As with almost every business out there, customer service and satisfaction are drivers of profitability. You can be the best landscaping company in the world, but if you don’t have good personal skills, chances are you will lose a significant amount of business based on service. The best companies, no matter their skillset, are great at getting on a personal level with their customers. It is important that you continually stay engaged with your customers, because without them, you have no business.
One of the easiest ways to get personal with your customers is by having an informal meeting with them before you get started on whatever project you may be undertaking. For instance, have them show you around the space, tell you what they are envisioning, and perhaps offer some advice or new ideas that you may have. This more casual, friendly setting will not only show them that you really care about their project and their wants and needs, but also that you are approachable and willing to answer any questions or concerns they may have.
Once you have started the project, make a point to keep your clients updated. Let them know if delays are going to happen and why. They may not be extremely happy, but they will appreciate your honesty and willingness to communicate. Even if everything is going as planned, giving the client updates periodically will let them know that you are really on top of things and willing to go the extra mile to get things done.
On that note, make sure you never promise more than you can deliver. Nothing is sure to doom your business more than broken promises about the product you plan to deliver. If you won’t be able to do something or if the project timeline just won’t work for you and your crew, let the customer know the problems up front. It will be much better for them to be disappointed before committing to the project, rather than leaving them feeling furious and cheated by work that was not up to expectations.
After you finish a project with a client, stay in touch with them. Call each customer a week or so after a project is completed to ensure that everything is still up to satisfaction and no malfunctions have occurred. Send out customer appreciation fliers on occasion to remind them that you are still out there and appreciate their business. Mail coupons or special offerings to keep them interested in what you have to offer. By staying in touch, you will be the first ones that come to mind when they need another landscaping project complete. You will also be the one that they talk to their friends about. By doing a superb job on their landscaping and getting on a personal level with each and every client, you will be ensuring that when your customers are spreading the word about your business, they are saying good things.
Written by Clark Jones, owner of Tree Frog Complete Grounds Maintenance. Tree Frog is the best company for landscaping Columbia MO has to offer.