The cost of quality

Anyone who tries to have a healthy diet knows it’s an expensive effort. I recently found a pop alternative (some of you call it soda for some reason), to help cut back on my Coke Zero addiction. But this alternative, Poppi, is about $30 for a 12-pack, compared to $7 for a Coke Zero 12-pack.

I’m no math genius, but that’s definitely something to factor in when budgeting for the month. Is the cost increase worth the health benefits? Is the taste any better?

It’s no different with the services you provide and the people you pay to provide those services — other things factor in, but cost and wage are important factors in determining who hires you for your services and the employees you attract.

In our Benchmarking Your Business Report, we gather financial information like the average hourly charge per service, hourly pay, etc. This gives you a chance to compare your numbers to industry-wide numbers. Are you paying enough? Are you charging enough?

One thing the numbers don’t cover, though, is how your quality matches up with what you charge.

I’m stating the obvious, but if your prices are higher than the competition, you better be delivering on the quality. More importantly, your team needs to understand the company they work for is more expensive than the competition down the street.

That message must be communicated consistently so that the quality of the work matches your price. And don’t forget, what you pay your workers has to be in line with your expectations of them.

Just as I have a choice on what to drink, your customers and employees have options about who they hire and where they work. But if the quality and pay is in line with expectations, you can be the Poppi of the landscaping industry.