Landscape Management, November 2018

LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET NOVEMBER 2018 24 PHOTO KUBOTA profit centers MOWING LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE T here are loyalty programs for everything from hotels to restaurants that reward customers for making purchases It only makes sense for customers to take advantage of these perks for things they are already going to buy But what about mower fleet loyalty programs Should landscapers consider a rewards program or purchasing their entire fleet from one mower manufacturer Beyond the equipment purchase there are no costs to join the programs and benefits can include equipment discounts low rate financing gift cards and other special deals To better understand some of the key benefits of participating in a loyalty program or purchasing an entire fleet from one manufacturer these landscape professionals and suppliers share their experiences and insights PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE From a manufacturers standpoint there are obvious incentives to having a landscaper turn to them for their full mower fleet To make their company stand out they look for ways to sweeten the deals and also cover a wider range of equipment Tom Vachal Kubota senior turf product manager helps break down how Kubotas loyalty program works Customers can qualify for the Kubota Fleet Program in two ways either on the number of units they purchase or the size of their current fleet For medium to large landscapers Kubota allows a customer to qualify based on their existing fleet regardless of brand the larger their fleet the greater the discount he says For the new and or small landscapers that are just getting into the business Kubota offers fleet pricing even for single unit purchases he adds Other customer groups also qualify for higher tier levels independent of the units they purchase or their fleet size Those include members of the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance NHLA the National Association of Landscape Professionals NALP and first responders and veterans who cut grass commercially Loyalty program members will not only experience savings on their initial purchase of whole goods but also on accessories such as mulch kits and grass catchers Another significant benefit for fleet participants is Kubotas EverGo loaner program Vachal says If for some reason a repair cannot be completed quickly participating dealers will loan the fleet participant a machine so they can keep cutting until their equipment gets repaired The Kubota Fleet Program also includes leasing seasonal payments extended warranties and insurance options The seasonal payments incentive gives landscapers the option to skip payments in low cash flow months and the insurance program ensures they dont have unplanned expenses due to an accident or natural disaster Landscapers should consider mower fleet programs any time they need to make a new machine purchase he says That extends beyond mowers Vachal says with some manufacturers offering a loyalty program that covers both mowers and construction equipment Using a single manufacturer for all equipment allows the landscaper to NEWSFEED CONSTRUCTYV LAUNCHES A new business management platform for home service professionals Constructyv launched Free to access the app offers quick quoting and invoicing repeatable templates scheduling payment processing accounting and consumer loans NEW KUBOTA PRODUCTS Kubota Tractor Corp entered the stand on mower segment and introduced three new models with electronic fuel injection EFI to the Z700 family of gasoline zero turn mowers at this years GIE EXPO in Louisville Ky The SZ Series stand ons including the SZ19 36 SZ22 48 and SZ26 52 will be available at Kubota dealerships in January and the new EFI models ship to dealerships this month Why to consider buying your whole fleet from one manufacturer BY LAUREN DOWDLE ACCESSORIZE Kubotas loyalty members also receive deals on mower accessories Package deal Continued on page 26 Tom Vachal