What to Look For When Choosing a Lawn Treatment Provider

Selecting a lawn treatment provider can be difficult and confusing. In this post, I will outline the various factors you should consider when researching lawn treatment providers. It is important to remember not every company is right for every home owner and not every home owner is right for every company. Continue reading to learn what you should be looking for

Full Service Lawn Care Companies VS Lawn Treatment Companies

Regarding lawn fertilization and applications, not every company providing lawn treatment services is the same. Generally, there are two types of companies that offer lawn treatments. Company A, more commonly found, is a full-service lawn care company that provides a wide range of services, including mowing, mulching, fertilizing, plant installation, landscape design, patio installation, and irrigation services, among others. The second type of company, Company B, focuses exclusively on lawn treatments.

This is a crucial aspect to consider. Company "A" claims to specialize in all their service offerings, whereas company "B" focuses solely on lawn treatments. You might be familiar with the saying "jack of all trades, master of none," which is highly relevant here. Although it might seem that company "A" provides more convenience for multiple property services, this is not the case with Green View. Green View is designed to offer a "set it and forget it" service. Once you sign up, you can automate payments and be entirely hands-off, if that is your preference. Even disease and insect issues will be identified by your technician during every visit. Green View was designed for you to be as hands on or hands off as you'd prefer.

This is precisely why I established Green View. I aimed to move away from "specializing" in numerous areas and concentrate on what I am passionate about and understand the most.

Which company would you prefer to make applications on your lawn? Company "A" or company "B"

State Licensing

In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Agriculture mandates that anyone applying lawn treatments for hire must possess a state applicator's license. When selecting service providers, it's crucial to ensure that not only is the applicator licensed, but the company is also licensed and registered in Ohio to perform lawn applications. These licenses have expiration dates, ensuring that all applicators remain informed about current industry knowledge and best practices. You should verify that your lawn treatment provider's licensing is current and valid.

Furthermore, Ohio offers a "Trained Serviceperson" program for lawn care technicians. This program allows technicians to conduct lawn applications under the supervision of a licensed applicator, even if they do not hold a state license themselves. While this can be advantageous as it lowers entry barriers for new workers, it's important to recognize that a trained serviceperson may not have the same expertise and experience as a state-licensed applicator. Nonetheless, this program provides significant opportunities for individuals aspiring to join the green industry.

Local Vs National Providers: What to Look For

As with many service businesses, you will typically have your family owned service providers and your national service providers. While it is not to say that a national company cant do a good job, which do you think will care more for your lawn? It is important to look out for the tricks that can be pulled by both.

Lawn Measurements: The first thing any service provider will do after you've requested a quote is measure your lawn. When measuring, we ensure the measurement includes the full width of your lawn. Some companies might try to attract you by undermeasuring the lawn to make the quote seem more attractive. Although this might not appear to be a major issue at first, the technician treating your lawn will only use the amount of product quoted for your lawn size. For instance, if your lawn is 17,000 sqft but the quote covers only 14,000 sqft, the technician will apply enough product for just 14,000 sqft, leaving the remaining 3,000 sqft either untreated or inadequately serviced. To avoid this, you can measure your own lawn (using Google Earth is the simplest method) and compare it to the quoted size.

Back End Discounts: At the start of the year, many companies offer promotions and discounts to attract customers. While this benefits you as a consumer, it's crucial to ensure you're not overpaying for the discount. For instance, Company A offers a 50% discount on the first application, which costs $25, while the next five applications cost $50 each. In this case, your application costs would have been $45 each, but to compensate for the discount, they added $5 per application. While this might not appear to be a significant problem, you're now obligated to pay $50 per application for as long as you remain with that provider, whereas a trustworthy provider would have charged $45 per application for the entire year and in the years to follow or would've simply honored the discount with confidence that you will be a customers for years to come.

I hope the information provided helps steer you in the right direction when selecting a lawn treatment provider. Although it doesn't cover everything you need to know, it will at least give you an idea of what to look for. Moreover, this information is not limited to just lawn care; it can be applied to many services your home may require.

As always, if there's anything we can assist you with, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are available year-round to help guide your lawn to where it needs to be.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back often for new articles on how you can achieve a better lawn.

Hunter Petit

President

Green View Lawn Fertilization