School-holiday slowdown: keep work flowing when families are away

From late July to the start of September, replies slow down. Families are away, routines are gone, and "we will have a think" means "ask us in the autumn".

It is not a drop in work that needs doing. Gardens keep growing. It is a drop in people making decisions.

So the job is to get decisions before they leave, and to find the work that does not need anyone at home.

• Ask for a yes or no before the customer goes away.
• Offer to do the work while they are away.
• Message past customers about summer maintenance.
• Fill gaps with short jobs close to home.
• Keep a callback list with return dates.

If someone has had a price from you and has not answered, ask now: "Are you around over the summer, or shall I book it for when you are back?"

It gives them two easy answers, and both are bookings.

Leave it until the week they fly and you will hear nothing until September.

Outdoor work is ideal for an empty house. Nobody needs the garden, there are no cars on the drive, and the customer comes home to a finished job.

You need three things agreed in writing first: how you get in, what exactly you are doing, and how they pay.

Send photos when it is done. For a customer on a beach, that message is the best advert you could send.

A holiday watering and mowing visit is an easy extra to offer. It is a small job, but it comes back every year.

People who have used you before do not need persuading. They need reminding.

A short message about a seasonal job works well in August: hedges, lawn care in dry weather, a tidy-up before autumn.

One note on hedges: nesting birds are protected by law, and the main season runs to the end of August. Check for active nests before you cut, and leave the job until September if you find any.

Only message customers who would expect to hear from you, and make it easy to say no thanks.

August is a good month for the half-day jobs you put off when you are busy.

Keep them close. A quiet month with long drives is the worst of both.

It is also the month to take your own time off without losing much. Decide which weeks, and tell customers early.

Every "ask me in September" goes on a list with a name, the job and the date they are back.

Then ring on that date. It is a small thing, and it is where a lot of autumn work comes from.

• Chase every open quote with the "now, or when you are back?" question.
• Write to ten past customers about one seasonal job.
• Start the callback list.
• Block your own time off.

Before they go:

Hi [name], are you around over the summer? I can do [job] while you are away so it is finished when you get back, or book it for the week you return. Which would you prefer?

Past customers:

Hi [name], [your name] here. I am booking [hedge cutting / lawn care / garden tidy-ups] for August and have a few slots near you. Would you like one? Reply STOP if you would rather not get these.