Free spring clean ups?

[jfishenter]

Been playing with the idea of offering free spring clean ups to new customers that agree to a maint. contract. Any thoughts on this? Would this get me more contracts, or would I be better off to just advertiseing for spring clean ups, and then sell them the service? I'm thinking the selling point would be that they could see at no cost to them the quality of my work. About 50% of my current customers came from Spring clean ups.

[Seascape]

Sounds like a very bad idea to me. Sounds like a very long start to the season. Thats alot of free work. Youll regret it. Especially if any of them fire you on the 3rd cut. I wouldnt do it. FAIR WARNING.

mike

[RRS]

Don't do it. You're giving away too much money. My spring cleanups average $140 and up. What are you including in a spring cleanup? Maybe your missing something

[Seascape]

You just cant do it. Look at the whole picture. Lets say you get a cut @ $35 and they do stick w/ you all year. Lets say you get 28 cuts. But after your done w/ the 28 cuts do this,,,take 35x28=980. fine !! Now deduct the lets say $150 you could have had from the spring clean ,,, leaves $840 ,,,,, 840/28= $30 per cut in reality. See how less appealing it looks when you look at the whole account? Personally i havent seen any cuts id like to do for $30 in about 5 yrs. I think hard about it man.
mike

[Lawnshark]

Dont do it! Its a waist of your time and hard on your Back, time and equipment. Most people will not apreciate your free service either. You may try to get more $ per cut so you can make it up at the end of the year. That way its not really free.

[Seascape]

By the end of march hes going to be standing in someones front yard w/ them with a stupid look on his face trying to figure out how to get double out of a cut cause theyre prop is trashed and hasnt seen a fall or spring cut in 5 yrs. Cause thats the calls he'll get. Its gonna bite him in the ass !!!! No doubt about it. I gaurantee it.
mike

[jfishenter]

Seascape, It may not have been such a good idea, but I'm not completely stupid. If I ran up on a situation as you described, all I have to do is give them a an outragous price for maintainence, which they would have to agree to (signed contract) before the clean up was done. But like I said, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to start with.

[Seascape]

I wasnt callin ya stupid man,,,, i was just sayin you wont be able to wiggle #s around enough to make this work. But ya your right,,, its not a good idea. But i come up w/ stupid ideas to man,,, its ok, thats why theyre just ideas,,, keep comin back man !!!!

mike

[jfishenter]

I appreciate your input. That's why I threw the idea out there. That's what this forum is all about, right? What about this. No extra charge for the initial clean up as long as they agree to a maint. contract?

[Seascape]

Ahhh,,, still to sketchy. How about this,,, "Call us to see how you may qualify for a FREE sprng clean up! " Than go out and try to sell a free or next to free clean w/ a mulch job. Than your not backed into a corner before you even get there. Come up w/ a # like $150.00 your willing to waive on a clean up w/ every $1000 worth of mulch. Or something along those lines. That way you still make money on your visit. Plus lets admit it,,, fresh mulch makes spring clean ups a walk in the park.
mike

[Sammy]

Why not 50% off clean up with a contract ?

[jfishenter]

OK, here's what I'm going to do. The same thing I did last year. When I went to do an estimate for a clean up, before I gave a price, I would ask the prospective customer (there not a customer until they have hired you) if there interested in continuing lawn maintainence. Even if they were'nt to start with this usually gets them to thinking about it. I tell them that the clean up would normally be XXX.00, but if they agree to a maint. agreement, I'll do the clean up for half price. I may just break even on the clean up. but I make it up on the maint agreement.

[edger]

I could see maybe 20% Jeff. Still think your hurting yourself at 50%.

Nice to see some snow this to isn't it?
Chris

[Rhodester]

As others have said, it's awful hard to offer anything for free or even discounted up front, without seeing the job first or knowing exactly what it's going to cost you.

Consider offering free CONSULTATIONS as well as estimates.
That sounds like added value and costs you nothing.

Consider buying a quality ph meter and offering a free ph test.
Again, at least you know what your giving away up front.

Once you get your foot in the door, do a top quality job at a fair price and let your work speak for itself.

Dave

[RRS]

Jfishenter, another reason not to do free cleanups is, in NC your going to be giving away your money making March service. I start spring cleanups in March here and your weather is about the same as mine. The maintenance isn't going to begin for you until the 1st of April. Last year the weather was nice in March and we did a lot of spring cleanups. I like Seascape's idea of offering a cleanup with $1000 worth of mulch. But stil,l selling a cleanup with mulch and not giving away anything is better in my eyes. Offer a free mowing with a cleanup you're gonna do it anyway. Just some thoughts.