Blade Runners Inc

"Blade Runners would like to write a response to this concern. Blade Runners has maintenance agreements with Home Owner and Condominium associations. We are hired by a board of directors who generally live in the community , and in many cases, the advice of local property managers. The board decides on the type and level of service we provide. In these instances one client can turn into hundreds, as residents who pay dues have their own expectations. In some cases the expectations of residents do not match with what the contractor has been instructed to do by the association. This resident is correct. The board elected to add the front yard service. We did not receive the clients initial request to reject the service. However, we did receive the request and on one occasion we serviced the property incorrectly. We were not able to see any damage, and the resident was not interested in a meeting for us to review and replace. This association has been a client for close to ten years. In 2014 they renewed our contract for a five year period. The property has close to 100 units. We have software that lists any residents who do not want service. A special sheet is printed at each mowing so the crew knows what, and what not, to do. We have structured PowerPoint training materials and spend classroom time teaching our staff the correct procedure. In this case the crew member simply made a mistake. With that said, this is no excuse. Blade Runners is responsible to execute correctly the first time. We can appreciate the clients frustration that her requests were not followed. We will Endeavour to reach this goal in the future."

"We appreciate these wonderful comments. The landscape industry is maturing with large national competitors entering the market with lower prices, watered down services, poor quality, and non existent communication. It is not unlike Home Depot squeezing out the hardware store. There are many clients that still recognize and desire high quality, courteous treatment, and responsive service. This client has experienced both ends of the spectrum."

"The Derecho was really an amazing event. The entire area was without power, phone or internet for days. We used a generator to access client information on the computer. Then it was out the old fashioned way, knocking on our clients doors and offering assistance with the hazardous trees. I don't think our staff slept for a week!"

"We are sorry to hear that this person is not happy. Our contact and scheduling software is very powerful. It stores a great deal of information to include jobs ordered, dates of completion, materials used, and gps start and stop information. Unfortunately, we are not able to find any evidence of work, or an order, for this customer. With that said, we are concerned and would welcome the opportunity to meet this client and resolve whatever issue there might be."

"We are sorry that this resident is unhappy with our Service. Blade Runners provides landscape services to over 300 home owners associations in Northern Virginia. This person lives in the community we maintain. In this particular instance the plant was not properly planted and did not have a mulch boarder. This is a standard horticultural practice that protects the plant and also allows for water retention. Our agreement with the association calls for all plantings to have a mulch boarder around them. We completely appreciate the frustration and would like to solve the problem. This resident should have contacted our office rather than talking with the crew on site. We would have replaced the plant and created the correct boarder at no charge."

"A big thank you to this property manager for his/her comments. Property managers play a big role in the success of a home owners association. Our goal is to make the landscape part of their job free of head aches. At Blade Runners we make an effort to complete the work on time and communicate the results to our clients. We send email completion receipts to our clients that match the specifications in our contract."

"We tried in earnest to work on this client complaint. We spent a good deal of time in research of the events, dates of service, crew activity. We were ultimately unable to connect our findings with the assertions of this client. The subject property is in Reston in a wooded community. We believe the plant damage to be the cause of deer grazing on the plants. The morning glory grows around a light post. The damage is three feet off the ground, with the base roots in perfect condition. This would mean the operator would have to raise the weed eater to that level to cause the damage. In addition there is evidence of other plant damage from deer in the surrounding area. We attempted to communicate this to the client. The client also mentions that the Homeowners Association hired a third party company to complete snow removal that we failed to do. This is not a true statement, and can be easily confirmed with the Home Owners Association board. As you can imagine, damage can take place when providing landscape work on a large property. Blade Runners has a specific procedure for investigating and compensating for damage. We are sensitive to the needs of the residents, understand the inconvenience, and lean on the client’s side whenever possible. However, there are instances where the client is incorrect, and we believe this to be one of them."

"It is great to see one of our happy clients make a post on Angies list. At Blade Runners we try hard to report and be proactive. Many associations wrestle with long term projects, and establishing a budget. Our Community enhancement portrait is simple and allows our clients to plan for the future. We like to communicate with our clients so they know what to expect. During snow storm we send emails ahead of an event describing our proposed course of service action."

"We are very pleased that this client was satisfied with the work completed. Blade Runners is very lucky to have many long term committed employees. Some of our employees have been with us for over 15 years. We have training classes for all of our services so we can bring a consistent level of service to our clients."