Accounts

Has anybody ever gone door to door In their neighborhood to get accounts, if so how did it work out for you?! Like to your neighbors who use a different company. Everybody in my neighborhood uses companys with immigrants who come in and are out in 30 minutes. They also charge by the year which includes all mowings, hedge trimmings, and aerating (sp). But these guys come and cut the yard no matter wat, it cold be pouring rain or in a major drought, they're there every week on the same day. What I try to advertise is that Ill only mow it when it needs it and I charge by the cut. Do people like having one big bill or having it per time kinda thing? And when yall do fliers do you use word or like make a nice flyer, I think that might be whats not helping me is that I use word and clip art so it looks like it was done by a creative teenager, not a nice company.

 

First remember business is business. You are contracted to mow the lawn every week or how ever it is set up. Yes door to door works very well. especailly around lawns you already service. As far as one price, or pay per service that is up to you and the customer. Sounds like the other comapnies you are reffering to are pretty business savy. There is no reason, you cant compete even if your printing business forms are not top notch. You need top notch business promotion for high prfile commercial accounts residential most just want the grass cut and want a dependable service. Dont sell yourself short. You are making a typical mistake in business you are trying to give to much to the buyer. meaning if you start right off the by saying I wont cut etc, etc. etc. You might just put yourself out of business.

 

you know, stay out of your neighborhood. I had a very bad experience this week with a neighbor. He hired my son (age 12) on friday to do the leaves in his yard. he has several trees and tons of leaves. He said he would pay my son and his friend $40.00 to get his leaves up saturday. I would have charged $150.00 but I made him do it anyway, I bid like that every once in a while. Anyway saturday afternoon all the leaves were up becasue I drove past his house and checked my sons work. He really did good. After midnight we had a big storm around here, the yard was covered in leaves again sunday morning. There were large piles left were my son stacked the leaves for the city to pick up. But it was leaves blown off the trees overnight, so he told the kids to get those leaves up too. My boy and the other kid worked on it for a while then the big goof ball came out and fired them, said it was taking them too long. He gave them $10.00 apeice and sent them home. I am sure I will bring this up to him next time I see him, or maybe I will just flip him off every time I see him. If he was not in my hood I would forget about it soon enough. He is 6'3 and 40 years screwing kids outta $20.00 they earned. Makes me sorta angry.

 

J hisch, makes sence, I guess I need to be professional to compete with them.

Mak2, If the owner isnt home when I mow I call them and leave a message as soon as Im finished, like before I even leave property and let the Know what service was done and that they can just pay twice next time or I can run over and pick up the $ and I leave my # and have them call me back, but that stinks that he short changed you son.

 

yea just honks me off cause it is my kid. sorry about ranting.

 

Sounds like you are doing a lot of time wasting by calling and driving to pick up $$. Go to the post office and rent a P.O. box.

Then bill your customers monthly and have them send the checks to the P.O. if they want to save a stamp then they can catch you on your last stop of the month at their house. Perception is very important in business even if you do not have many customers act like you do. This will make them think they are not alone in dealing with you and that other people are satisfied with your work.
I think as far as billing goes people would rather pay (and think about paying) once a month instead of every week.
Don't worry about 4 illegals in a isuzu doing lawns for $15 a cut. I have had heard more than once "I had a lawn guy but they just started to get sloppy" I then sell them on quality service and how we can make their lawn look better (up sell) and then quote them the right wage and usually get them as customers. You can charge more if you look professional (for example company shirts and matching dickie pants, monthly invoices, etc) and look like you have an established thriving business.
Don't jump at every request they give you by saying "sure I'll do it right now" tell them you will schedule them in for tomorrow or the next day. Unless it is an emergency.
This site has been a definite all around help in my business. Just wanted to give back some that it has given me. Good Luck in your ventures..........

 

Yeah I hadnt thought about doing shirts... that'd be pretty cool I could get my friends to wear um cuz the "new style" is to go to goodwill and get shirts advertising old companies and stuff. O and Im not worried about going to pick up $ because there all my neighbors cuz I cant drive yet so Im restricted to my neighborhood I just run (literally) over and pick it up. Keeps me in shape.

 

these people are trying to help you, you look like a small time scrub operation doing business the way you are, you need to send out invoices... your a kid, if you want your customers to think of you as a kid then fine, if you want them to think of you as a business, start listening

 

I have found tht a lot of customers Dont want people at there homes who look "bad", it's true that if WE do our Jobs right. then the home owner has nothing to do but just enjoy there outside activety,

working class jsut want NOT to be bothered with there lawn service.

BUT to answer your "Q" some people like this, and some like that....

DONT think that just because Company X does this. That it will work for you.
talking to the customer and let them get there meeds met is a wonderfull thing.

I have picked ua accounts just because there lawn service wasshowing up every Tuesday, they wanted it cut on Friday so it would look good all weekend long, When the home owners are at home.

 

I agree I am a kid, I'm not a professional, but I dont see how walking a few houses down the street is looks bad. And thats what I try and stay away from, like the accounts I have now is because I dont have some big company, and people can call me and ill come do their yard that day if its urgent but I charge accordingly, and they dont have to send their bill to a PO box, but their yard still looks nice. It try to keep my business from professionalism (made that up) so that it doesnt overcome my life. Yall have to do it for a living, but I do it for some change, to have some money when I want to go to the movies or something. Were running 2 different business here. People dont act the same way to kids as they do to adults like yall could charge $50 but if I do the same job and can only get $30 for it, because im a kid, just like people shouldnt have to send their bills to a PO box when I can walk to their house in 2 minutes, its expected, Im a kid.