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7 , 10, 14 day mowing schedule

13K views 47 replies 12 participants last post by  Ric 
#1 ·
I operate a 7 day mowing schedule from April thru October and 14 days Nov thru march. We have an lco around here that does a 10 day cycle starting October 1st and then it switches to 14 day mow cycle November 1st thru march 31st. Then its back to a 10 day cycle all of April and starting May 1st back to weekly mowing. Now what is the benefit of this schedule? Thanks
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#3 ·
I offer 7, 10 and 14 day. It all depends on what the customer wants and how neat they want their yard to look. From Dec-Jan I don't really do anything. It's all in what the customer wants.
 
#4 ·
The obvious benefit to him is that he is making less visits to the properties. Assuming he is getting a fair amount for each visit and he has covered this with his customers he might be making more than other LCO's.

For example less say you charge $100 a month - at 40 visits per year that is $30 a cut

Now if he is charging say $95 a month. His rates look cheaper but on the per cut he is actually making more because per cut he is making almost $36 a cut.

I would take a guess and say that is what he is doing and why. I personally do not see how you guys make it not going weekly until April. We start weekly in March and almost every property has a need for regular service starting then.
 
#5 · (Edited)
One of his customers does not like it and thinks he is getting taken for a ride.. since he is paying the same each month 12 months out of the year.the customer says it give his lawn guy more time to do pet projects from Oct to may irrigation,power washing etc. one lawn guy told me its about training your customers . He has done this concept every year with the same customers. I guess he has very loyal customers .
 
#6 ·
One of his customers does not like it and thinks he is getting taken for a ride.. since he is paying the same each month 12 months out of the year.the customer says it give his lawn guy more time to do pet projects from Oct to may irrigation,power washing etc. one lawn guy told me its about training your customers . He has done this concept every year with the same customers. I guess he has very loyal customers . He also is not a low baller and charges a good rate.
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#7 ·
I even have a 21 day yard. And she pays, even though she doesn't think so.
 
#8 ·
This is why you have the "TALK" right off the bat with new customers. Put it in BOLD writing in your policy and procedure paper new customers get. Theres never a problem when they get the 5 mows in a month in July. It's always the end of the month in December when you are hunting down the check and they present you with a half payment and the "why should I pay for a full month excuse". This is usually only a problem with the new to having a lawn service customers. You just have to find the route the customer understands. The per cut times 42 cuts over 12 months or 1 year divided by 12 months "I'm doing you a favor financing a year of service for you" tactic. Mine get the you are paying for a month of service, not a specific number of visits. You get more service for less money in summer and a little less for the same money in the winter.:usflag:
 
#9 ·
lawn mowing cycles should be based on the properties needs to be serviced and not driven by the dollars you take doing them. I would like to mow on a 7 day cycle most of the time. I have had a lot of new customers this season feel their properties should be mowed on a 14 day cycle. I had to talk to them about how to mow their properties the correct why. A 10 day cycle is good if you can make it work. But the down side is if it is a thick well maintain lawn it looks better on a 7 day cycle without all the extra cut grass turning brown on top of that nice lawn. I adjust my mowing schedule to meet my customers need and to benfit the lawn needs. I mow every week during the season here in maryland and adjust it to the off season. Some lawns have more tree leaves than others which I like to mulch the leaves vice bagging them. When I bag them I charge a extra cash for that service. This is just my thought as a small business owner and a home owner.
 
#10 · (Edited)
lawn mowing cycles should be based on the properties needs to be serviced and not driven by the dollars you take doing them. I would like to mow on a 7 day cycle most of the time. I have had a lot of new customers this season feel their properties should be mowed on a 14 day cycle. I had to talk to them about how to mow their properties the correct why. A 10 day cycle is good if you can make it work. But the down side is if it is a thick well maintain lawn it looks better on a 7 day cycle without all the extra cut grass turning brown on top of that nice lawn. I adjust my mowing schedule to meet my customers need and to benfit the lawn needs. I mow every week during the season here in maryland and adjust it to the off season. Some lawns have more tree leaves than others which I like to mulch the leaves vice bagging them. When I bag them I charge a extra cash for that service. This is just my thought as a small business owner and a home owner.
Florida is a different ballgame. 99% of LCOs bill monthly. Its just the way things are done down here. We still mow 2-3 times a month in winter and sometimes 5 in summer. It balances the payment for the customer and puts the schedule in our hands. Its how you make money down here instead of the run around like a nut all summer praying you made enough money for winter. Every year this time we have to explain this concept in several threads.
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#14 ·
Just poking fun at everyone who doesn't live here and "thinks" we don't make any money.
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If only we could push snow! Maybe then we could make some money? :rolleyes:
 
#15 ·
If only we could push snow! Maybe then we could make some money? :rolleyes:
Diamond, this reel mowing deal has lead me into the area that lawn boy wet dreams are made of. I do not even know what to say at this point! LRPH is crazy when you reach this client base, almost to a point that I feel guilty. A base that I did not even think was here in my area just opened up to me, but clearly is here. Folks that have money apparently talk and actually appreciate quality in a totally different venue that what even what I would describe as upper middle class . I thought my labor rate per man hour was good for essentially just basic mowing or simple shrub care....the fact is that reel mowing has led me to the promised land. Do not get me wrong I have no problem with my crew mowing lawns that we are making well over $80 a man hour for mowing and basic trim edge blow...but this reel mowing is leading me to a totally different class of customers that understand the importance it plays in the appearance they want....knowing that they can only achieve it one way here.....my chemical sub loves me because suddenly 2 to 3 million dollar homes that he cares for.....he has a solution to tell him in Central Florida ...who they can rely on for great reel service and nice employees who speak english without neck tattoos and who do not appear to be casing the place.........it is all falling together in a way that I did not ever feel was appropriate for my county besides its annual gross income per person...it is here and I am happy. Loves you all including Green Doc for your info and support in showing me the proper way even besides my hard headedness it is all paying off.
 
#16 ·
So, what kind of mower are you running now? Although it really does not matter. What matters is keeping the blades backlapped and adjusted. Also be sure that the guys cross cut and change the patterns of cut every week. Creating grooves in a lawn because the cut pattern is not changed. :nono: Those are the two reasons why I find it better to do my own mowing.
 
#17 ·
This is why you have the "TALK" right off the bat with new customers. Put it in BOLD writing in your policy and procedure paper new customers get. Theres never a problem when they get the 5 mows in a month in July. It's always the end of the month in December when you are hunting down the check and they present you with a half payment and the "why should I pay for a full month excuse". This is usually only a problem with the new to having a lawn service customers. You just have to find the route the customer understands. The per cut times 42 cuts over 12 months or 1 year divided by 12 months "I'm doing you a favor financing a year of service for you" tactic. Mine get the you are paying for a month of service, not a specific number of visits. You get more service for less money in summer and a little less for the same money in the winter.:usflag:
I have had that same TALK with customers who have a short memory and are not aware of certain factors and issues. I do not charge extra for the occasions when I need to come at 14 day intervals to apply insecticides or herbicides to eradicate an infestation. No extra charge when I first acquire the account and it is a mess that the average landscaper would bulldoze and do over. No extra charge for when the zoysia or bermuda is incorrectly maintained and I need to take it down -4 inches in one week. Most "landscapers" and lawn people want big money for the one time cut down before they will even do routine mowing. I do have one that does not want to be on regular monthly service. Just calls me. Fine. Invoice for that account is what I would charge per month to service and a bit extra for the hassle.
 
#18 ·
Diamond, this reel mowing deal has lead me into the area that lawn boy wet dreams are made of. I do not even know what to say at this point! LRPH is crazy when you reach this client base, almost to a point that I feel guilty. A base that I did not even think was here in my area just opened up to me, but clearly is here. Folks that have money apparently talk and actually appreciate quality in a totally different venue that what even what I would describe as upper middle class . I thought my labor rate per man hour was good for essentially just basic mowing or simple shrub care....the fact is that reel mowing has led me to the promised land. Do not get me wrong I have no problem with my crew mowing lawns that we are making well over $80 a man hour for mowing and basic trim edge blow...but this reel mowing is leading me to a totally different class of customers that understand the importance it plays in the appearance they want....knowing that they can only achieve it one way here.....my chemical sub loves me because suddenly 2 to 3 million dollar homes that he cares for.....he has a solution to tell him in Central Florida ...who they can rely on for great reel service and nice employees who speak english without neck tattoos and who do not appear to be casing the place.........it is all falling together in a way that I did not ever feel was appropriate for my county besides its annual gross income per person...it is here and I am happy. Loves you all including Green Doc for your info and support in showing me the proper way even besides my hard headedness it is all paying off.
Yea I still can't believe the deal I fell into. I thought my Mclane would remain a novelty for personal use. GreenDoc has given me some invaluable info in setting it up and its daily care. Its great having yards that pay 5x the usual rate. The only problem is right now they are all mine until I get the boys up to speed on these kind of props. Not the usual mow n go with a little trim.
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#19 ·
Yea I still can't believe the deal I fell into. I thought my Mclane would remain a novelty for personal use. GreenDoc has given me some invaluable info in setting it up and its daily care. Its great having yards that pay 5x the usual rate. The only problem is right now they are all mine until I get the boys up to speed on these kind of props. Not the usual mow n go with a little trim.
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Lawn not cross cut=FIRED!, Pattern of mow not changed at every mow=FIRED! Usage of string when an edger or counter-rotating trimmer is going to leave a better finish=FIRED!!!!! You told them how a lawn should be groomed. This is your business and employees who go through the motions and then get you in trouble with your clientele should not be allowed. At the same time, I dispose of the idea of mass productions. I call that MESS production. There is no need to run from lawn to lawn trying to mow 15-20 lawns a day. Not when each one pays way more than the one out of 20 in a day that gets the butcher and blow treatment. I know several mowing operations that I could hand off mowing to. But it would never work because the owner might mean well, however the crew that he sends out to mow my accounts will cut in the same pattern every time, run a dull/out of adjustment machine on the lawn, use string, and just not give a shizz. They also work on the MESS production model. Charge low prices and have to do 50 homes a week per crew to make ends meet. Clients can tell when you are a perfectionist and care about what you are doing. The ones that cannot afford you will be honest about that from the start. The ones for whom quality of work matters pick up on what you are about and have no problems paying accordingly. Rolling a Greensmaster off the truck helps. So does the first time they see a Landscape Blade fired up and cutting grass. Then again, that device looks rather like a medieval weapon even if it is not running.
 
#20 ·
Lawn not cross cut=FIRED!, Pattern of mow not changed at every mow=FIRED! Usage of string when an edger or counter-rotating trimmer is going to leave a better finish=FIRED!!!!! You told them how a lawn should be groomed. This is your business and employees who go through the motions and then get you in trouble with your clientele should not be allowed. At the same time, I dispose of the idea of mass productions. I call that MESS production. There is no need to run from lawn to lawn trying to mow 15-20 lawns a day. Not when each one pays way more than the one out of 20 in a day that gets the butcher and blow treatment. I know several mowing operations that I could hand off mowing to. But it would never work because the owner might mean well, however the crew that he sends out to mow my accounts will cut in the same pattern every time, run a dull/out of adjustment machine on the lawn, use string, and just not give a shizz. They also work on the MESS production model. Charge low prices and have to do 50 homes a week per crew to make ends meet. Clients can tell when you are a perfectionist and care about what you are doing. The ones that cannot afford you will be honest about that from the start. The ones for whom quality of work matters pick up on what you are about and have no problems paying accordingly. Rolling a Greensmaster off the truck helps. So does the first time they see a Landscape Blade fired up and cutting grass. Then again, that device looks rather like a medieval weapon even if it is not running.
That's exactly why i go for the high end stuff...they just make you so much more money. One thing that i hate dealing with are people that complain over having to replace a few plants here or there, or that question every little thing. I've found you don't deal with that on the high end. There are multi million dollar companies here that only work in one or two locations. There is a reason for that. Its not an arrogance thing either, if most lco could get these homes they would.
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#22 ·
That's exactly why i go for the high end stuff...they just make you so much more money. One thing that i hate dealing with are people that complain over having to replace a few plants here or there, or that question every little thing. I've found you don't deal with that on the high end. There are multi million dollar companies here that only work in one or two locations. There is a reason for that. Its not an arrogance thing either, if most lco could get these homes they would.
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You sure don't. They expect you to stay on top of things and bill them for it. If there is extra work to be done, question is usually when can you get it done?
 
#24 ·
I found the 10 day schedule as very difficult to accomodate while grouping yards in same locations and had us running all over town..then you have the occasional 10 day schedule which falls on sat or Sunday...
I stopped that practice years ago and that coupled with contracts and moving away from callins made my life much easier and able to grow

Its very difficult to maintain a consistant maintenance schedule and fold in additional work...
A seperate crew works for all additional
 
#25 ·
So, what kind of mower are you running now? Although it really does not matter. What matters is keeping the blades backlapped and adjusted. Also be sure that the guys cross cut and change the patterns of cut every week. Creating grooves in a lawn because the cut pattern is not changed. :nono: Those are the two reasons why I find it better to do my own mowing.
McClane right now, the gang reel has been purchased by the bermuda homeowner and is on the way. I informed the cut quality may not be as good with the reel. He has accepted that but is not prepared to pay for 21K to be cut with a 20 inch reel. He stated that even though the cut quality may not be a good it is still better than what he has been getting with a rotary.

On the Gang we are starting out with the ProMow Gold 3 Gang. If his works well they are cheap enough I may purchase one for myself. The guy with the acres of empire has agreed to buy one, which he does not want left on the property but rather wants me to take with me....so I may have one of my own with out purchasing but if they are acceptable the cost is right I would not hesitate buying one.

my McClane backlapping kit just came in this week. I noticed some of the turf not being cut as clean as it should be. I actually ordered it over 3 weeks ago but somehow Mcclane charged me for it, sent me a confirmation email but somehow failed to actually ship the kit. I called them late last week and it arrived early this week.

The pro mow gang seems simple enough to backlap and they have a instructional video online on how to do it which I can reference if I have questions.
 
#26 ·
Yea I still can't believe the deal I fell into. I thought my Mclane would remain a novelty for personal use. GreenDoc has given me some invaluable info in setting it up and its daily care. Its great having yards that pay 5x the usual rate. The only problem is right now they are all mine until I get the boys up to speed on these kind of props. Not the usual mow n go with a little trim.
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Glad you have the McClane too. I will give you a buzz maybe now that I know someone else has one. I have that same deal ...the reel cut are mine with the exception of one 1600 square foot one that logistically I let them take care. At this point I have developed one day for myself of reel cut lawns, which it is nice to get away from them for a day and just do my own thing too though.

I am tired as heck today as I took my employees out to dinner and to halloween horror nights last night. I am too old and not used to being out till 3 am and it is showing today.
 
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