Please see the Lawn
Maintenance Questionnaire.
When it comes to the maintenance
of your lawn and landscape, you don’t want to have to worry
about the company you have hired. Are they going to show up on the
day they agreed to? Are they going to use equipment that provides
a excellent cut? Do they have the experience needed to accomplish
the job? What if someone in the company gets hurt on my property?
If I have a problem can I get in touch with someone immediately?
These are questions that many clients wonder before they hire Nature
By Design.
We will be there when we say we are going to be there (weather permitting).
Our equipment is serviced daily and is replaced as needed to provide
the best possible service. We have been in the business for 16 years
providing our customers with 100% satisfaction. That’s right
we have had zero unsatisfied customers! If someone were to get hurt
on the job, which has never happened (our crew is highly trained
on safety issues), we are insured for your protection. Last but
not least, we are on call 24/7 to handle any emergency that may
arise.
So, if you are wondering will Nature By Design be the company that
will give you peace of mind, you better believe it. We are in the
business to serve you! E-mail us or call us today to start receiving
hassle free service that provides you the peace of mind you are
looking for.
Here are what some of our clients say
about us!
“ Thanks again for the nice job
you did on our yard this past year…..” D. Kemp
“ Thanks for the great work your company has been doing over
the years…..” M. Clark
“ I am writing to commend you for
the excellent work your yard maintenance and landscaping service
provided during this past year. You were extremely reliable, and
all work, down to the most trivial detail, was performed at the
highest level.” J. Piellucci
“ I am writing this letter in reference
to the above mentioned. Tim has been providing lawn services for
me for a considerable length of time. It is a pleasure to report
that he has not only been extremely efficient, but extremely thorough
in the maintenance and upkeep of my lawn and landscape. I would
highly recommend his services in the same capacity.”
G. Youngblood
#1 How are you different
than other lawn companies?
#2 Are you competitive with other companies?
#3 Do you give free estimates?
#4 How does organic fertilization differ from chemical
fertilization?
#5 Do you offer basic lawn service?
#6 What happens when it rains on the day you are scheduled
to do maintenance?
#7 What lawn and landscape maintenance services do
you offer?
#8 Do you offer a yearly maintenance package?
#9 What does the yearly maintenance package cost?
#10 Do you provide any one time services?
#11 What kind of notice do I need to give to schedule
a one time service?
#12 Do you offer any discounts?
#13 What billing options do we have?
#14 If a payment is not received by the due date,
then what?
#15 Will I know the crew members who service my lawn
and landscape?
#16 Do I need to be present when your crew services
my home or business?
#17 Do I have a specific day each week that I will
be scheduled for service?
#1 How are you different
than other lawn companies?
What drives us at Nature By Design is our dedication to our customers.
One of the basic goals for our company is to develop a relationship
with each customer. The relationship provides us a basis of understanding
what, you, the client needs.
The following list of characteristics outline our dedication to
you in providing unsurpassed quality service: a commitment to continued
education regarding what is happening in the industry; utilizing
updated and consistently maintained equipment; providing uniformed
employees; offering you sixteen years of experience and training;
and, upholding Christian principles of honesty and integrity.
#2
Are you competitive with other companies?
Yes. We are competitive when you compare apples to apples. We pride
ourselves on careful management of details. It is important to look
closely at what you are getting for your financial investment. Often,
things look the same; however, when you look at the specifics of
a bid, things may be different. For example, some companies agree
to dig a hole 3’ by 3’ wide to plant a proposed tree
for the same price in a quote but in reality they must cut corners
to meet or beat the competitor’s price. Therefore, it is difficult
to compare apples to apples unless you look at a company’s
integrity, knowledge and history.
#3 Do you give free estimates?
We do provide free estimates on lawn and landscape maintenance.
We will provide you a written contract detailing the services you
will be receiving during a specified time. A contract provides you
protection from problems that could ever occur. The contract details
services you would receive so there is no confusion regarding what
you would be receiving for your financial investment.
#4 How does organic fertilization
differ from chemical fertilization?
Organic fertilizers (animal or plant bi-products) build your soil
up over a period of time by adding necessary nutrients and minerals.
By applying compost and slow-release organic fertilizers, you will
encourage roots to penetrate deeper into the soil, stimulate biological
activity and improve your topsoil. Organic fertilizers are CHILD
SAFE AND ANIMAL SAFE. Turf as well as other garden plants depend
on a healthy soil to thrive.
Chemical fertilizers deplete your soil over time. They destroy the
natural biological activity that occurs in a natural environment,
for example forest floors. Chemical fertilizers are also very harmful
to humans. One good example is Diaznon which was taken off the market
a couple of years ago. People’s chronic illnesses were being
traced back to the use of Diaznon. Diaznon also proved a danger
to the environment.
#5 Do you offer basic
lawn service?
Yes. Our basic lawn service consists of the following: Mulching
the grass front and back, weed eating around borders and trees and
edging walkways and driveways. The basic lawn service period begins
March 1st and ends November 31. In March, we mow every two weeks.
In April, we begin mowing weekly around the middle of the month.
Weekly mowing continues through September. In October, we begin
mowing every two weeks until the season ends November 30th. We will
cut your lawn a total of 32 times in a season.
#6 What happens when
it rains on the day you are scheduled to do maintenance?
Obviously, we have no control over is the weather. Unfortunately,
it rains more in the Spring which is our busiest season. Normally,
when rain causes delays in our providing weekly lawn maintenance,
we must adjust our schedule hour by hour. We work hard to assure
you everyone receives their regular lawn service if it is at all
possible.
If it rains throughout a week, you can inquire how the weather may
effect your maintenance schedule. During this rainy season, our
schedules vary by a day or two. If you have an outdoor event planned,
please contact us so we can make sure your needs are taken care
of.
#7 What lawn and landscape
maintenance services do you offer?
The lawn and landscape maintenance services we offer are as follows:
Weekly lawn mowing, edging, and weed eating; tree pruning and removal;
shrub pruning and removal; aeration and de-thatching; organic fertilization
and weed treatments (CHILD AND PET SAFE); Spring and Fall clean-ups;
seasonal flower plantings; soil testing; tractor mowing, landscape
bed weed removal; and lawn leveling.
#8 Do you offer a yearly
maintenance package?
Yes, A yearly contract usually in March and runs through the following
March; however, the contract period depends on the month you sign
up for service. The lawn maintenance portion consists of the following:
Mulching the grass front and back, weed eating around borders and
trees, edging walkways and driveways. In March, we mow every 2 weeks.
In April, we begin mowing weekly around the middle of the month.
Weekly mowing continues through September. In October, we will overover-seed
your property will Annual Rye grass. Over-seeding with Annual Rye
Grass provides you a green lawn 12 months out of the year. Once
the Rye grass is established (which usually takes 3-4 weeks), we
then resume mowing every two weeks until mid-April.
As well as mowing, edging, and weedeating, we will aerate your lawn
2 times a year. Aerating a lawn allows nutrients, water, and oxygen
to reach the root system from the bottom of the root up. This promotes
a thicker, greener, and more healthy lawn.
We fertilize your property three times a year (March, July,and November).
We will spot treat for weeds three times a year (April, May, October).
We will apply Pre-emergent to your property two times a year. What
pre-emergent does is it sterilizes the weed’s seed and keeps
it from germinating. This yearly maintenance package includes four
soil tests taken throughout the year-two soil tests from your lawn
and two tests from your landscape beds.
We prune your shrubbery and ornamental trees three times a year
(April, July, October). When we prune your shrubbery and ornamental
trees, we focus on six points for pruning: to maintain or limit
size and shape to avoid its overpowering the landscape; to remove
undesirable growth that distracts from the balance or symmetry of
the plant; to remove dead, diseased, or abnormal plant tissue; to
stimulate flowering and/or fruit production of old plants; to develop
a specific plant form; to direct or train trees to grow in a specific
form to avoid long term problems.
Note: The trimming of shade trees is an added expense over and above
the yearly contracted price unless otherwise noted.
We will remove weeds, leaves, and trash from the landscape beds
upon each visit. We will apply a top dressing to your landscape
beds two times a year. This could be in the form of pine straw,
pine bark mulch, hardwood mulch, cypress mulch, or cedar mulch.
Mulching is important to maintain moisture, soil temperature, and
act as a weed deterrent. We will install Spring, Summer, and Fall
flowers to accent your landscape (quantities depending on desired
location and fullness of look). This tops off the beautiful manicured
look that you will receive in a yearly maintenance package.
#9 What does the yearly
maintenance package cost?
There are many variables involved in estimating a yearly maintenance
package. For example, some homes and businesses are on a postage
stamp size lot with very few plants to prune and grass to manage.
Other homes and businesses are sitting on ten acres or more with
many plants and grass to maintain. An entry-level price for a full
yearly maintenance package is $175.00/month and depending on the
size of the property and complexity of the landscape, a yearly maintenance
package can cost as much as $10,000/month.
#10 Do you provide any
one time services?
Yes, the following is a list of one time services we provide: Tree
pruning and removal; shrub pruning and removal; aeration and de-thatching,
Spring and Fall clean-ups; seasonal flower plantings; soil testing;
tractor mowing; landscape bed weed removal; and lawn leveling.
#11 What kind of notice
do I need to give to schedule a one time service?
We need to be notified three to four weeks prior to when you would
like your project completed. This gives us adequate time to provide
an estimate, purchase the needed materials and complete the project
by your targeted deadline. This mainly applies during the Spring
and Fall when we are the busiest.
#12 Do you offer any
discounts?
We offer a 5% prepayment discount for the yearly maintenance package.
This discount is applied when a person pays one year in advance.
We also offer a 3 year contract that guarantees you a fixed budgeted
amount over a three year period.. Those of you who are responsible
for preparing budgets with 3-5 year projections, a variable expense
then becomes a fixed budget expense.
#13 What billing options
do we have?
Over my experience of 17 years of being in business, I have found
that a monthly billing was the preferred billing cycle. We prefer
checks made out to Nature By Design over cash. We accept MasterCard
and Visa.
#14 If a payment is
not received by the due date, then what?
Late fees will apply if a payment is not received by the due date.
Also, depending on the method of payment, late fees will apply.
Let’s say the due date is the 1st. You have until 5pm on the
10th to make your payment without accruing late fees. If you are
paying by credit card, we will automatically debit your account
at 5:01pm on the 10th for the due amount. If you are paying by check
and we do not have a credit card on file (pre-approval is necessary
to utilize automatic debit), then, you will be charged a $15.00
late fee.
#15 Will I know the
crew members who service my lawn and landscape?
Each new client will have the opportunity to consult with a Supervisor
at Nature By Design. This Supervisor will then train each crew member
pertaining to the exact details concerning your new account. After
the Supervisor feels comfortable that each crewmember knows the
exact scope of work being performed at your site, the Supervisor
will relinquish control of the property into the capable hands of
an experienced on-site Foreman. This on-site Foreman will then be
directly responsible for the weekly upkeep of the property. The
Supervisor will make frequent and numerous spot inspections to ensure
you will receive the highest level of service. This has become our
benchmark for high quality service.
#16 Do I need to be
present when your crew services my home or business?
No. However if you wish to consult with a representative of Nature
By Design, you may call the office at the beginning of the week
and request that a service representative consult you on their next
visit. You will then be informed exactly which day your property
is scheduled for during that week, which normally depends on that
weeks weather conditions, so that you can make arrangements to be
there.
#17 Do I have a specific
day each week that I will be scheduled for service?
Yes. Each week you will be scheduled for service on the day we agree
upon, weather permitting.
|
