What do homeowners want from lawn service companies?

Updated Mar 8, 2021
Photo: PixabayPhoto: Pixabay

When you are considering opening any business, you need to understand what your potential audience wants — but that is especially true when you plan to work in a service industry like lawn care.

In this field, failure comes quickly to businesses that fail to deliver exactly what consumers expect. In truth, you should perform thorough market research to get a crystal-clear view of what consumers in your area want and need — but in the meantime, you can read about what the typical lawn services customer desires from their provider.

A good reputation

No matter how much you know about lawn care, you won’t attract new clients if your business has a bad reputation. It should go without saying that you should pay attention to your customer service, working to make your existing clients happy — because then they will be more likely to recommend your services to friends and neighbors.

It pays to have good reviews and ratings on sites like Yelp or Angie’s List because many new clients visit these locations before contacting service providers. You should also spend time and money developing a website that looks professional and demonstrates your good reputation (like this lawn maintenance site).

Tried-and-true expertise

Anyone can push a lawn mower — but homeowners looking for professional lawn services don’t want just anybody, or else they would hire the teenager down the street. Your customers want to know that you have the knowledge and experience to give their lawn well-rounded care.

Unwavering professionalism is a good way to establish your expertise, but you might also include on your website any appropriate credentials, like licenses and certifications from respected groups. If you lack the knowledge or experience about lawn care, consider gaining some through formal education or by working for another company before launching your own business.

Clear communication

Communication is key in every industry; there is no business that does not benefit by using clear and effective language. In a field like lawn care, you need to be especially transparent with regards to what you will do to your clients’ lawns, so they don’t harbor assumptions that cause dissatisfaction down the line.

You should be able to explain the services you offer, their benefits, their downsides and their costs without confusing your clients or putting them off. Communication like this is a skill that takes time and effort to develop, but it is exceedingly valuable in this industry.

A good relationship

In any home services field, clients want a close, positive relationship with their service providers. Think of if this way: You are venturing onto your client’s property, going into their private areas and using significant machinery close to their windows and doors. They want to know they can trust you not to do damage, either by ruining their lawn or by stealing items or information from their homes.

Also, clients want to feel comfortable approaching you with questions or concerns. Friendly and open communication is important for this, but a good relationship also takes time and effort from both parties. You should take behavior cues from your clients to cultivate the custom relationship that they want.

Sustainable practices

Not all clients will have sustainability as a primary concern, but most don’t want exceedingly toxic chemicals permeating the air and property around their home. What’s more, more homeowners will want to avoid contributing to the environmental crisis as the years drag on, so the sooner you adopt eco-friendly tools and techniques, the better. You might even build your brand around non-toxic, organic products and procedures, even if you offer traditional lawn treatments, as well.

A good price

It should hardly be a surprise that most clients don’t want to overpay for lawn maintenance. For many potential clients, the choice isn’t between you and deluxe services; rather, it’s a choice amongst a few reasonably priced service providers and no professional lawn service whatsoever.

You shouldn’t be afraid of charging what you need to turn a profit, but you should also remain mindful of what other service providers in your area are asking for comparable work. Then, you should communicate costs with your clients, so they don’t suspect you are ripping them off.

Your unique audience might clamor for community involvement or reliability or some other factor not on this list — and that’s why you need to perform your own market research. Still, if you build a lawn care business based on the features above, you’ll likely cultivate a happy and loyal clientele.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was written by Jackie Carrillo. Carrillo is a content coordinator and contributor that creates quality articles for topics like technology, home life, business management, gardening and landscaping and education. She studied business management and is continually building positive relationships with other publishers and the internet community. 

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