Your landscaping crew is the best in the biz. They’re experts in the art and science of landscaping. They’re punctual, polite, and a perfect fit for your company and landscape crew leaders.
However, even the best landscaping professionals need excellent leadership. Field service industries like landscaping businesses face unique management challenges. After all, most of your landscape crew persons spend their days working on projects you might not see directly. This is why efficient landscaping crew management tips and tools like a landscaping crew tracking app are essential for ensuring efficient operations and meeting client expectations regardless of lawn care crew size.
How to Manage Your Lawn Care Crew Efficiently
When learning how to run a landscaping maintenance company, focus on maximizing efficiency regardless of crew size. Lawn care involves downtime, and you’re paying employees to drive between locations. Reducing driving time increases time spent on outdoor living space projects, improving customer satisfaction.
The process of organizing your crews based on geography, called routing, helps create efficient crew landscaping. For example, every Monday, your three-person crew might target the northern part of your service area, while your four-membered crew handles the southern half.
Organizing Different Types of Crews
When scheduling, consider the type of landscaping job and crew required. A larger crew might be ideal for commercial properties, while two-man crews excel in residential settings requiring plant care and power equipment operation.
Frontloading
Frontloading your schedule—handling routine jobs early in the day—also allows flexibility for emergencies. Whether using three-man crews or five-man crews, effective landscaping crew management is key to success in landscape maintenance.
The Secret to Training for Maximum Efficiency
The systems you developed when your lawn care business first started aren’t necessarily the most efficient now that you have large groups of techs in the field. You want to maximize job site efficiency but be careful. No two landscapes are the same, so give your crew the freedom to create solutions specific to each job.
Your systems might need adjustment as your full-service landscaping company grows. Visiting new job sites with the assigned crew ensures you develop effective strategies. Different landscape crew leader jobs require different tactics, and involving your team fosters future leaders among your landscape crew leaders.
For example, mowing after trimming might save time in residential settings. Also, maintaining consistent crews improves speed and strengthens client relationships. A consistent team knows the care details of each site, ensuring efficient landscaping crew management.
Additionally, keep your crews consistent across locations. Once a crew learns the care details of a specific yard, they’ll move faster. You don’t want to introduce new teams who have to learn the ropes each week. Plus, homeowners almost always prefer seeing the same people every time.
Adjust crew size as dictated by the job. Sometimes, you’re better off putting most of your staff on a large job and finishing it in a day, than using a smaller crew and stretching the job out across several days. In many cases, multi-day jobs waste time. Crews often work slowly on the first day, knowing they’ll return tomorrow anyway.
Finally, don’t underestimate a two-person crew. Although that might seem small, it’s often highly efficient. With crews of three people or more, you typically find one person who doesn’t work as hard as the other two.
Start Using Landscaping Software!
The Importance of Communication
Managing your landscaping industry teams requires strong communication with both employees and customers. Using tools like crew tracking apps ensures updates are shared in real-time without disrupting crew hours to enhance coordination among team members.
Customer communication also benefits from a well-organized system. Whether clients contact the office or speak directly with your entire team, relaying accurate information is critical to maintaining trust.
Communicating with Employees in the Field
Communication with your employees is a bit of a balancing act. You want to make sure your experienced crew as well as your greener members stay up-to-date with the information they need but aren’t bothered during the workday with messages that can wait until later. This creates an ideal team environment, especially when dealing with larger teams.
Generally, here’s what employees need to know right away:
- Schedule changes for the current workday
- Additions to the schedule, such as emergency calls
- Any information regarding delays
- Any changes regarding specific services provided to a customer
All other information can usually be conveyed in an email, meeting, or in other ways that don’t interfere with the workday.
Communicating with Customers
Staying up-to-date with the latest information regarding customers is key to delivering top-quality service. Your customers will communicate with you in one of two ways:
- They’ll send an email or make a phone call to your office
- They’ll talk with your on-site crew
In the first scenario, the office will need to relay the information to the crew. Usually, it’s helpful to send a reminder to your crew as well on the day of service.
If the customer talks to a member of your crew, you want them to relay that information back to you quickly and accurately.
Partnering with RealGreen
Partnering with RealGreen for your landscaping business can bring numerous benefits. RealGreen offers landscaping professional landscaping software specifically designed for landscaping companies, making it easier for you to manage all aspects of your operations.
Some of the key benefits of partnering with RealGreen include:
1. Streamlined Operations: Streamline your day-to-day operations, from scheduling appointments to managing invoices and tracking employee performance. This can save you time and reduce the likelihood of errors.
2. Improved Customer Service: Easily keep track of customer information, preferences, and history. This allows you to provide personalized service and build stronger relationships with your clients.
3. Mobile Application: This crew app provides technicians with the necessary tools to efficiently complete service and work orders, document conditions for potential upsells, and enhance the overall customer experience as well as allow for optimal performance.
4. Enhanced Reporting and Analytics: Provides valuable insights into your business performance, allowing you to make informed decisions and improve your operations over time.
5. Financial Services: You can borrow anywhere from $1,000 to $1 million to help with your business needs. With quick access to funds in as little as 24 hours, you can ensure that your operations run smoothly and efficiently.
*Funding is provided by YouLend; WorkWave is not providing the credit. Prequalified offers are based on sales and are subject to a credit check. YouLend terms and conditions apply.
Closing Thoughts
In today’s competitive landscaping industry, effective management of landscaping and lawn care crews is paramount for success.
As we venture into the digital age, it’s crucial to address the various tools available that can elevate your landscaping business. One such comprehensive solution is RealGreen, a powerful platform designed specifically for lawn care and landscaping companies.
By embracing a technology-driven approach with platforms like RealGreen, landscaping businesses can enhance efficiency, improve workforce management, and ultimately achieve greater success in a competitive market. Transitioning into this new era of landscaping management not only streamlines operations but also paves the way for sustainable business growth and innovation. Ready to grow your business? Schedule a free demo today!
