Small operators with 50 lawn rosters could maybe do the full service for all customers in a week, edging, mowing and catching.
Bigger Lawn mowing rostors of 140 lawns would take a month to go threw the roster. we are talking 8-10 weeks of growth and in the spring burst season growing nearly a inch a day. and remembers only one person can work on site, alot of 2 man crews will be now solo.
Customers understand and are happy i have changed alot due to Covid and they have been nothing but supportive. No customer would like to be shyt on by being on the end of a roster that could take 3-4 weeks before they get to you , there lawn could already 2 foot high.. Nobody will like waiting 3-4 weeks after lock down for the mower guy to finish manicuring other customers lawns while they cant walk in there over grown back yard. 3-4 weeks the lawn are feral again, and the cycle continues the lawns will be feral till christmas.
I could do 140 lawns in the first 5-7 days solo just mow and spray then edged and mow them all over the next 14 days solo. 21 days all customers serviced twice and the round is under control.
Defenately use the ride for everyone you could.
I feel for those 2 man crews with 200 lawn rosters, doing that many overgrown lawns solo will be to hard for some. Maybe just cutting and running might help them get threw the numbers, and keep there customers.
I'll prob just add a bit extra on where possible to cover costs of extra time and grass disposal... nothing unreasonable 10-30bucks maybe.
For set price body corp visits etc I'll do first visits asap then follow up with next visit a week early for the monthly ones ... or something like that?
Not trying to tell everybody how to suck eggs, I believe we need to remind ourselves we work and chose to be in an industry that has no regulation, no qualifications, no certificate of compliance etc which means it’s an unskilled trade. We also need to remind ourselves that the position our we and our valuable clients are in is not our or their fault. We are all easily replaceable. There will b a lot of cowboys out there wanting work and I’ve worked too hard to lose them.
So I for one am not going to fall into a trap to become a DD and dictate to clients on what I am and not going to do. I will treat each property case by case. Some will be feral some won’t. Those that are then I’m sure I can politely communicate with each client the job at hand and discuss a solution.
I don’t know what their COVID situation is both financially and emotionally so some support I think is important. Be it, a 2 stage visit, 2 part payment or similar. Communication i believe is the key and we’ll be fine. To date I’ve communicated to all clients and haven’t lost one. Some have actually offered more $$ given it has grown feral.
Ive been spoiled working 5 days a week and home by 2 so if it means working 6 days and home by 5 then so be it. 2 months or so in and I’ll be back to normal.
Anyway , that’s my take on it so let’s wait and see what the announcement is first and then adjust accordingly..
Until the next lock down which is expected soon after Xmas/new year
May be some clarification tomorrow(but I wouldn't hold my breath) Dan was asked directly today if we had to go solo or could have an offsider. He also said he didn't know what the exact requirements were for us to be out there, but we are included in the industries allowed to start on the 28th.
You are wrong saying it a unskilled trade.
Owning and Managing a Business in the Property Care industry, isnt just mowing lawns, edging and spraying.
There alot of qualifications, certificates, skills and compliance needed and some businesses have them all, some operators have come to the industry with the training.
A small list of skills each one makes you less of a cowboy:
Bachelor of Business
Bachelor of Business (Management)
Occupational health and safety
Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
Bachelor of Horticulture
Certificate III in Arboriculture
Certificate in Horticulture (Turf)
MYOB training
Estimator
Small Engine Mechanic
Welder
Pest control licence
Computer Training, Office, Word & Excel
the list goes on.....
Running a Business is not mowing and edging that is just part of the work, the easy part.
Saying he's out right wrong is a bit harsh buddy, anyone can mow a lawn if they're capable of pushing a mower and collect a return for it. There is no licence to act as a lawn mowing operator or gardener, we get our certificates and further training to work and run our businesses to separate us from those that don't but it's not necessary. I understand what you're saying about all the skills and things we do to operate a business and I think the important point you both understand is that clients get what they pay for or they get someone else. There will always be start outs and unregistered uninsured long term cowboys in our industry and there will always be those that aren't. We just choose who we are and what sort of business we need to run.
Absolutely agree with you, but all those qualifications and licences you mentioned are choices you’ve made to obtain to get the work where cowboys can’t coz they can’t be bothered with it.
Without all those you mention, I can leave school at 16, buy a some lawn mowing equipment & trailer and off I go. No licence required, no regulation and no licence. End of the day mate, we cut grass and maintain gardens that doesn’t need a 4 year Apprenticeship do it correctly as regulated coz there is none.
Having all the tickets you mention just gives us the edge and not compulsory over most others that don’t.
I’m on your side but that’s the reality
Sorry if im out of place. this corona thing gets me over loaded, took 2 days off work this week mental health days, sick of the virus and whats involved. i havent stopped working but it hitting hard the worry for clients and family. thoughts are with the guys really effected.