Hi all
What do we all think?
Looking after someone's garden is quite a personal thing and i wonder how a regular client would take it if I suddenly said that i wouldn't be personally attending any more and my no.2/3/4 would be there in my place.
I am worried that they might feel they have been relegated and no longer getting the service from the 'main man'. Equally, employees come and go and so maintaining a consistent person on one particular contract (which surely the client would want) would be difficult i would imagine?
I haven't started my business yet so am far from that stage, but am really interested in peoples opinions on whether it is a business that can be grown beyond what i can personally manage in a day.
My question is purely specific to domestic maintenance as opposed to commercial contracts where regular personnel are perhaps less important.
Thanks in advance for any advice / thoughts.
Best.R.
Views: 105
Replies
I found it hard. I sold my experience and professionalism, and then took on an apprentice. I got a lot of feedback that the regulars I'd build a relationship with wanted me, as that was what they were paying for.
Reducing the rates for staff might work, but kill the profit margin.
I chose to go the other way and up-sell my personal service. The client gets me and no-one else, and it does work for me to stay small and flexible for many reasons.
I think, if you're planning to expand in the near future, always go in with that as part of the deal. Me or a member of my staff, one of our teams will be assigned to you on a regular basis, that kind of thing.
I'd also consider VAT from the outset, as that was an issue as my turnover increased. There's a big difference between a client accepting a price including VAT, and suddenly announcing that they will have a new team doing the work, and you're increasing their bill by 20% overnight.
Remember, as you expand you'll be needing large numbers of new clients. These won't have known any different. The existing clients always drop away over time, so maybe keep them on yourself.
I agree with Paul, I started the same amd now have 3 full time, i only do maintenance to cover holidays and when I'm needed now but found it very hard to transfer them over to my staff. We didn't loose any customers but I think you have to be prepared too. My view was that I needed to spend time on the business and doing what my staff couldn't do so either way they were not going to have me doing the work either way. You will have issues but my advice would be take on staff sooner rather than later as it will get harder the longer you leave it
Thanks both for your replies. I guess in the first instance one would take on one or two people but operate as a team, meaning you can get round more gardens in a day, but maintaining your presence on site for the client. This negates the need for a second vehicle, tools etc.
However, that only takes you so far and i suspect the clients might not be too happy that you are only on site for half the time (despite getting the same amount done)??
Its really interesting to hear everyone's experiences.
most of my private customers don't mind as long as the work is done! I have sent someone instead of me occasinally!!
This is the same issue as hourly/per job pricing.
If you ever charge by the hour you're stuck in that rut and any change is going to be an issue. Faster equipment, dry weather, new staff, the client only sees less hours, not the same job for the same price.
I'd never work an hourly rate unless it was either a very valuable client who won't accept anything else, or a one-off job with too many un-knowns in it.
We tend to charge per hour for maintenance and have 2 guys per vsit, one off jobs tree work landscaping ect are price wotrk