When you invest in commercial landscaping services, you want to feel that you are getting the most possible value out of the money being spent. Of course, measuring value in your landscape service may feel like it’s a bit of an intangible. You might feel like you don’t really have a good way to gauge the level of value you’re receiving for your investment.
But we understand that you deserve a way to measure your landscaping company’s worth and explain it to others involved with your property. We know that professional landscaping services can be a large line item in your budget, and we want you to feel that your dollars are being used wisely.
That’s why we’ve compiled some of the best ways to determine value from your commercial landscape maintenance provider.
Measuring Value by Resident, Tenant, or Employee Happiness
Okay, so admittedly happiness is another idea that’s a bit intangible and not exactly something you can measure. But we hear from prospective clients all the time that they judge their landscaper’s value by how many complaints they don’t receive.
Frequent complaints are a red flag that your commercial landscaping provider may not be living up to all of your expectations. However, it’s important to have a conversation and make sure that the expectations of your residents (tenants or employees) are actually in line with what’s in your scope of services and meets what was agreed in your landscaper's proposal. For instance, if your residents expect seasonal color more times during the year than you’ve contracted for them, it’s an unfair expectation of your commercial landscaping provider.
But if expectations match what’s in the proposal, and complaints continue to roll in, then it could be time to think about finding a new commercial landscaping provider.
Keeping track of complaints (and compliments—though we know people tend to be more apt to gripe than praise) is certainly one way to measure value.
Along with that, a sense of pride in your community or your commercial property is also a form of measurement of landscaping’s value. How do you feel when you pull into the property? Is the landscaping welcoming? Is it neat and tidy, giving off a great first impression?
When the landscaping looks great, people feel good about living, working, or visiting the property.
Looking at Comparative Properties
While the level of happiness and a sense of pride are somewhat intangible ways to gauge value, we would bet that you’re most likely looking for some hard numbers to help measure the value of your landscape.
That’s why we also recommend looking at comparative properties.
- How does the house in a home built this year in a brand new HOA compare to the homes in your HOA that were built 5 or 10 years ago? What are their resale prices compared to yours?
Landscaping is a major factor in keeping communities up to date. Great landscaping can help make a community look just as good (if not better) than a brand-new community. In many ways, your more mature landscape, if properly maintained, should be even more appealing than a newly installed landscape. 
Looking at comparative properties is a really good way to gauge whether commercial landscaping is helping your property to maintain its value. And this isn’t just true for HOA communities.
You should also look at comparative properties if you’re managing a commercial property that leases out space.
- For a commercial property, what are your per-square-foot lease rates compared to other, newer developments in the area?
- What is your occupancy rate compared to theirs?
Keeping up with trends and making the most of your commercial landscaping partners’ expertise is a great way to keep your space competitive, even as other developments are opened in the area. Landscape can truly be a differentiator. And looking at the numbers will give you a sense of whether you are getting the maximum value out of your commercial landscape service.
Certainly, we understand that there are other factors at play - location, available amenities, taxes and zoning, etc. But there’s no question that landscaping can give you a competitive edge and play a significant contributing role in your property’s overall value. And keeping up with how comparative properties are faring is one way that you can start to better measure the value that you get out of your landscaping services.
Comparing the Value of One Commercial Landscaping Company to Another
Hopefully this article has given you some more insight on measuring what has typically felt like a difficult thing to measure. We understand that it’s important to you that you feel confident that you’re getting the most value out of your investment and that you want to have a good way to measure it.
Of course, you must also recognize that some commercial landscaping companies are going to bring more value to the table than others. So we urge all our prospective clients to take the time to compare companies and make sure that you’re choosing one that is going to deliver the value you’re seeking.
Some of the contributing factors that impact value include the following.
Excellent Communication
Some commercial landscapers have developed an unfortunate reputation for poor communication in the past. Top-notch communication is easily a differentiator from one company to another. You want to choose a company that proactively communicates with you, not one that you constantly have to chase down.
The Best Equipment, Practices, and Customer Service
Your commercial landscaping investment also goes to equipment, training in best practices, and customer service. You deserve to make sure that you’re getting the most out of these elements, too. If a landscaping company cuts corners in any of these areas, it’s going to impact your results and your overall experience.
An Amazing Team
The quality of the landscaping work done on any property is only as good as the team performing it. That’s why it’s so important to hire a commercial landscaping company that takes hiring incredibly seriously. The right team is also necessary for so many other factors to make a difference.
Making Your Valuable Choice
As you think about investing your money in commercial landscaping, make sure that you consider some of the factors that impact value. It’s quite often worth paying a little bit more for all of the value that you will reap as a result. The truth is, when you shop on price alone, you can end up with a company that delivers results that don’t align with your expectations. Then, it’s back to the drawing board to start the research process all over again.
That’s why research on the front end of the landscape service buying process is so important.
Taking the time now to perform the research will pay off with confidence that you’ve made a wise choice for your investment in commercial landscaping. At Yellowstone Landscape, it is our goal to be true partners with the community and property managers that select us. As a result, you can count on us to be there to help every step of the way.
Are you thinking about changing commercial landscaping companies because you’re not getting the value you deserve? Request a consultation today. We’ll meet to learn more about your property and its challenges and come up with a comprehensive plan to take care of all of the details for you.
