You have every right to ask as many questions as needed about your landscape maintenance contract, until you feel 100% comfortable. You, as the property manager or owner, are in charge of selecting the best landscape service partner and investing wisely in your commercial property.
It your obligation to improve its curb appeal, keep it safe for visitors, and enhance the quality of life for all who visit the property.
Getting a commercial landscape maintenance contract signed is a long process. Aspects of it can be confusing, especially if this is your first time contracting out, and your first experience in dealing with a different commercial landscaping companies. You may not know all the questions you should ask.
A reputable landscaping contractor will be happy to sit down and openly discuss all of your landscaping needs, questions and concerns, knowing that you would like to be reassured about the quality of services they will be providing.
The landscaping company that you select must be credible, professional, and most of all, they should be able to articulate the value they will bring to your commercial property. Will you communicate primarily through the landscaping crew, or will you have an account manager or another point of contact that you could reach out to? It’s important to hire a commercial landscaping company that keeps their lines of communication open not only before signing a contract, but also throughout the duration of the contract. You will have issues and concerns to address. You need to know where to go when that happens.
When it comes to signing a commercial landscaping contract, here are a few questions to ask your prospective landscape provider.
Does the servicing landscape staff (and their supervisors) have the right knowledge and expertise to execute your landscape service plan correctly? Their skills and expertise are what separate the “mow, blow, and go” provider from a full service commercial landscape company.
It’s essential to inquire about the professionalism, experience, qualifications, standards of work, and other values the staff are given, in order to make sure you’re choosing the right team for the long term success of your landscape.
There are times when you will need to make a change. Increasing or decreasing the service area, adding or removing landscaping services, or some other alteration to the original agreement after it’s been signed.
How do you go about negotiating these changes? Does the commercial landscaping company you choose allow you the flexibility to make alterations in your landscape maintenance contract?
The contract terms should be flexible enough to hold each party accountable, while allowing for a process that makes future changes or additions to the contract later. Making changes should be easy for both the client and landscape company. If you know your property’s service needs will evolve over the course of the contract, it’s better to discuss those possibilities earlier to avoid disputes or disagreements that could cause service interruptions or ruin a good working relationship.
Asking for references, licenses, recognition, and safety accreditations proves the landscaping company’s credibility and will give you a greater peace of mind that you are hiring Landscape Professionals. Even if you know you are hiring a reputable commercial landscaping company that has a well-established portfolio, it’s important to make these additional requests as a supplement during the selection process, to help you come to the best decision possible.
Our team at Yellowstone Landscape stands out from the rest with, “The Yellowstone Difference.”
Contact us now to learn more!