Frequently Asked Questions
Company Policy
Frequently Asked Questions and Current Company Policy
Here at Lush we work hard to create an environment of open and clear communication. One very common issue our clients mention as a point of dissatisfaction with previous providers is that they are bad at communication, and almost impossible to get a hold of when questions or concerns arise. To provide the level of service we feel you deserve, we make sure to keep staff available during regular business hours. That means we are always just a phone call away and can address any questions or concerns you may have. That being said, we understand many of our clients would prefer quick access to answers for their most common questions. So, below we have created a brief FAQ sheet. Of course, if there are still any questions or clarifications needed, please don't hesitate to call us at: 208-906-3220
Regular Mowing Season
Weekly estimates are for mowing on a regular weekly schedule for the months of April through October (depending on weather mowing may be switched to bi-weekly in October due to slow growth). Your weekly service will be scheduled for a specific day of the week and will be performed on that day regularly barring any emergencies or changes in schedule due to inclement weather. We will always notify you as soon as possible if changes are made to the regular schedule.
Preparing Property for Service
Automated Sprinkler Systems and Watering
We all love the convenience provided by our automated sprinkler systems. They are a great tool for providing our lawns with the right amount of water at the right times. However, because they are so hands off, it is easy to set and forget the watering. When a lawn is over watered, or watered too recently before mowing, it causes many issues for the grass as well as the mowing crew and equipment. We require that the lawn is not watered for at least 48 hours prior to the day of scheduled service. Many issues arise if there is not adequate time for the lawn to dry sufficiently between the last watering and the day of mowing. The cut quality will be poor and the health of the lawn negatively impacted. The finished result will be messy and unkept. The likelihood of ruts resulting from damp, soggy soil will rise dramatically. The effort and time required by the crew to service the property increases significantly, which in turn increases the cost. We understand that watering is often overlooked, so if this happens we will first reach out to make you aware of the problem and see if we may be able to help. If it continues to be an issue that affects the crew's ability to complete the job in a clean and timely manner, then an additional fee will be added to the job to compensate for the cost.
The growth rate of the grass will change with the seasons, but generally the grass should not be growing more than ~2" per week. If the lawn is overgrown due to negligence in watering on the part of the client, an additional fee will be added to the job to compensate for the increased cost.
I have also put together a Quick Watering Guide to provide additional insights on the best practices for watering so you can have the best possible results. Please check that out if you have any questions on how to properly set your watering schedule.
Proper Access
Often where issues can arise are during the following:
Pet Feces
Lawn Cleared for Mowing Day
We require that any obstacles are cleared from all lawn areas for the day of service. The estimate provided for weekly mowing does not include cleaning the lawn of toys, tools, trash, etc. Depending on the severity of the situation we try to give one warning/reminder of this policy. For future instances a fee will be added to the invoice to compensate for the increased time. If the lawn is severely obstructed we will skip those areas of the lawn and no change in price will be made. It is the client's responsibility to make sure the lawn is cleared and ready for service.
Trampolines
Due to negative experience in the past we no longer have our crews move trampolines. If you have a Trampoline or similar toy in lawn areas that you would like mowed, you are responsible for moving it on a weekly basis to provide access.
Rain Delays
Unfortunately, I have yet to discover how to control the weather. And until that day comes, we will be beholden to the unpredictability of Idaho weather. This means that instances may arise where we are unable to service your property on the scheduled mowing day. In this case we will always notify you by email and text. Most often we are able to mow even if it has or is raining, but in cases where it has just rained too much we may have to reschedule or skip the week's service. In anticipation of this we only schedule regular services Monday through Thursday. This means that if the weather does cause issues with the regular scheduling we can typically still mow the property in the same week by moving the job to either Friday or Saturday. Some weeks in the spring it will rain for multiple days, and there is just no way for us to complete all jobs in the week. In that case we will have to skip mowing for that week. Because it is not by choice, we may have to charge 1.5 or 2x the regular price the following week due to overgrowth. This change in price will be determined on a case by case basis by the crew foreman based on if and how much additional time the lawn takes to be completed.
Disposal of Grass Clippings
As stated in the estimate, we do not haul off grass clippings for the regular weekly mowing service. So, if you would like clippings to be bagged we will need a way to dispose of the lawn clippings onsite. If you live in the Boise area you most likely already have a green lid yard waste bin we can use. If not, you can contact your city utilities to have that set up. In some other areas the garbage bin can be used for yard waste, or you can request to have a bin for yard waste. We are also happy to dispose of the clippings in a compost bin or garden if desired. Please let us know what method we can use to dispose of the clippings. If a method has not been specified the clippings will be side discharged into the lawn.
Damaged Property
We take the trust you have placed in us very seriously, and have a clear set of procedures employees must follow if there is ever a case where your property is damaged due to negligence on the part of our crew. The employee is required to immediately take photos and notes to document the incident and then call their supervisor. Our office staff will then reach out directly to you to make you aware of the situation and correct it. We are of course fully licensed and insured, so you can rest easy knowing that you will not be assuming any risk. If there is damage to the property that you suspect was caused by our team but was not reported, please contact our office as soon as possible with details and concerns.
Invoicing and Payment System
Unpaid Invoices
We use an automated payment system and weekly services are billed on a weekly basis. We prefer to focus our time on providing the best lawn care services we can offer, not on bill collecting. So, we have a pretty clear cut policy regarding unpaid invoices. Payment is always due the day of service, and any delinquent invoices will immediately result in a pause in service until the payment is received.