Fall cleanup season: getting your landscaping phones ready
Fall brings cleanups, leaf removal and next-year planning calls. A checklist for scheduling, the services you list and what the phone should say.
Fall is a busy stretch for many landscaping companies. Leaves come down, beds need cutting back, and some homeowners want work done before winter. In some regions, fall is also when people think about aeration and overseeding. The phones tend to get busy fast.
Here is a checklist to work through now. It is general, so adjust for your climate and the services you actually offer.
Decide what you offer this fall
- Cleanups and leaf removal. Give each a realistic visit length based on lot size, not a single block for every property.
- Aeration, overseeding, mulching, bed work and tree and shrub trimming. List only what you do, so the phone does not promise something outside your scope.
- Irrigation shutdown or winterizing, if you provide it.
- Snow and ice services, if you offer them. Say clearly when you start taking those sign-ups.
Check your calendar
Look at last fall. How long did cleanups really take? How much travel time sat between jobs? Set the slot lengths to match. A calendar that is too optimistic leads to double-booking, which is how customers end up waiting all day.
Plan for recurring customers
As the mowing season winds down, decide how to handle weekly customers. Do they pause, switch to cleanups, or move to a winter plan? A short message to each one saves a stack of calls later.
What the phone should collect
- The property address and a callback number.
- What the caller wants: cleanup, leaf removal, aeration, trimming or a project.
- Rough lot size and whether the yard has gates or access issues.
- One-time or recurring, and the timing they want.
What it should not do
It should not quote prices unless you have entered them and allowed it. It should not tell a caller what their lawn needs. It books an estimate or a cleanup slot and leaves recommendations to your crew lead.
Landscaping does not have a built-in emergency protocol in our product. If a caller describes immediate danger, such as a fire or an injury, the agent tells them to call 911 first and takes a message with a number and address.
Run a test
Call your own line and ask for a fall cleanup, then for a weekly mowing quote. Check what was captured and which slots were offered. Fix one thing and call again.