www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation January/February 2017 25
offseason. They may even ask where their regular crew is, or why
it seems that they don't have as many crewmembers working
on their property. While sending out an e-newsletter to your
customers is a nice way of keeping them informed, it isn't
necessary to write something formal to make them aware of these
changes. This information can easily be communicated in person
or over the phone. By communicating with your customers before
the offseason, you can let them know about your seasonal plans,
what changes to expect, and propose any additional services they
may need that you can provide. This proactive approach will
help ensure that the lines of communication are open, reduce
any surprises for your customers, and it is an inexpensive way to
retain your customers' loyalty.
While the offseason can present many challenges, it is also a
great time to plan your upcoming year. Creating your strategy
for the upcoming year, budgeting, staffing, advertising, and other
tasks that you don't typically have time to perform during your
busier seasons can be done during this time. This isn't to say
that you aren't busy in the offseason. Training your employees,
building your customer relationships and performing inventory
management can certainly keep you busy — and that's not
including any snow services you may perform. But many grounds
care providers see this as a time to refresh and refocus on their
company's goals.
Mike Fitzpatrick is vice president of U.S. Lawns, a commercial
landscape maintenance company. For more information, visit
https://uslawns.com.
We start planning for the offseason at the
beginning of the year to determine cash needs
for the offseason, and to plan with customers
to execute projects during our slow time.
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