[Mow Money Lawn Care]

I sent out renewal forms to my 65+ customers a month ago, I asked that they let me know by March 15th if they will be signing up again this year. I've only heard from 30. I know most of them aren't thinking about their lawns right now, and probably didn't pay attention to the deadline but it still worries me. I will give them a few more days then I will have to call all of them.

 

[Acswaupaca1]

I send renewal notices and then call to let them know they are going to get them or have got them.

 

[nepatsfan]

Happens to me every year. I wouldn't sweat it to much. All of a sudden when the grass starts growing they call and say they have been meaning to send the letter back but havent got around to it. We don't make our first cut until the third or 4th week in april and we still have customers from years past calling us around that time.

 

[Jpeg lawn maintenance]

maybe send one stating you will be starting lawn care if you dont get a call from them you will be starting there lawn.

 

[RickR1818]

I send out early season letters in late Feb early March to gauge them but only 25% or so actually respond. I just sent out Aprils invoices tonight that are due first week of April, once they get a bill with a due date they tend to contact you a lot faster. I try not to panic until about the due date. Then I will call and email to get a hold of them. If they dont pay or contact me, I dont mow. I just figure they didnt have the balls to cancel.

 

[freshcut419]

maybe send one stating you will be starting lawn care if you dont get a call from them you will be starting there lawn.

thats what I do. Tell them ill be starting back up around april 15 and then just show up I have been doing it this way since 94 works for me

 

[Mahoney3223]

I wouldn't sweat it too much...I don't know when you really start back full time in MO...but being from the midwest myself, I would imagine sometime early-mid April...Like the other people said, most people haven't paid much attention to it or aren't thinking about it yet. I wouldn't get too worked up about it until the grass is really back 100%...heck last year we showed up at a customer's house that never got back and knocked on the door and she said "i was meaning to call you guys, i just figured you'd be back since I never told you otherwise"...that's how most people roll..usually no news is good news!~

 

[Chilehead]

I have traditionally given a courtesy call to any client who doesn't respond no later than 5 days after the deadline.

 

[Mow Money Lawn Care]

I will be calling all of the ones that didn't sign up yet in a few days. I just emailed the ones that I had an email for and 5 out of 7 responded/signed up and one said she will get back to me. So it's looking good, I know that people are not thinking about their lawns yet.

 

[Richard Martin]

maybe send one stating you will be starting lawn care if you dont get a call from them you will be starting there lawn.

I don't know if that's legal with a service especially when contracts are involved.

You can say if they don't send the contract back then there will be no service.

You can't say if they don't send the contract back then there will be service.

It is definatetly not legal involving mail order sales.

What you are proposing is the equivilent of this....

You buy a set of blades from a company on the Internet one time. Then the company decides after 6 months that you must need another set. They send them to you and charge your credit card without getting approval from you first.

You take them to court.

They claim that they sent you an email saying that they were sending you a set of blades and would charge you for them unless you called and cancelled them.

Now here's the good part

You claim that you never got the email and therefore don't owe them a dime.

In the past the courts have ruled that you cannot send (or sell) someone something without their prior approval. If you do then that person is not obligated to pay for whatever they got.

I have in the past included a clause making the contract open ended. I still always contact the customer though.

 

[ALC-GregH]

Great example Richard. I simply call every customer on my list. The ones that answer all have stayed, ones that didn't answer I call back after few days or until I get in contact with them. I won't just expect them to have me do it, all that is doing is asking for trouble. What if the customer didn't want to go with your company and you show up and do it? Falls right back to what Richard posted.

 

[Jpeg lawn maintenance]

Well i dont use contracts i undertstand what your saying hoever that is how 4 landscapers around here do it they simply say Hello blahh blah blah our company will be servicing yur lawn starting on a specific date in april around here. If you do not wish to have the services again please call asap. Thanks you thats all we do this year i called every customer i have but next year i will do this because it is alot eaiser than trying to get ahold of every customer imo. Good examply tho i get what you are saying.

 

[Richard Martin]

Well i dont use contracts i undertstand what your saying hoever that is how 4 landscapers around here do it they simply say Hello blahh blah blah our company will be servicing yur lawn starting on a specific date in april around here. If you do not wish to have the services again please call asap. Thanks you thats all we do this year i called every customer i have but next year i will do this because it is alot eaiser than trying to get ahold of every customer imo. Good examply tho i get what you are saying.

Be prepared in case someone wants to challenge your assumptions. There is no difference whether you have a contract or not. Without a contract you're really on a cut by cut basis.