Good vs Bad Lawncare

Should picking the right lawncare business be that hard, as long as they charge a reasonable price and do a good job, it should be fine right? There ought to be plenty in the area that are good and I can stick with the one with the cheapest price or the one with the best reviews/well known.

Well, it’s not as easy as simply choosing the first business that pops up or reaches out, you have to check the pricing to make sure they aren’t going to rip you off number one (I have had customers who were charged double the price I was offering), but secondly you have to make sure the business knows what they are doing when it comes to mowing. If you go outside during mowing season, check if your lawncare company puts lines in your grass or check in the corners, does the grass have any divots? If so, it’s not because your grass is dying or groundhogs (could be groundhogs if its bumpy), it’s because the business mowing your lawn doesn’t understand the 3-point turn. Most companies that mow for customers, especially residential are trying to simply mow fast and get to the next house, when from a business standpoint you want to be efficient, but unless they truly care about their customers yards and take pride in their work, they would utilize the 3-point turn. Now, what is the 3-point turn you may be asking? It’s when (especially when doing lines in a yard), the person on the mower (zero-turn/stand on/walk behind) comes to a stop, turns half-way, backs up, and then turns the rest of the way in order to not create those divots. Those divots happen when turning the mower, one wheel turns wide and the other wheel is stationary which then digs into the ground and pulls the grass like when you are given an Indian burn. This especially happens when doing the same pattern over and over after each mow. If you see these divots in the grass, you should probably get a new crew cutting your grass. This goes for scalping the grass with their weed eater and not blowing off your driveways and walkways. It may be taking a little more time, but it shows that they truly care about you as the customer and not simply making a few extra dollars.

Many different businesses will say that grass can only be cut at a certain height, which in certain cases it may be good to listen to them, but it can be tweaked depending on the needs of the customer. 2.5 inches is a little low, but 4.5 inches is quite high, somewhere between 3-4 inches is your best bet for most lawns (depending on the frequency its cut and how fast your grass grows). Make sure that you tell your lawncare specialist if you want to get your grass cut weekly, bi-weekly, or when needed as this will change the height they are able to cut your grass, especially if it grows above or below the average (1 inch a week). In general if you ask someone to cut the grass between 3-4 inches and they say no, it may be best to go with a different business.

Make sure you know what your needs are going to be each year for your external work. The last thing you want is to have to deal with is having several different businesses work with you for external work. If you have lawncare, bush trimming, gutter cleaning, pressure washing, and other external work, you are not going to want to have to speak with a different business for each of those parts of work (it will be too much to have to keep up with). If you find a business that does several things really well, and you can trust them, it’s going to be a good fit for both parties involved. Time is important for everyone and trying to schedule several different businesses for something one business can do just doesn’t make sense. Make sure these businesses are able to communicate well with you, the last thing you want is for them to show up while you have guests over or do not show up when you needed your grass mowed. Communication is key to staying on page and having long-term success with your lawncare provider.

At the end of the day, when choosing the best lawncare provider, go with your gut, pray about it, or consult family/friends and make sure you can get out of a contract if there is one involved. If you have the right lawncare business, they will make your life easier, not harder. This type of business is relatively easy to start, but it can be easy to walk away from too, make sure at the end of the season (if you want the same lawncare business), that they will still be mowing the next year.