Landscaper Leaves Clients with Unfinished Projects for Months

Photo: NewsChannel5Photo: NewsChannel5

A few Ohio clients are feeling frustrated after one landscaper has not followed through on his commitments.

One client paid Empire Landscape and Irrigation up front to complete a concrete patio job, but the job has gone undone for months, according to NewsChannel5.

Another resident also hired the same company, paid up front for landscaping services and the job has been left undone for weeks.

When contacted, the landscaper says he’s had health issues, which are causing the delays.

The landscaper now has to report to the Ohio Attorney General for all of the consumer complaints.

“The guy goes door-to-door, he tries to sell a low price,” Greg Cancilla, a client, told NewsChannel5. “He does a little bit of work, takes your money and then disappears. The guy should never be trusted.”

There is a lot of competition in the landscaping industry, and landscapers who do not follow through on services can make it hard  for others to get business.

There are different ways to market yourself in the landscaping industry, and establishing yourself as a reputable company in the area says a lot. Word of mouth can be everything. 

Here are six marketing mistakes landscapers make:

1. Targeting everybody. This means you interest nobody. Know who your best prospect is, understand him or her thoroughly and then speak to them directly. 

2. Do not over-sell yourself. Talking about yourself is fine, but do in a way that interests the customer. Remember: In general, people don’t care about you; they care about what you can do for them. 

3. Not having an up-to-date website (or no web presence at all). A well-designed and current website will make the best first impression on prospects. 

4. Not having professional looking proposals and presentations. This is where the rubber meets the road and many landscape contractors lose projects they should have won. A great presentation will not win a job by itself, but a bad one will lose the job.

5. Lack of follow-up. Many times, landscape companies spend money on marketing and then either cannot keep up with it or do not follow-up in a timely manner. The same goes for post meeting follow-ups; it is imperative to return an estimate to a client with a reasonable amount of time.

6. Marketing can over-sell capabilities if you are not careful. Make sure you have the resources to complete what you sell.

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