If you’re a small one-person band or a large lawn and landscape company, you want to look professional at all times. First impressions matter from the get-go. Here are a few things to keep in mind to look professional in your lawn and landscaping business. Keep this checked off each week and before long, your staff will start holding their head up a little more too!
Keep Vehicles Clean
From the trucks to the cabs inside, keep it all clean. Wash trucks and clean out the trash every day out of the inside and exterior of your vehicles. A cluttered mess will be a haven for losing essential papers and tools. Write it down and post it for your employees and staff to take note of, and assign it to the crew chief for consideration. Discuss with your team when to complete this task. Give instructions on where to dispose of trash, papers, and tools.
I recommend keeping important papers and receipts in a plastic folder with tabs inside to keep documents and receipts organized on the job. Nothing is worse than not finding your receipts and not being able to bill the client for services and products. The office staff will love you too. Staying organized will also keep grunge and coffee stains from getting spilled on them or used as scrap paper.
Inside this plastic folder, keep sticky notes, pens and pencils, paper clips, and anything else that might be used regularly. Replenish these at the end of each week or when needed.
Keep Your Language Clean
Keep your professional language on when meeting with clients or speaking with staff. No cussing, swearing, spitting, or smoking on the job. Whether the client signals it’s ok or not, don’t do it. Your reputation will follow, and your staff will take the lead. When onboarding new employees, go over these essential items that will make or break your influence with leads and ultimately, clients. Be respectful of the people around you. Remember what your grandma said, or she’ll wash your mouth out with soap!
A respectful ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘No ma’am’ goes a long way too. Channel your inner ‘southern charm’ and use your manners.
‘Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.’-Clarence Thomas
Wear Uniforms
A t-shirt and khaki work pants, tucked in with a belt and work boots, is a good start to looking professional on the job. Keep your crews with ample T-shirts in your uniform program and insist that they wear clean ones to work every day. Having extras in each truck is a good idea too, in case they get overly soiled. If need be, keep wet wipes and deodorant in the vehicles also. Sometimes there is a lot of dirt and water involved on a job, and it’s nice to change into a dry shirt. The crew member, as well as the client you’re working for, will appreciate it too. Instill a no-t-shirt policy that prohibits the crew members from going bare-chested. Keep it clean, simple, and tucked in with a belt.
A t-shirt with the company logo, phone number, and services offered on the back is a great way to advertise for your business too. Your crew members will wear them in and out of businesses and on job sites, which is like having free advertising walking around. That’s why they must always look clean and put together, whether they’re on the job or walking into a place of business.
Show Up As Scheduled
If you have let the client know you have scheduled them for Monday at 9:00 am, don’t show up at 9:30 am. If this happens, it leaves a bad taste in the client’s mouth. There are always things that come up, so have the courtesy to call the office staff to phone the client and explain the delay in arrival. The extras will create a world of difference to the client and raise the bar for your competitors. Most people don’t think to do this, and it’s just plain rude.
Do the Extra Things
‘Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.’- C.S. Lewis
When you are on the job, train your crews to make observations. If there is something you can do on the fly and it’s a small courtesy, do it! For instance, if the trash cans have been emptied and need to be rolled back up to the garage, do it! The little extra goes a long way! Bring in the paper if it’s thrown out on the driveway; don’t roll over it! Place it on the front porch if they’re not home or inside the screened-in door.
Clean Up After Yourself
After a job is completed, make sure the crew walks around the perimeter of the home or job site and eyes it like a homeowner. Is there anything you missed? Is there any trash, tools, or extras that need attention? Take care of the little things that will keep you looking professional in your lawn and landscaping business.
No Smoking on the Job
If a crew member must smoke, designate those times to their lunch and breaks. And please, no smoking on a client’s property. Dispose of cigarette butts in a closed container and empty in the company trash. Remind them to be mindful of smoking around others to prevent second-hand smoke. These are all things that should be commonplace, but some don’t realize how offensive the smell is to others.
Contact Me for More Tips for Your Lawn and Landscape Business
Try these tips to look professional in your lawn and landscaping business. These tips can help secure more business and get people positively talking about you. Good impressions last and will get you called back and recommended to neighbors.
If you want your organization to look more professional and need help administratively to get these systems written and in place, let’s chat. I can help your business succeed, feel, act, and look more professional with some proven actions.
