Landscape Management, June 2018

profit centers turf ornamental care LawnAmericas commission programs are tied to quality goals which Allen says is a critical component of the systems success The company keeps track of things like call backs cancellations and customer retention rates It also tracks each technicians net promoter score which is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firms customer relationships Allen says this strategy helps keep everything balanced and prevents employees from abusing the commission systems If their production rate is in line and their net promoter score is good we know we have a good performer he says All the incentives tie together to build a safety net to make sure one isnt being touted over the other You have to watch the checks and balances and make sure you have someone who is doing well in all the metrics not just excelling in one and failing in others A bulletproof plAn Arbor Nomics Turf in Atlanta has had technician commission and incentive systems in place for the past 15 years Richard Most Trusted Traveling Irrigation Systems Since 1964 A Kifco Water Reel allows you to irrigate multiple locations with a single machine They operate unattended shut down automatically Perfect solution for irregular shaped landscapes No in ground sprinkler heads to repair or winterize Portable Reliable Simple Automatic Affordable LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET June 2018 46 Bare the companys CEO says the systems are beneficial for everyone involved as production rates increase and technicians are rewarded for their hard work Arbor Nomics is a 10 million company that provides 90 percent lawn care and 10 percent tree shrub care to a 99 percent residential clientele We think a lot of technicians are money motivated and want to work hard and make good dough Bare says The commission system makes our guys feel that they are in control of their own fate every day based on what they do and dont do The Arbor Nomics system is structured so if technicians exceed their weekly goal they receive 10 percent of the extra production Arbor Nomics techs are eligible for time and a half and also receive 5 percent off the top of any sales they make Bare says technicians can earn between 50000 and 80000 per year if they really hustle and work their route The idea is to maximize the dollars from every stop Bare says If they have 10 stops at 100 each they might hit their daily goal by noon and may bring in another 1000 by the end of the day Bare says the commission system has to be thorough and precise in order to be successful as any holes in the program or unclear guidelines leave room for technicians to take advantage of the system Companies interested in developing a commission or incentive system should implement it slowly Bare says and be very specific about the rules You have to have this stuff well thought out and strictly put in place so there are no questions about it Bare says Sometimes guys can figure out how to work the system to benefit them in the short term You have to keep in mind that a commission system can be a win win but it can also be a source of trouble Keeping it simple Spring Touch Lawn Pest Control in St Peter Minn implemented a technician commission program about two years ago to provide tangible goals for newer employees to work toward Nathan Newlands vice president of franchising says since implementing the system each technicians production rate has gone up an average of 30 percent Spring Touch provides 70 percent lawn care 20 percent pest control and 10 percent irrigation services to a 95 percent residential 5 percent commercial clientele Rather than just getting their hours in they are getting serious amounts of work done Newlands says The numbers are realistic ones that they can hit and everyone across the board is benefiting Spring Touch identifies six different technician levels each based on the employees duration with the company daily square footage requirements and certifications and licenses they earn If a technician produces more square Continued from page 44 8004527017 sales@ kifco com www kifco com