dealing with drought

[mariner]

We are in mid July with our hottest month ahead of us yet and these lawns are all brown. My contract states weekly or per 2 weeks mowing and even the 2 weekers lawns aren't growing. I still need the income to run the business but these lawns are taking a beating running over them every week. How should I deal with this?

[Seascape]

these lawns are taking a beating running over them every week. How should I deal with this?

Yer getting brown stripes from your wheels? Sounds like you should back off em in sake of not loosing them. Id send a form letter explaining your absence.

Try to push something else right now to compensate the income. $30 ad in you paper for Mulch,Rehab, ect..... It may enlighten you.

[mariner]

Problem is, if I back off, so does my pocket book! I don't want to break the contract. If I back off then people get used to those sort of favors and will expect it in the future. My mowing is weekly or every 2 weeks. I have people that have asked to go only when they call and I turn it down! I cannot let the drought detrmine how my year will be. I have been telling people that no one can predict this sort of situation but 2 week mowing is the least I will accept

[hardboiled]

Keep showing up, pick up trash, fallen branches, pull weeds, etc. and say you need to see the lawn each week or two to scout for signs of stress that may need attention when rain resumes. If you don't visit the properties and a shrub or something else dies for lack of water they will complain about that too won't they? Weeds like wild carrot can grow pretty tall in two weeks time and if you're there to pull them on a regular basis, then you won't have to charge for extra time spent taking care of those things that got out of hand when you come back after a month off the property. If they are the type of customer that spends time working the garden or beds then maybe I would bend for them, but I think most look out from the comfort of their air conditioning from the easy chair and decide it doesn't need cutting. Most don't see the big picture.

[Seascape]

I sell a # of cuts. Usually 28-32. I dont have many installment accounts anymore but when i did i had all season to get my 28-32 cuts. A drought was not a concern,,, just a break. I could pick up the pace in fall and get my cuts,,,, since i already had them sold. I could also show up at will in the spring,,, knowing what i had to work with.

[Scott]

We are in mid July with our hottest month ahead of us yet and these lawns are all brown. My contract states weekly or per 2 weeks mowing and even the 2 weekers lawns aren't growing. I still need the income to run the business but these lawns are taking a beating running over them every week. How should I deal with this?

how long have you been in this biz?

[mariner]

how long have you been in this biz?

My 3rd season and definitely the dryest.

[chriscampbell]

I have been skipping many of my accts on a regular basis. Nothing is growing, I do not feel right cutting the grass when it is unneeded. We are about 7 inches under what we should be with no rain in sight. On the flip side I have been really busy doing installs/ mulch/ trimming. The money has continued to flow.

[RRS]

Mariner, I know you're probably getting tired of hearing me say this, but full service is the way to go. Start culling mow and app only customers and begin adding full serv properties.

I haven't been to the place below in a couple months because the other crew normally takes care of it, but the crew leader is on vacation this week so I wound up out here this morning. It sits on two acres, but there's only about 12k square feet of turf. The rest is intricate beds.

We have a key to the garage so we can keep control of the irrigation. Two guys typically spend about 2 hours a week here this time of year. It takes about 45 minutes to mow and they usually spend another hour or so weeding, deadheading, pruning, and etc.

If the crew leader feels it's beneficial not to cut then they'll work the gardens and move on without mowing. The customer never says a word becuase they know we're going to do what's best for the property.

I still have some "mow as needed" properties, but this Sept. they'll all be getting a letter saying their mowing service will end Oct 31. The only leaf cleanups we're doing this fall are those on remaining '05 maintenance agreements, or those that sign up for '06. Next year I plan on having about 20 full service properties per crew that are taken care of over a four day route.

BTW, this customer pays around $900/month 12 months a year for total property maintenance. All materials are extra.

[PTLlandscapingIL]

yes full service all the way flat rates per month if ur mowing or not.... i always shwo up every week no matter what ..hardboiled said it all pick up trash,pull weeds whatever do the little things to keep ur customers happy

[MASTERMOWER]

I definetly would not continue to mow every every week or two as the clients contract states just because you need the money. What are you accomplishing by doing so? Leaving a lawn alone in a time of drought will increase it's ability to recover from drought stress once rainfall resumes. At the current moment you are only creating brown tire lines in the lawn. You will find that once rainfall resumes, it will take more time for the lines to grow back as it did the entire lawn! The key to any business is to keep your customers happy. If you can do that you will succeed. You may need money now, but if you leave your clients unhappy you run the risk of losing that client. As others are saying, more your business into full landscape care services. That way when things do go dry you have other work to fall back on.

[hardboiled]

Nice looking property Casey. What are the yellow flowers in the corner bed, if you know?

[RRS]

Black-eyed Susans.

[hardboiled]

Thanks, I thought maybe Yarrow. My black eyed susans don't grow that tall here, but I do like them.

[RRS]

If I knew how to take pictures like you it would be easier to see.