It’s that time of the year - time to look for the best lawn care company to treat your lawn. Lawn treatment companies generally are not in low supply, but how do you separate the great professional lawn care companies from the not-so-great companies? Too often we hear of friends and neighbors hiring a lawn care company that does not do the greatest job. Be sure to do your research this year and be an educated consumee. Try to avoid simple mistakes while choosing your lawn care professional. The emphasis is on professional. If you want your lawn treated correctly, try to avoid hiring your friend's cousin's friend that does some lawn “stuff” on the side. Instead, here's what you should be looking for!

Shop Local

Not all grasses are the same so they should not be treated as such. Different Ohio grasses may require different treatments. Who better knows your local grasses than a local company? This is also true for climate and weather. Though in the same state, Cincinnati and Cleveland can have very different weather patterns. National lawn care chains will not have the same competency as local owners who build their business around the area's lawn care needs.

Certified Professional

Always hire a lawn company that has licensed and trained lawn technicians that will treat your lawn. Certified technicians have ongoing training and will have the knowledge to treat your lawn the right way. These technicians will be able to properly diagnose almost any type of ailment going on with your lawn, avoiding mistreatment and harming your grass. If you go with a company that does not have trained and certified technicians, you run the risk of having your lawn being mistreated and paying money for nothing.

Lawn Weed Magicians

A good lawn company will make weeds magically disappear after the first treatment...well maybe not exactly with magic. Of course a good lawn care company should try to get the weeds out of your lawn with the first treatment, but unfortunately those pesky weeds sometimes avoid the treatment and still pop up. The “magic” here is free weed touch ups. Look for a professional lawn care company that will provide you with weed touch ups with no application fee. This shows that the lawn care company really cares about the healthy and look of your lawn (like Weed Pro does, we really care). Weed control is a lawn care service that customers pay money for. To have a lawn spotted with weeds after paying hard earned money to make your yard beautiful is theft!

The Word on the Web

We have the world at our fingertips with our smart phones and computers. Take advantage of this. Take some time to take a peek at Google reviews and other review websites to see what customers said about their lawns and landscape after hiring a lawn care company from your area.

With reviews, you are able to see how others liked or disliked the lawn care service provided by the lawn treatment companies. You can also look at how customers review the technicians themselves. Keep in mind that these people may be visiting your home on a regular basis. You will want respectful and dependable people working on your yard. You can also take a drive around your neighborhood and see how others' lawns look after using a certain lawn care company. Ask your neighbors if they enjoy hiring the company of their choosing or if they think they might change after the season is over.

Exceptional Customer Service

“Please hold for the next available representative…”, a phrase we all know too well. The national guys often have a headquarters across the country. That means that the headquarters deals with the customer service. Adding a middle man to the process makes dealing with problems difficult and adds more stress to the situation. Problem solving that should only take a few hours ends up taking days when a company has to go through the headquarters for answers or permission. Lawn treatment companies that have local customer service will save you headaches and stress.

Health Freebees

The company you hire should have your lawn's health in their best interest, and exceptional customer service shows that. Great customer service should include the free weed touch ups mentioned before. You should be able to call and report any weed spottings and have the weeds “magically” disappear from your lawn after the lawn company pays a visit. The best lawn care companies should provide some other free guarantees as wells.

Crabgrass is another thing that will still come back to haunt you after it has been treated. Crabgrass touch ups are just like the weed touch ups, the crabgrass should disappear after a phone call to the company reporting the problem. The best lawn care company should ensure the health of your lawn like insurance.

If grubs invade your lawn, it is basically game over. Grubs will feed on the roots of your grass and kill your lawn. The company should offer you a grub protection and guarantee to make sure these killers do not harm your lawn. You should always be able to call and ask for a lawn care tip on any problems you are having. A good company will want their customers to be educated in keeping their lawn healthy.

Show Me The Money

You can find a lawn care company that is great for your lawn and your budget. Everyone's budgets are different, so find the best price for you. Always get a few estimates to see how much a company is going to charge you and how they will charge you. Remember to ask for total price. Getting multiple estimates can help you make the best decision and be more educated on pricing in the industry. You can use the other estimates to possibly negotiate pricing if the company you want is a little bit more costly than others. Remember, just because a company is the cheapest does not mean that they are the best. It may seem like they are saving you money, but they will most likely just end up charging you more down the line. If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is just simply not true.