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What hours of the day is everyone mowing high end homes?

5K views 27 replies 14 participants last post by  gcbailey 
#1 ·
I have a hard time picking up high end homes for mowing. Most of my leaf jobs are high end but almost none for mowing. I'm starting to think that it's because of the times I'm able to mow.(3-8:30pm part timer) I completely understand if this is the case because I wouldn't want some to show up late to mow while I'm out enjoying the sunset and eating dinner. Just want to see what everyone opinion is on this and how many high ends people picked up after going full time.
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#6 ·
It doesn't really matter, but for us it's between 8-2 most days. BTW, what's your definition of "high end"?
500k and up.
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#8 ·
Am I the only one that likes to sit outside and eat dinner in the summer? I wouldn't want anyone mowing while I'm trying to eat and relax. I also have never seen anyone cutting these homes while I'm out but I do know they are done professionally.
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#10 ·
Am I the only one that likes to sit outside and eat dinner in the summer? I wouldn't want anyone mowing while I'm trying to eat and relax. I also have never seen anyone cutting these homes while I'm out but I do know they are done professionally.
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That's the thing.... 90% of the time when we mow the only ones there are the house cleaners. We invoice 100% of our clients in $400K+ communities. Some of them I haven't ever saw face to face. The kids are at the country club, the wives are at Crossfit or whatever the latest craze is... In a couple of the developments we mow it's strongly discouraged to do anything outside of "family" time after 4pm.
 
#13 ·
It really isn't't about the value of the home so much as it is the quality of the outside of the home. There are some really nice lawns of middle class people that take pride in what they have. I also think 4-5pm is the limit on mowing in these type areas. The few that is have in these areas I try to hit first right after I get off work. One of them is a junk yard but it is close to 1 million dollar home built in 1840s.
 
#14 ·
When I started mowing, I used to do it part time as well. I started around 3 or 3:30 and would go until 5 or 6. Although it was only a few hours, I scheduled accordingly for 1 reason...when the late fall hits and it starts getting dark at 5.

I also wanted to set a cut off time for my customers. Whether its them eating outside, watching tv, putting kids to bed, etc, my customers shouldn't have to be bothered by lawn mowers and loud noises at night. I remember as a kid, I had a 7pm bed time. If a lawn crew showed up at my house at 8pm to mow, I bet you my parents would flip out!!


But as far as timing of mowing "high end" homes....it doesn't matter at all. Just be respectful of them and the time your showing up.
 
#15 ·
It really isn't't about the value of the home so much as it is the quality of the outside of the home. There are some really nice lawns of middle class people that take pride in what they have. I also think 4-5pm is the limit on mowing in these type areas. The few that is have in these areas I try to hit first right after I get off work. One of them is a junk yard but it is close to 1 million dollar home built in 1840s.
The whole thing about it is that regardless the cost of the home, everyone deserves your best quality. I don't have a pic of the front of this property, but it is a great lawn and stripes excellent. Even in this sub-division we try to be done by 5. We have 16 properties in it.

I'm not saying that we get everything residential done by early afternoon because we don't. We have quite a few residential properties with acreage that gets done sometimes later, and they are my favorites. It seems, at least around here, the people with "money" who are out in the country, are much more laid back and friendly. These are the ones toward the end of the day I don't mind if me or my guys spend a few minutes chatting with.
Building Sky Property Cloud Window


Building Sky Property Cloud Window
 
#17 ·
I do mostly "high end" homes. 90% over 500k some close to 2 million. The price of the home doesn't matter. I have some that are near 500k and don't want me cutting later than 6. I have one family in a 900k+ home that could care less. In fact, I have shown up a few times to cut after 6, only to find them on the back patio eating dinner. Each time, they insist I do what I have to do and not to worry about them. When I'm done, they offer me a glass of wine to relax. These are the same people who will leave a towel on a lounger next to the pool for me in case I want to take a dip at the end of the night. Another client gives me free reign to help myself to what ever is in the fridge in the out door kitchen on the pool patio. Another only wants it cut on fri or sat and not after 4 no matter what.

Its not about the amount of money the person spent on their home. Its about the people living in the home. Some care and have a cut off time, others could care less and appreciate a small business owner slugging through a long day to reach goals like they did and will do anything to help them along, and show their thanks with a glass of wine or a dip in a refreshing pool when its hot and humid, no matter what time it is. I am part time and don't start cutting until 3:30-4:00pm

I check with my clients if they any special requests regarding the times I cut or the days. I keep this in my client notes and act accordingly.
 
#22 ·
You work long days Charles, I usually leave at 7.30 and like to be home by 2 or 3.
Some days I get home sooner than that. Just depends on how many yards I have to do. I am short on yards right now, but I do have a few large properties to do that make up for that fact. Some are cancelling due to lack of rain. Rained some yesterday and today so hopefully things will improve:clapping:
 
#23 ·
You work long days Charles, I usually leave at 7.30 and like to be home by 2 or 3.
Hell I'm just leaving job number one at 3. Your hours are what I want to work when I get older. That is part of the reason I work as hard as I do for as long as I do.
 
#24 ·
I have one property of $1,000,000. I get there by around 9:30 and leave by 5:00. It's a 55 acre property of which about 4 acres of it is mowed, trimmed, blowed. I like to leave by 5:00 PM as that is when the good doctor gets home and I'm sure he doesn't want to hear a husky blower going full bore at dinner time.

Regards, kevin:usflag::drinkup:
 
#25 ·
We do mostly higher end homes. Most of the residential properties we maintain each week would fit in your definition of high end.

Most days we're finished by around 5:00. But some days we are there until 6:30 or even 7:00 once in a while. The main thing is to get the route done that day. If it takes a few hours longer than usual for some reason, we keep going until all the accounts are done. We never miss a day of service.

But if we're routinely having days where we're working more than 10 hours a day (Leave shop at 7:30, 30 minute lunch, clock out at shop at 6:00) then we realize it's about time to add another crew.

If you're having trouble attracting higher end homes I would guess it doesn't have as much to do with the time you're mowing as it does with how you're appealing to the higher end customer. I realized a long time ago that the higher end customers (at least in our area) really went more for the more established, professional looking companies. Most of them had already gone through a few smaller operators and had not had the best experience. So they are willing to pay more for a more established, professional company who maybe also provides a little more service too. Years and years ago, when it was just me and a helper, we used to have a lot harder time landing accounts. I had to work really hard to convince people to hire us. But over the years I've worked real hard to make our company more professional than most of the other companies in our area. From our website to our trucks and trailers to the marketing pieces we do to the estimate forms we use to the uniforms our guys wear, and a lot more. Even when it was just me and 2 crews, we were already starting to look just like the really big companies in town. It was then that we started to find it more easy to attract the higher end accounts and land a higher percentage of our bids.

Nowadays we're one of the biggest, if not the biggest residential LCO/Landscape Firm in the area that we service. And we don't ever have that problem anymore. We get more calls from high end homes than we can handle and are usually at the point where we have to not take on any new clients for much of the year. Just because we're more recognized and more established makes all the difference. Even if you never get to that point where your company is a known name in your area, you could at least LOOK the part.

A high end customer wants to feel like they're dealing with a high end company. That's my 2cents.
 
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