Everyone wants to reap the benefits of a solid landscape customer experience. The customer gets a final product they are happy with, as well as confidence at all stages of the process. The landscaper, in turn, could potentially have a recurring customer, as well as the chance to expand their base even further through referrals or a solid review. As landscape companies refine their process, one of the best learning opportunities is the mistakes of others. Here’s a closer look at the importance of customer experience in landscaping, as well as some missteps industry professionals have made.
Why Is Landscape Customer Experience Important?
One of the best ways to communicate how important customer experience is for landscapers is to show the raw numbers. 54% of all customers think they focus more on customer experience than they did a year ago. This number increases to 66% for customers 18-34 years old. A lot of this is due to the fact that there are more and more companies sprouting up in similar spaces. There may only be so many landscaping services that you can offer, but if you can provide a great customer experience, that can help set you apart in the long-term.
This isn’t just about positive branding, but the bottom line as well. Statistics show that companies that are leaders in customer experience outperform others by nearly 80%. In addition, 84% of companies that invest in customer experience also report an increase in revenue. Why is this the case? Reputation matters, especially for landscaping companies that generally have a local customer base. Having a solid reputation ultimately means more new and recurring customers for you.
Landscape Customer Experience Mistakes
Even leaders in the industry can still have issues. Here are some stories from some of our clients about their mistakes in landscape customer experience.
“The biggest customer failure we have encountered is the old saying “My last company did it cheaper, why is your estimate more expensive?” Now we all know we want to say, “Where is your last company? More than likely out of business.” You want to respond to this professionally, so you explain to them why your services are at your price. Examples include insurance, licensing, PPE, equipment, etc… this all plays into the pricing of the services you provide.”
Shawn and Savanaha Spencer: Spencer Lawn Care – @spencerlawncare
“We missed a meeting with a client that was a referral from a friend. We were on a job site on a concrete pour and there was nothing we could do and the client was extremely mad. I immediately sent them a handwritten apology with a gift card because I know they left work early for the meeting. We ended up doing the job!”
Caleb and Brittany Auman: Auman Landscape LLC – @aumanlandscapellc
“My biggest customer fails have not come from bad bidding. That’s just me failing. Miscommunication has been the biggest obstacle that we tackle aggressively as a team.”
Stanley Genadek: Genadek Landscaping and Excavating – @stanley_dirtmonkey_genadek
“One of my biggest customer failures was when we verticut and seeded a client’s yard and about a week later he called me and felt like he had been ripped off. This issue was totally my fault for not fully explaining the process and when we would start seeing results. I explained to him when he would start to see seeds growing. All the customer knew was that his yard looked bad. He paid me a bunch of money, and it still looked bad. This changed my business, and now I make sure I properly explain the process and let the customers know what to expect and when!”
Blake Albertson: B&B Lawn Care – @bblawncarekc
A major way to protect yourself from these types of issues is by making sure that you have the technology to power your landscaping customer experience. A great starting point here is using LMN. Our customer portal improves your communication and service to help make sure your customers are satisfied. Reach out to us today for more information on our software. In addition, to always stay ahead on the latest trends, subscribe to the Landscape Disruptors podcast for more landscape industry news.
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