You won't get every prospect that calls you. I stick to my pricing. At times I've looked at a yard I didn't want to mow and gave a higher estimate to chase them away and they still asked when can you start? I charge $30 just to show up, no matter the size of the yard.

Al first yes what I’m saying is I was trying to find a way to filter them out before I waste time going to their property. Like are their anyways to pre-qualify

I've had customers tell me that the last guy mowed the yard for $25 or such and so. But when I review the property it is clearly a $40 or $60 mow. I give them my price. For one, if they are looking to replace the last caregiver they were likely not getting good service or that caregiver was not charging enough to stay in business. About 50% of those customers decline service initially with about 50% of those that decline calling me back to sign up. All in it usually takes me about 30 mins to estimate a new prospect including visiting the property as I schedule the estimate when I'm near the property already. I also let new prospects know that the initial price is an estimate and that the amount charged could go up or down once the characteristics of the property are learned. I also let them know up front exactly what is included in that price and that anything extra will cost more. In Syracuse NY I earn between $70 and $120 dollars an hour mowing properties so I don't see giving estimates as a waste of time. Every contact is a learning experience and each customer is different. I've only had 2 customers so far that I wish I hadn't contracted with and most have been delighted with the service they get. In only 3 cases have I had to raise my initial price and in 2 cases I actually lowered my price as it only took half the time I estimated. So don't try to overthink things. If someone contacts you, think of it as a chance to grow your business, I don't think there is a need to pre-qualify prospects. Your mileage may vary but in my case, so far, 95% of those who contact me become customers. A little (okay, a lot) hard work pays off. I get their info, usually in a text message, then I look the property up on Google Maps / Yardbook. I'll get the square foot details and look at the property in street view. In 80% of the cases, this tells me all I need to know. In my area, most properties are not out of my way so I visit to see what I'm getting myself into. It takes me about 30 mins or less for me to estimate a property. In most cases, it's all done by text. They text me the details, I review the property and text them the price and they sign up for service. In 1% of the cases, I have a short phone call to go over details. I've made thousands from customers I've never met because they live out of state or out of the city. A few text messages and we were in business.

The Lawn Caregivers that’s what I did. Great point. Schedule gets soooo busy that I don’t even have time to call ones back

I used to be afraid that if I didn't do everything that I could lose my spot to someone else. Never happened once. Just sharing my experience.

I offer the same services as you... lawn maintenance, bush trimming, mulch installs... I also offer flower bed maintenance (weed spraying in beds).

I'm about to do a video on this with my wife.

Thank you. We’re really confused on what to do. I know I could make it work. It might actually be better then me working 40 for the man. I do work for the govt and have an easy job. No satisfaction though.

most pay after, some cash customers will tape the money to the back door or put 40 under a planter, but usually, I text them when I'm done and they send payment except for those that I bill. Commercial accounts are slow to pay, usually within 30 - 60 days.

Yes, most of my quotes are done over the phone. However, if I'm not familiar with the neighborhood I will drive out to the property to actually see it.

Patrick Bailey I learned my lesson the hard way two times by giving a price over the phone before seeing the property never ever again. I ended up having to drop those two clients because I underbid it.

If you receive a small amount of calls and it's feasible to go out and see everyone, then that is definitely the most accurate way. However, for me it's just not feasible to see the properties we get calls for. Most of our calls come from neighborhoods I'm very familiar with, so this helps. Thanks for the comment.

@@FloridaTurfPros Exactly. After 2 weeks in the business, I had a feel for what it would take to mow a property. I was growing so fast that I didn't really care if a new customer signed up. I was bidding a little on the high side and they were still signing up. In a few cases, I lowered the initial price once learning the property requirements/characteristics.

somehow people have forgotten what an estimate is,

@@lawncommander your right