Hiring a lawn care service in Austin can be tough. This chapter will guide you questions to ask a lawn mowing service, the way lawn services operate, and the importance of finding a reliable lawn care service.
Don’t just hire another grass mowing service; make sure you’re getting a lawn care professional.
So you’re looking into hiring an Austin grass cutting service? Maybe you’re looking to take your lawn to the next level, or maybe you’re just sick of cutting your own grass. I don’t blame you, Austin lawn care can be tough especially in the heat of the summer.
But before you just go with the first guy who answers his phone, or the lowest price you get, here are some questions you should ask to be sure you’re hiring a true lawn care professional.
Are you licensed and insured?
Asking for proof that the provider is an incorporated business of some sort (licensed) and does carry insurance is for your own benefit. Sure, you may be tempted to pay a guy cash under the table for a cheaper price, but it is worthwhile to hire someone who is legit.
First of all, chances are if they aren’t licensed and insured, they won’t do the best quality work. You want a lawn care provider who has dedicated his life to the profession; not someone who’s looking to make a buck part time.
Secondly, there’s the more tangible reason to make sure your lawn care provider is licensed and insured, is that if they happen to hurt themselves on your property, you could become liable for it. Additionally, if your lawn care service happens to damage something, you’ll want to make sure they have the insurance to cover it.
How often do you sharpen your mowing blades?
As detailed in this post, the mower blades must be sharp to ensure a clean cut. If their answer more than weekly, that’s a red flag. Companies that mow 30 lawns a day will often sharpen blades daily. Of course it does depend on how much mowing they do in a week, so ask them how many mower hours they go through before they sharpen their blades. The answer should be 10 hours or less.
Do you require binding contracts?
Many companies require contracts, as it does make it easier for the contractor. Unfortunately it’s the status quo. So, having contracts isn’t necessarily a red flag, but see if you can get them to go without a contract, at least for a trial period. The lawn mowing services that really take pride in their work will happily oblige, as they know you will be satisfied.
Could you provide references?
The trick to this is to ask this early on in the conversation, and actually intend on following up with those references. This will serve as a truth serum as the contractor knows that you will be checking to see if everything he says is legit. You know if a contractor is good if he says “of course I have references” and practically shoves them in your face. When you do speak to their references, ask for specific, factual reasons why they like working with this particular lawn care provider.
What’s your rain policy?
Rain messes everything up in lawn care. They should not be cutting grass while it’s raining as the grass will look extremely messy. Additionally, they should not mow until the grass is dried out, otherwise you risk damaging the lawn.
The Importance of Reliability in any Industry
Reliability is simply the overall consistency of whatever is being measured. When many people think of reliability they tend to think about its significant in many different areas of life. Most often in relationship terms, but reliability is also seen as a significant metric when purchasing a car, picking a baby sitter, selecting a cell phone service, and so many other things. Reliability is should be a key measurement in nearly any industry.
One particular area in which reliability is incredibly important but often overlooked, is the lawn care industry. Since many lawn care services provide mowing on a weekly basis, a normal customer would most likely expect the service to typically come around the same time on the same day every week. The homeowner may plan events, assuming that the lawn care service will be true to their word and provide consistent service. In many industries this would be a safe assumption to make; in the lawn care industry though, this could not be further from the facts.
Take this following scenario for example. This is a true story from a couple getting lawn care in Cedar Park (northern area of Austin) that just reached out to us, due to our reliable service recommendations.
“So we had just moved into the Cedar Park area. We were planning to have all our new neighbors over for a meet-and-greet barbecue. We had a lot to do as soon as we got to Austin area, both starting work within a few days so we scheduled the barbecue for an upcoming Saturday. As I just explained we were both really busy especially when we first arrived so we ended up getting a mowing service to take care of our yard.
We hired them for Thursdays and they showed up then the first week but not until Friday the second week. We were a little concerned with the very next weekend being our barbecue and them coming later. On top of that, while performing their job on that Friday one of their mower blades broke and they couldn’t finish a good section of the yard. They promised to take care of it the following Thursday, two days before our barbecue…
That Thursday came and when I arrived home from work I found my husband trying to call the company on the phone. They hadn’t had come that day as they promised. They ensured him they would be there tomorrow though. Now Friday came and we faced the same situation. My husband called again and this time no answer. We tried at least 15 times throughout the night but never got feedback.
Embarrassed by our lawn we still had the barbecue the following day… and you wouldn’t believe what happened. Sure enough the company showed up right in the middle of our barbecue and tried to mow. It caused quite a scene as we explained they couldn’t and ended up leading to an argument and cancelled service. The whole situation was such an embarrassment, especially in front of over 20 of our newest neighbors.”
I personally felt terrible for them but was happy to promise more reliable service. No matter what business you use you should be able to depend on them for their servicing area of expertise.
No matter how unimportant the business may seem in your everyday life, the fact that it may be unreliable can have a really strong negative impact. Whether it be the business you select to mow your lawn, the lot you buy your car from, or the person you plan to marry reliability plays a huge role in all parts of your life. Make sure each part fulfills the standards you set and life will be much easier.