If you could read the minds of your vendors, would you want to? Sometimes it’s a love/hate relationship.
We talked with a vendor to hear her perspective on working with property managers. KC Brown is the owner of KC Land Designs but has been an account manager for 20 years as a vendor.
Here are some of her concerns when working with property management companies:
Unrealistic Expectations
“Some clients don’t realize that when they reduce their services because of deferred maintenance, they will likely end up paying for it later,” said KC. “They say they will only pay for a seven-month season, but Colorado is an eight-month season. We were doing clean up all the way into December this past year. Clients end up paying for it in capital improvements when the turf or several trees tree die from lack of services.”
“Another unrealistic expectation comes when a customer asks why their property isn’t looking better when you just started the contract two months ago. The problem is that it has been neglected for five years. Landscape doesn’t recover as quickly as we’d hope. The answer comes in maintenance.”
SOLUTION: Vendors are experts in their fields and know what your property requires to stay healthy. Trust their expertise to do the proper amount of maintenance work.
Communicate with your property owner the necessity of keeping up with your property’s maintenance rather than skimping.
If you absolutely must defer some maintenance, then make sure the budget for the following year reflects the extra work needed to maintain the property’s value.
Lack of Transparency About Your Budget
“I’ll have a property manager tell me they are happy with a C-grade property. This is good to know. The problem is some people want an A property on a C property budget. We educate our clients about what we can and can’t do. For example, at one budget level we will rake out all the leaves around the bushes. At a higher level, we get into the base of the bush and remove leaves by hand. It’s comes down to the amount of time we spend on the property.”
There is a fear that if you tell a vendor your budget that they’ll expand their work to fit the budget. That’s a legitimate concern. It comes down to trust. If you trust your vendor, then assume they are fitting their work within your budget. If you are concerned about the quote, you can always get a second quote from another vendor.
SOLUTION: Establish a foundation of trust early in the relationship.
Let the vendor know what your budget is for both projects and ongoing work.
Let them know how flexible your budget is – whether you can move budget from another area in case major landscape projects haven’t been done in a while.
See if you can get a discount for doing a project in the off-season when they aren’t as busy.
Make sure the vendor breaks out individual projects so you can prioritize them better.
Not Understanding Your Needs
“Sharing information, whether on daily basis or in the communication protocol, helps us know where we stand at any given point.”
If the vendor doesn’t have the full picture or they only get information piecemeal, then you’ll miss the opportunity to get their expert advice.
The best way they can gather the information is by walking the property with you. From their education and daily experience on other properties, they’ll be able to see concerns you might not have thought about. And you’ll be able to communicate your owner’s wishes about the direction of the property.
“Walkthroughs are important because it helps us show you what we accomplished and what wasn’t done and should be done in the future.”
SOLUTION: Get to know your vendor in person to establish a mutual rapport.
Set up a time to walk the property with your vendor to address current needs and desires for the future.
Ask their opinion about which project they feel should be prioritized to improve the property.
Talk through the options with the property owner so they have a hand in the decision. They are less likely to complain when the bills roll in if they were part of the decision-making process.
The more your vendors get to know you and the property you manage, the better the outcome will be. Tasks will be done on budget, to spec and you will benefit from a lasting relationship with vendors you can confidently rely upon.
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About KC Land Designs
KC Land Designs was founded with one goal in mind - to provide a full range superior landscaping services, including Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Design and Installation and Commercial Landscaping, at affordable rates to the residents of Lonetree. Our company has grown over the years from a two-person operation into a full staff of professionals able to meet your every landscaping need. We are dedicated to building long-term relationships with our clients by providing the highest standard of quality on each and every project we do. Our reputation for customer satisfaction in the Lonetree area is what has made KC Land Designs a household name in the industry.
