How are you handling maintenance and downtime on your pressure washing equipment?
I am curious how other exterior cleaning contractors are keeping their setups running smoothly throughout the season. When you get a pump failure, unloader issue, or engine breakdown right in the middle of a busy week, do you handle all the repairs yourself in-house, or do you take your gear to a local shop to get back on the job faster? Also, how many hours are you running your hot water skids or main units before doing a full oil and filter change? Curious to hear what maintenance routines are working best for you guys to prevent unexpected downtime in the field.How do you handle customer call-backs without losing your shirt?
We’ve all been there. You wrap up a job, step back, everything looks solid, and then two days later the client calls about a spot that got missed or a detail they aren't totally happy with. In my own business, I try to handle touch-ups fast to keep the client relationship solid, but balancing quick response times with protecting your day's schedule and your profit margins gets tricky real fast during peak season. I’m curious how you guys handle fitting non-urgent call-backs back onto the schedule. Do you drop everything and fit them into the very next available slot, batch them all together for a specific day of the week, or handle them a different way? Also, where do you draw the line between a quick complimentary fix and something that needs a whole new quote? I'd love to hear how you guys run this in your day-to-day routine to keep clients happy without constantly derailing your entire day.How are you managing soft wash chemical blending in the field?
I am looking to hear how other exterior cleaning business owners are handling their soft wash chemical mixing on job sites. Are you running direct metering manifold systems to mix on demand, or are you still relying on batch mixing in holding tanks before heading out? If you switched from batch mixing to a proportioner system, has the time saved and control over chemical usage justified the equipment cost? Also, if you built your own manifold setup rather than buying pre-built, what valves and check valves held up best against high-strength bleach? Curious to hear what setups are holding up best for you guys in the field.How do you handle customer expectations when wild weather or scope creep throws off the schedule?
Hey Jobber Community! No matter how tight your schedule is, the unexpected always seems to happen—whether it’s a sudden mid-week storm, an equipment hiccup, or a job taking twice as long because of hidden issues. Keeping clients updated while keeping the rest of the week’s schedule on track can be a delicate balance. How do you handle schedule shifts with customers? Do you text automated updates as soon as a delay happens? Buffer built-in "flex hours" or dedicated catch-up days into your weekly schedule? Keep a strict communication rule before a certain time of day? Would love to hear how you keep client satisfaction high when the schedule gets wild!What’s the single biggest game-changer you’ve made to your quoting process this year?
Whether it’s switching to batch invoicing, adding line-item photos, or setting up automatic follow-ups in Jobber, small adjustments to your workflow can save hours every week. If you could go back to day one and change how you handle your job estimates and admin work, what’s the one tweak you’d make right away? Drop your best tip or lesson learned below—let’s help each other streamline operations!How are you handling minimum job charges and site estimates for 2026?
Hey everyone, Looking to tighten up my pricing model and job minimums heading into the rest of the season. For single-operator shops: What is your current hard floor / minimum charge for a residential service call? Are you doing virtual estimates via satellite imagery first, or insisting on every site visit in person? Curious to see how everyone balances closing fast versus avoiding scope creep.How do you handle clients who ask for "ballpark" pricing over the phone?
Hey community! Quick operational question. When a lead calls in or messages asking for a quick price before you can get photos or property measurements, how do you handle it? Do you give a wide range to filter them out, or do you strictly hold out until you have photos/measurements in hand? Curious to see how different shops handle the balance between speed and accuracy.
LAWN CARE PRICING
What do others do when clients skip multiple weeks in a row? I have a situation where for years I was providing weekly services, and this year I’ve skip a certain property more times than I’ve serviced. How should I handle a discussion with the client? Should I be charging more the times I do show up?Moving Legacy Clients to Online Pay: How Did You Make the Switch Stick?
Moving clients from traditional checks or cash over to digital invoicing and credit cards is one of the quickest ways to fix cash flow, but old habits die hard for long-time customers. When you made the transition to digital payments in your business, how did you get your persistent "check-in-the-mail" clients onboard without losing their trust? Did you set a strict deadline, add processing fees, or simply make paper invoicing a thing of the past?
