Dave vs Steve: Old School vs New School
Follow two landscapers through the same day and see how Graft & Grow transforms everything
Meet Dave Hartwell
Hartwell Landscapes, Birmingham
Uses Graft & Grow
Meet Steve Wilson
Wilson Gardens, Birmingham
Still doing it the old way
Dave vs Steve Today
| Steve (Old Way) | Dave (Graft & Grow) |
|---|---|
| 8h admin | 0h admin |
| £0 lost | £0 saved |
The Day Starts
❌ Steve Wilson
Steve spends 20 minutes scrolling through WhatsApp messages trying to find Mrs. Peterson's address text, hunting for the quote he wrote on his phone, and trying to remember what materials and tools he'll need. That extra 20 minutes turns into 40 because he's now hit morning traffic. Brilliant start, Steve.
✅ Dave Hartwell
Dave opens the app and sees his entire day, week, and month laid out. Confirms materials were ordered yesterday, runs through the tool checklist for each job, and he's out the door in 5 minutes. No hunting, no stress, no traffic jams.
Wilson Garden - Quote
📍 15 Oak Street, B12 8QR
11:30 AM
Peterson Patio - Install
📍 42 Elm Road, B15 3TY
"Hi Mrs. Johnson, I'm with a customer but will call you back in 30 minutes - Dave"
The £2,500 Phone Call
❌ Steve Wilson
Mrs. Johnson calls about her patio quote while Steve's driving. He can't answer, she calls someone else. Lost lead worth £2,500. Steve doesn't even know he missed it until later.
✅ Dave Hartwell
Missed call text-back automatically sends: "Hi Mrs. Johnson, I'm with a customer but will call you back in 30 minutes - Dave". System sets a reminder to call her back, and when Dave books the job later, it automatically emails the supplier to order materials.
Quote While You Measure
❌ Steve Wilson
Steve measures, takes notes on his phone, says "I'll email you the quote tonight." But he doesn't get to it until Sunday evening, and by then the customer has chosen someone else. Another one bites the dust.
✅ Dave Hartwell
Dave creates a professional quote on his tablet in 10 minutes. Customer loves it and signs on the spot. Job booked, deposit paid. Dave's already thinking about his next coffee break.
Patio: £1,200
Plants: £300
Labour: £800
Total: £2,300
£2,300 paid in full
💳 Card payment
✅ Automatically invoiced
📧 Receipt sent
Get Paid While You Eat
❌ Steve Wilson
Steve remembers he forgot to invoice the Wilson job from last week. Spends lunch break creating invoice, chasing payment, waiting weeks to get paid. His pie goes cold while he's on hold with the bank.
✅ Dave Hartwell
Invoice was sent automatically when job was marked complete. Customer paid by card immediately. Money's already in Dave's account. Fast invoices = paid invoices. Dave enjoys his warm pie.
Next Week's Jobs Sorted
❌ Steve Wilson
Steve's got the Brown's garden makeover starting Monday. Spends his afternoon calling suppliers, getting quotes, placing orders, and trying to coordinate delivery times. Three different suppliers, three different phone calls, three different headaches.
✅ Dave Hartwell
When Dave created the Brown's quote last week, the system automatically generated a materials list. One click sends the order to his preferred suppliers with delivery scheduled for Monday morning. Job sorted, Dave sorted.
📦 15x Paving Slabs
📦 10 bags Topsoil
📦 5 Shrubs
🚚 Delivery: Monday 8 AM
📸 Before/After: Peterson Patio
👍 5 likes
💬 2 comments
📞 Mrs. Williams: "Can you quote my garden?"
Marketing on Autopilot
❌ Steve Wilson
Steve knows he should post on Facebook to grow his business, but he never has time. When does he post? What does he say? By the time he thinks about it, it's 9 PM and he's knackered. Another week with zero marketing.
✅ Dave Hartwell
Dave's phone buzzes with notifications - 5 likes and 2 comments on this morning's before/after post that was automatically scheduled. Mrs. Williams commented asking for a quote. Another lead, zero effort.
Keep Customers in the Loop
❌ Steve Wilson
Mrs. Peterson calls asking about progress while Steve's packing up. He has to stop, find his phone, explain where they're up to, and promise to finish tomorrow. 15 minutes of his time, plus she's still worried.
✅ Dave Hartwell
Dave sends a quick update via the app: "Hi Mrs. Peterson, just finished for today. Great progress on your patio - we'll be back tomorrow to finish up." Takes 30 seconds, customer's happy.
"Hi Mrs. Peterson, just finished for today. Great progress on your patio - we'll be back tomorrow to finish up. Thanks - Dave"
📱 Sent in 30 seconds
"Hi Mr. Brown, hope you love your new patio! Could you leave us a quick Google review? - Dave"
⭐ Link included
Reviews on Autopilot
❌ Steve Wilson
Steve knows he should ask for reviews but always forgets. When he remembers, it's weeks later and feels awkward. His Google reviews are from 2019 and one of them is only 3 stars.
✅ Dave Hartwell
Automated review request sent: "Hi Mr. Brown, hope you love your new patio! Could you leave us a quick Google review? - Dave". Sent automatically when job was marked complete.
6:00 PM - Old School vs New School
Dave's home for dinner with his family. Steve's just starting his evening admin.
Not sure? Pst here's a clue: Dave is happier and has more time, more money and his Mrs doesn't hate him.
Go on, be a Dave.