5 Tips to Develop Good Customer Relationships
Running a lawn care or lawn maintenance business is hard work. But sometimes it's not about mowing lawns or taking care of landscape issues. It is about making (and maintaining) good relationships with your customers. After all, the customers are the fuel to the success of your company, so it is important to treat them (and their lawns) with respect. Here are five easy steps to make good relationships with your customers and to keep them!
1. Network
From the local mower dealers [dealer locator] to the school systems in your area, never be afraid to meet new people because they are always new potential customers. Your network can include friends, family, contractors, old colleagues, new colleagues, suppliers, professional contacts and so much more. A prospective new client is always a business card or phone call away.
2. Always Keep Communication Lines Open
Make sure your clients (both current and prospective) know that you are always available to answer questions. In addition, having an online presence is a great marketing tool. For example, send out an email blast or post a blog on great tips for lawn care. Another idea is to create a social media profile—such as Facebook or Instagram—featuring all of your best lawn care jobs.
3. Reward Loyal Customers
This might be the oldest trick in the book. If you reward them for their loyalty, your customers will reward you in return. Your current customers will recommend you to others for their lawn maintenance needs. And before you know it, you could be mowing lawns in an entire neighborhood!
4. Make Promises You Can Keep
If you say you will hit a certain deadline when mowing lawns, make sure you hit that deadline. If you have quoted a customer on a lawn care job, make sure there are no hidden fees when they receive the invoice. If you can keep your promises when you are hired to do a job, it will go far.
5. Follow-up
This step can often be forgotten but it's crucial. Once the lawn care or landscape job is finished, be sure to follow up with your customer. This can be anything from asking if the job is satisfactory to comments or suggestions. This not only shows that you care, but it ties up any loose ends you might have left behind. Want to take it a step further? Follow up again after a certain interval of time to see if they need their lawns serviced again.
Just like you expect the mowers Stand-on to do their job, your customers expect you to do to yours. And maintaining good relationships with your customers is not hard, but it does require some effort. As long as you follow these five tips, you are definitely on the right track. Happy mowing, folks!
