Dear Customer
Why You Should Hire A Professional Landscaper
Dear Customer,
I'll bet you didn't know that when you hire a non-professional to
care for your grounds, you put yourself at risk. That may be news
to you, but many who claim to be "landscapers" (so called
experts) operate illegally, are uninsured, are breaking pesticide
laws, don't pay taxes like you and me and here's the real "biggy"
... (that puts you at risk for losing everything you ever worked for)
they don't have insurance! None, zip! No worker's comp ... no
liability. Why is that important? Well I'm not a lawyer, but if
someone from that company (even the owner himself) gets hurt on
your property ... you can be sued for damages. It happens. Nice
guy right? You give him the job ... he gives you a potential
nightmare! Legal fees alone could "eat you alive".
The first "tip-off" that should alert you is unusually low price. Fast
talkers who are selling a bargain. Yeah, real bargain. Sloppy
workmanship, the risk of them contaminating your yard with toxic
chemicals, hacking down your prized plants, spilling gasoline on
your blacktop drive ... and other blunders that will make you wish
you never ran into those characters.
Incompetent landscapers who don't know what they're doing,
have no references you can trust ... and so ... must compete on
low price. But it's no bargain, because in the end, you usually get
what you pay for.
So ... how do you "qualify" your landscaper?
1. Ask for a certificate of insurance directly from the agency.
Some landscapers actually forge documents that they are covered
when they are not!
2. Ask for references.
3. Check prices by comparing apples to apples. Get prices from
professionals who are insured. You'd be surprised how many
workers have lost fingers and toes while mowing grass ... and who
pays the medical bills and damage suit? you guessed it!
4. Ask the contractor about his employees. Are they legal? Would
you want an "unidentified" person roaming around your place? Or
do you want folks who will respect your privacy?
5. Ask your contractor how long he's been in business. Almost
70% of new businesses fail in landscaping in the first three years.
Was it because they did poor work? Was it because they were
sued? Was it because they made a shambles of the yards they
worked on? Who knows? ... but you should get to know the
contractor before you hire them.
That's it. A few simple precautions before you sign on the dotted
line can save you from making a big mistake. You need a good
job done at a fair price. Talk to a professional.
Thank you,
Joe Smith
ABC Landscaping
Anytown, USA