Landscapers, General Obversation
 

I have never found a group of contractors so bad as every landscaper I have worked with in TV. They seem to think that because most of TV people are retired, I can come late, come anytime I want, and they will conform to my schedule. Half the shrubs they plant die, and they try to blame the homeowner. So far I am on number 5 and about to fire them. As a group, at least the ones I have hired so far, are very unprofessional. When I come to TV I usually have a long list of things to get done and schedules to maintain. Having one of them show up an hour late does not work. I didn't even allow him to get out of his truck. Told him being late is not acceptable and to move on. At a minimum they should call and tell you they will be late and let you decide if you need to reschedule.

Most other service providers are OK, but so far landscapers are horrible.

Have others had the same experience or am I just having bad luck with them? Or is showing up on time to much to expect?

:eek: Someone please share some information on good landscapers! They have to be out there...

I think there's something in TV that just makes people late. I used to be one of those who was always on time. Since moving here, on time is hard. The only way I can do it is to make only one appointment or make an important appoinment the first appointment of the day (if I can get the other party to be up early). Villagers want to talk, ask questions when you meet with them. You'll be driving and see someone you know who wants to stop and chat. Being on time becomes a luxury. I've learned to not commit to a set time, but rather give a window.

As to the landscaper issue, I've given up recommending anyone. They're good for a period of time and then they kind of give up or get too busy or just feel they don't need to do a good job any longer. I honestly flinch when people ask me who I would recommend to do more than mow their lawns (at least I'm still happy with the cutter I recommend).

Redwitch, who do you recommend for lawns? I'll probably fire my guy when I get back to TV and I'm putting together a list of recommended lawn guys to call. The guy I have is good with the lawn but terrible about spraying weeds in the beds. It's a constant hassle to try to reach him and get him to take care of the job he's supposed to be doing.
Thanks,
Bluedog

I highly recommend D&J Baker for cutting, but that's all they do -- cut. I have yet to find anyone I'm really thrilled with for any other yard word. PTL can be good -- just depends on who you get but I don't like their year contract and refusal to cancel if their people aren't doing a good job. I did go by a yard being by Fernview Farms. Actually stopped and asked who was doing it cause it really looked good compared to everyone else's in the neighborhood. Good luck on finding someone who does it all and is reliable.

Just got back from visiting my son who owns a landscaping business up north. We had a "bring your dad to work day" that was very interesting. His is a very hands on business. There is a lot of interacting with customers and the crew. Follow up is a key ingedient. And customer satisfaction is paramount. Kind of Landscaping Business 101. I told him about the trials and tribulations that we have here, and he was just amazed. The Villages is a tremendous market that has a huge void. A lot of his business is referrals and call backs for additional landscaping needs. Like 12ridehd and redwitch , a couple of long time posters said, they would be hardpressed to recommend anyone. Anyway, here's a link to my son's business that I am including in this post as a proud father. http://www.lawnstopatios.com/

Thanks Redwitch, I'll put D&J Baker and Fernview Farms on my list.

I've used Better Landscaping and Gardens out of Lady Lake several times with great jobs. Have recommended them to neighbors and they were very happy as well. They schedule you and show up with whole crew and finish in one or two days (depending on job size). They are extremely friendly and professional and have been in Lady Lake for many years.

Hi Mary,
The work ethic, or lack of you describe is one of my biggest frustrations. Arrrgh! You'll recall how difficult it was to get the guys to finish coating my garage, lanai an patio. Had it not been for you and Ed they probably still wouldn't be finished.
That casual attitude about work is not just a Florida thing. It's pretty common here in NY State. I'm sure alot of these jokers work for themselves because they couldn't work for anyone else.
Thanks, without you and Ed watching over our property I'm not sure what we would have done.
Sorry for hijacking this thread.

We had the same problem, they say they will call but don't, they say they will
be at your house at a certain time but don't.

I think it is a Florida thing.

We switched to Fernview about 6 months ago and our lawn has never looked better.

Food For Thought
 

Part of the problem with contractor apathy, unprofessionalism, tardiness, turnover may be that I have never seen so many contractors trying to slice up the pie as I have observed here in the villages. Prices have been pushed to an unsustainable low level. Costs here range from 50% to 80% lower than Indianapolis which is not generally known as a high-priced area. You get what you pay for.

You are seeing a direct result of the government's lack of enforcement of immigration laws. It's hard to compete with illegals who work for cash(no taxes, no insurance), and mis-classified labor(contractor as opposeed to employee). The only way to fight it is to insist on seeing a contractor's license #, and current certificate of workers comp insurance. Failing that, buyer beware!!!

Mulligan, you are right, but no one wants to do that because they want low prices. It is way more fun to pay low dollars and complain about low quality.

Had our home Landscaped by All American Kwik Kerby and they completed the job on time with an excellent result and competitive price. They are licensed, insured and had no illegal aliens.

Thats the million dollar answer. As we all tend to drive prices lower, something has to give, Time on the job, quality of the work, etc. Something I learned a long time ago is, cheaper is not always better. For me, I look for the best company or individual, not the cheapest, and like Indy said, you get what you pay for.

You now need to find a company that you TELL them what you want to have done, and they will give you a price that you can be sure is more than what your neighbors are paying, but you will be getting MORE and what you want.