at the business complex we do I can work Saturday morning with only 1 of the 9 offices being open before 10am...or...at the funeral home I need to make sure I'm not showing up during a viewing or funeral.
Any type of advice, suggestions, or feedback you may have in this area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance...LB :waving:
The only thing I can think of is to find out what time you can start mowing. Most of the elderly people don't want to be awaken by the sound of mowers.
Other than that I always treat it as commercial property. You may have to watch out for somebody who will try handing you their garbage to toss in the dumpster for them. It happens, but hey who can "no" to a person who reminds you of grandma. Good Luck
We do six appartment buildings and they are just about like any other commerical account. All the points made before are very good. We like to service the appartment. Most of ours have 6 to 10 units in each building.
We do an initial walk through and give the property manager / owner a report of findings. This report has diagrams , photos, and sketches if needed of problem areas. These include: dead / dying plants / trees/ flowers, cracked sidewalks / curbs, broken / cracked windows, water meter locations, dead areas or thinning / diseased areas of turf. You get the idea...This covers you from false claims on larger properties and on small properties just the same. Once we provide the person with the report, we ask that they sign off on it, agreeing to the "pre-existing conditions" present at the site. This protects you and your crew from frivolous claims, and from mgrs. / owners trying to get free work from you down the road for something you did not do.This is for all commercial properties, but especially apartment complexes.
Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. I shouldn't have a problem helping an elder with throwing out the garbage...you're right I just can't say no to that. Since this place is down the road from another commercial place I can start early I'll just head there after this account so that don't have to worry about starting to early. However, I will contact the superintendent and ask if there is a certain 'earliest' starting time or if we can work Saturday mornings if need be.
I like the idea of the inspection report. Seems like it would take an extra 10-15 minutes...but I think handing them a report of findings, possible problem areas, and/or areas that require attention is an excellent idea. THANK YOU!!
I like the idea of the inspection report. Seems like it would take an extra 10-15 minutes...but I think handing them a report of findings, possible problem areas, and/or areas that require attention is an excellent idea. THANK YOU!!
This is done during the initial walk through only, not each week. I will not take a commercial property without management's sign off on pre-existing conditions..hope that clarifies things a little better..Good luck landing the account.
This is done during the initial walk through only, not each week. I will not take a commercial property without management's sign off on pre-existing conditions..hope that clarifies things a little better..Good luck landing the account.
Thx for the clarification. I will plan on doing something like this...I'll attach it to the monthly invoice...only if needed.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Lawn Care Forum
7M posts
202.7K members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to lawn care and landscaping professionals and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!