Making choices about crew uniforms

Photo courtesy of Colonial Lawn

As with most things in life, first impressions count in business. When your crew shows up on a job site, you want customers to feel good about them. “Our experience is that customers like uniforms,” says Sarah Mendak, owner of Flower Pots in the Pittsburgh area. “It shows we’re part of a cohesive team and lends credence to what we do.”

When Mendak first started issuing tees and sweatshirts, it didn’t go smoothly. “I was constantly reordering or not getting the right sizes or the right number of shirts,” she says. “It was annoying.”

She noticed that one of her clients used a uniform service for their front desk staff, so she researched her options for her crew of approximately 15. The service turned out to be much more efficient for her company.

Since 2013, Mendak has provided uniforms at no cost to employees. They consist of khaki cargo pants with pockets, where gloves or bottled water can be stowed, and light blue short-sleeved button-down shirts with collars. The company logo and names are sewn on. “The crews love the look and convenience,” Mendak says. Hats are not required, but they are issued company logo ball caps if they wish to wear them.

Read the full story from the December issue here.