“Twice the Grass Half the Money” Are bi-weekly accounts worth the trouble?

Lawn care dilemma:
Is the 'twice the grass, half the money' approach worth it?

“Twice the Grass Half the Money”
One of the biggest reasons lawn care companies cut their clients, instead of their lawns is when a client is unwilling to go with a weekly service. 

Here’s the deal, during peak season in most regions of the country. The only way to get a quality cut of the lawn is to cut the grass weekly. 

Yet, we have all had clients who are simply unwilling to go with weekly service. 

Which begs the question, are bi-weekly accounts worth the extra hassle? Or not?

Let’s take a look. 

The Headaches of Bi-weekly accounts

Look, if you have been in the industry long enough you have been faced with this harsh reality. 

Bi-weekly lawns often suck! At least during the peak season. Unless you happen to live in the north or have a lawn with unusually slow-growing grass. 

You have likely found that the only way to offer your clients a quality cut on the first pass is to cut the grass weekly.

 I don’t care how sharp your blades are!

But its not all bad. Below are 3 reasons you should avoid bi-weekly accounts.

And on the flip side.....

3 reasons you may want to take more of them on.

3 Reasons Not To Take Bi-Weekly Clients

In my experience, when a client refuses to go with weekly serves, I have been stuck mowing the lawn at least twice in order to get a nice even cut. One because I can’t stand to see a messy, cut, and two, the quality of the cut will reflect on whether or not the client wants a bi-weekly or weekly cut. 

Which brings me to my first point...

 1. The quality of cut reflects on you 

Personally, this is my biggest issue with bi-weekly cuts. 

Like it or not, even when you have told your client the only way to get a good cut of the lawn is to cut it weekly. When the lawn looks rough after a bi-weekly cut. 

Your client is still going to blame you!

Worse still, that is all I can think about while I am cutting a bi-weekly client. So I end up cutting the lawn 2 or 3 times just to make it neat. And the lawns still aren't as neat as my weekly clients.

 2. More wear on equipment 

Not only will you stress the whole time you are trying to make a lawn neat, often times for half the money you should be making. But you are also wearing down your equipment faster than you need to be. 

Sure, cutting tall grass from time to time isn’t that hard on your mower. But if you aren’t careful, or even if you are... 

Mowing tall grass too often will surely wear your mower's parts faster than it should. And your bi-weekly client isn’t going to care for your excuses when your mower breaks on their lawn and you have to come back again. 

 3. Reveals the character of the client 

Look, this may not be a popular opinion. Or at least not one many lawn care pros will admit in public. But oftentimes, the type of customer that wants a bi-weekly cut, is the type of client you want to avoid. 

While it’s true that some clients may not be able to afford weekly cuts, more often than not, I find that it is simply a matter of being cheap. 

Worst of all, the type of client who refuses weekly cuts is often the same sort of person who is going to complain when it’s not perfect or ask you for extras without paying. Such as picking up their dogs toys (and presents) before you mow the lawn.  

No matter how much you explain that their lawn needs to be cut weekly if they want it neat, they simply do not understand. 

While it’s true there are bi-weekly clients that really don’t care what the lawn looks like, they are a rare breed.

3 Reasons to Embrace Bi-weekly Lawns

Look, it's not all bad. There is a reason that many lawn care pros love bi-weekly accounts. 

So, below are 3 reasons you may want to take on bi-weekly clients. 

 1. It depends on the area 

Simply put, deciding whether or not bi-weekly cuts for your business depends on where your business is located. 

For example, in the southwest or east, undoubtedly grass will need to be cut every week, or twice every 2 weeks. There is almost no getting around it. 

On the other hand, there are certainly some areas of the country where you can get by mowing your client's lawns on a bi-weekly basis. 

At the end of the day, however, most areas will experience at least parts of the year where lawns simply should be cut every week. 

 2. May be worth it at the right price 

Many companies adopt a higher pricing structure for customers who want bi-weekly cuts. Some charge 1.5x or even as much as 2x more per cut, if the lawn is bi-weekly.

This extra charge covers the time it takes to make an extra pass, and take extra time to manage the large clumps of grass. That way a lawn care company can offer bi-weekly cuts and still ensure they can take the time to make a quality cut of the lawn. 

While there is an argument for keeping bi-weekly clients, the price has to be right!

 3. Gives you an edge over the competition 

It's simple, by accepting bi-weekly lawns you can gain an easy edge on your competition. As such, it is likely a good idea for startup companies to take bi-weekly clients for the first year or two of business. 

Bi-weekly accounts can be a good way to get your foot in the door if you are just starting your business. 

However, you may soon discover that they are not worth your time. And keeping bi-weekly accounts for too long may be a major hangup for your business's long-term growth.  

Either way, be sure you are charging the correct rate and arent taking a loose. 

Bi-weekly Accounts at the End of the Day

Bi-weekly accounts are likely an inevitable part of a lawn care company's evolution. Unless you are fortunate enough to launch a lawn care company that already has a slew of weekly grass mowing accounts. 

Bi-weekly lawn accounts may be the leg up your lawn care company needs to catch up to your competition. As your company grows, it is likely that you will find that bi-weekly clients are simply not worth the extra headache. 

In my opinion, I would take bi-weekly accounts during my first year or two in business to get an edge on the competition, and pay the bills. Then try to convert them to weekly by next season, and drop the ones that don’t as soon as possible. 

While there are exceptions to this, such as lawns in cooler climates, or lawns with slower-growing grasses. Unless your bi-weekly accounts give you a leg up in your market....

One of your first goals as a lawn care company owner should be to cut your bi-weekly clients. And not their lawns. 

Otherwise your business may grow slower than Kentucky Blue grass in a New York winter. 

Looking for ways to grow your lawn care company? Check out this guide to marketing your lawn care company on Facebook.
Quick Summary: 
Making Sense of Bi-weekly Lawn Care