Outsourcing is Great – When it Works…

Let me tell you a story about outsourcing gone bad. Its amazing to me that I can outsource some of the most complex activities, but something this simple is giving me so much grief…

As a general rule I always hesitate to outsource things that can be done within the walls my business. As I develop better viral relationships, I have been more willing to outsource things that I could do, but simply don’t have the time to do.

So while my wife was away and I was off in Colorado, I hired a lawn service to mow my yard three times while I was away and my wife was out of town.

I Guess a Name Means a Lot

I opened up the yellow pages and called a couple places, but many of the lawn care companies didn’t answer and did not have voicemail. $$ LOST guys!!!!

Finally I got in touch with Git-R-Done Lawncare in Omaha, NE. They said they would mow my 1/3 of an acre for $40 a week, blow off the sidewalk and edge with a weed-eater.

Not bad I thought! Boy was I wrong!

The First Mowing Disaster

The first time Git-R-Done pulled up to mow my wife was home. They seemed to mow the yard in record time, get back in their truck and pull away.

Later that day my wife realized why they were so fast. They only mowed 1/2 of my yard!!! They didn’t weed-eat at all from what she could tell and there were clippings all over the sidewalk. Not impressed.

My wife called them and asked them to do a better job next week because we were planning an outdoor birthday party for my son when I came home from Colorado.

Welcome to the Jungle

My wife left town too after the first mow, and she never heard anything back from Git-R-Done Lawncare, so we both assumed all was well – until we got home.

Git-R-Done didn’t get anything done. They had not been back to mow at all since the first 1/2 mowing job they did. Our yard was over 7″ tall in some spots, and the bugs were horrible.

I mowed the top half of the yard to get it ready for the party at least, but the humidity had locked a lot of moisture into the grass and it would have been one hell of a mess to have toddlers walking, running, falling and eating on the freshly cut grass.

Moral of the Story

I am glad I had the opportunity to learn this lesson at the expense of a $40 lawn mowing. Don’t outsource to people you don’t know. It just doesn’t work. Ask for recommendations from your friends and neighbors first.

So with that… Does anyone know of a good lawn care company that does what they say they will do for a reasonable price?