Brain picking

In 2016, we surveyed homeowners about all things landscaping to get inside the customer’s mind. Well, we did it again five years later, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

I keep hearing from landscapers who had a great 2020. They partially attribute that to people working from home due to COVID-19 and taking notice of their shoddy landscaping. So, I added a question about COVID-19 into the survey to see if that was the case, along with the other valuable homeowner information we collect. Here are a few takeaways that didn’t make the report.

• Regarding that COVID-19 question, we asked, “Thinking about your yard and the increased amount of time you have spent at home due to COVID-19, with which of these statements do you agree?” About 30% said they had become more aware than in the past, while 21% said they are investing in their yard more than before. Only about 7% said they have hired a professional since being at home more, while 19% said they are doing more yard work themselves.

• If you were fired, it was most likely due to the quality of your work than the cost. Second on the list was dissatisfaction with timeliness of the job. Next was “felt I was being taken advantage of/overcharged,” then “found a less expensive contractor. Last on the list was “decided to do the work myself.”

“Only about 7% said they have hired a professional since being at home more, while 19% said they are doing more yard work themselves.”

• Consumers’ interest in organic lawn care has made a giant leap in five years. Current results show 35% said all of the fertilizer, weed killer and insect control are organic. Only 10% answered the same way in 2016. 21% said none were organic in the current study while 33% answered the same way in 2016.

You can read the full report on page 26. I hope the information provided in the report gives you a better understanding of your residential customers and, overall, how consumers view the work you perform. – Brian Horn