The first statistic that you get is that lawns are the largest crop in America. In the midst of that rosy picture comes the reality. Only a handful of new lawn care businesses reach their tenth anniversary. Customers need this service, but firms still close.
Top on the list of customers’ needs is good service. There is no innovation or ingenuity needed to give special lawn care. However, it is the little things that keep the customer happy.
Customers want:
- A professional approach to communication and dressing
- An easy payment method
- Courteous staff
- Good work ethics
Few companies take time to focus on these basic things. Sometimes the customer calls, and no one picks it up. Some even send casually dressed staff to the job site. There is a reason the customer paid a company for the service. He or she wants to be confident that the service is standard.
Doing any of these things gives the customer a reason to go shopping for a new lawn care service. Customer service, therefore, provides a business with a fighting chance.
Good service helps win and retain customers
Starting a lawn care business is easy for most people. Buy the equipment, throw them in a truck, and hire a cheap staff. It looks easy. Building a business takes far more than that half-hearted approach.
Customers will look for good service. Today’s customers care about the experience more than anything else. Most customers can get over a rip-off but they will not overlook lousy service.
Customers play the most important role when building a lawn care business. Without them, there will be no income. Liquidity issues will start to bite, and the business will collapse.
It takes seven times more money to win a client than it takes to retain one. A company cannot allow a client to go. Repeat customers have better lifetime value.
It is key to referrals and endorsements
Happy customers are willing to share their experiences with others. If they get bad service, they will share their ordeal with the world, too. Every negative feedback takes away a potential customer. Every positive review gives new customers confidence that the company’s services are the quality they are looking for.
The probability of landing new customers will increase. Positive feedback is an indirect endorsement. Sometimes, when people get top of the range services, they go out of their way to market a business. They tell their friends and family.
If they meet a stranger, who is struggling to get good lawn care services, rest assured they will mention the company that has done such a great job for them. A business that ensures that every client is happy 100 percent won’t need to invest as much in other marketing tactics.
Business will keep coming your way, new and old — a company that allows 1 percent of their customers to go unsatisfied risks losing the other 99 percent. A business has to deliver on its promises without fail.
Customer satisfaction helps keep the business relevant
The lawns will be here even 100 years from now. A great lawn care company’s customer service ensures that that business keeps coming to the company. Let the customer remember the company’s name every time he or she needs landscaping services.
Once a customer is happy, it will be easy to convince him or her to sign up for memberships and loyalty programs. They will see a future of doing business together. If they are not satisfied, they will not sign up for anything because they cannot trust the company.
Continuous spending on customer recruitment is unsustainable. Companies that can spend less in this department can offer bargain prices to customers. Eventually, the other companies that cannot keep up with the competition will go down.
It is the best branding tool for a business
No matter the investment a company makes to spice up its image, it all boils down to the perception that the people have about it. If the people perceive it negatively, the bad image will continue to linger in people’s minds.
Great service turns every customer into an ambassador. Every possible word they utter creates a brand in people’s minds. If the service is terrible, the company will have to deal with negative energy from all corners.
Customer service does not come naturally, it’s something that has to be practiced. The management has to instill it as a culture of choice. To do that, one must commit to these crucial minimums:
- Develop a customer service policy
- Train the staff and keep them updated
- Arm the team with the right resources, tools, and gear
- Show them by example how to serve customers
- Measure and strive to improve customer satisfaction metrics
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was written by Gabe Nelson. Nelson is a content specialist of over 7 years of experience, working for YourGreenPal.com. He has a passion and keen understanding when it comes to knowing how to start a lawn care business inside and out.
