Doug

Services Offered 

• Lawn Mowing

• Hedge Trimming

• Gardening

Service Areas

• Palmerston North

• Kelvin Grove

If your lawns are looking a little worse for wear in Kelvin Grove and the greater Palmerston North area, then Doug is the man to call. Doug is proud to be your local Crewcut franchise owner, taking care of many Palmerston North properties. 

While Doug’s primary service is lawn mowing, he’s more than happy to carry out hedge trimming and gardening for his long-term clients. If customers reward him with ongoing business, he rewards them with a full range of services to keep their yards in tip-top shape.

Doug makes his way around Palmerston North with his Testarossa mower and Stihl weed eater and blower. He enjoys using a Testarossa mower over other models due to its lightweight frame. He also believes that Stihl products are cost-effective and get the job done to a high standard. 

While Doug enjoys his work and client interactions, he didn’t always work in lawn care. Instead, he owned a dairy for six years. After seeing a Crewcut trailer, he inquired about the possibility of a franchise. Working outside appealed to him at that point in his life.

He started his Crewcut franchise because he wanted flexibility and knew that the business system works. “Sometimes you’ll take Saturday or Sunday off, or you can work a bit later if you like,” he says.

Once he joined the team, he never looked back. He loves working with his customers, completing all jobs to a high standard, and the easy navigation of Palmerston North. He also does all the invoicing, machinery maintenance, and accounts himself, while enjoying the flexible work-life balance that lawn care services allow. 

When asked about his best skill in the business, he says consistency is the best thing. “I’d like to think that if I say I’m going to be there, I’ll turn up. If I can’t guarantee someone that I’ll be there tomorrow, I don’t say I’m going to be there tomorrow. And if I say I’ll be there at 9 o’clock, I’ll be there at that time.” Staying committed to your customers requires organisation and time management skills. If you have this in place, everything else will follow.

The biggest thing he’s learned over his many years in the business is to make sure you’re getting paid for the jobs you do. He says Palmerston North is a pretty transitional place with a lot of students and people who keep moving out, so you need to ask your customers to pay upfront particularly for one-off mows.

Doug also has wise words of advice for anyone who thinks that lawn care and working outside might be for them.

“Make sure it’s what you want to do.”