Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/356210
business bests 2 2 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m A U G U S T 2 014 1 Listen and learn. Listen actively to the client, which means making a neutral com- ment such as, "Tell me why you're upset," and then actually hearing the person out without interrupting. Next, repeat his concerns back to him. Sometimes the simple act of agreeing with a client disarms him. "An unhappy client is often more receptive to hearing your solution after you've made him feel he's had a chance to air his grievances," Bruss says. 3 Do a reality check. "When we're dealing with unhappy clients, we have to ask ourselves: 'Did we make a mistake?'" Bruss says. Talk to the customer, foreman and crew. Examine your notes, contract and log books. Assume nothing and research everything. Try to see the issue from the custom- er's point of view: How would you feel if this were your property? If you discover it's your blunder, 'fess up, apologize and offer a fi x. 4 Know when to cut your losses. "No one ever wants to walk away from a job," Coffi n says. "But sometimes you and the client don't match up. It doesn't help anyone to stay and struggle in the long run." If they're a slow payer, for example, next season may be the time to send out a carefully worded notice that indicates you're realigning company goals and will not be able to offer a la carte services. Or if you're on a job and cannot make a customer happy no matter what you do, you may be better suited refunding their money and restoring the property to its original condi- tion. Like any relationship, you may have to call it quits if it's no longer mutually benefi cial. 2 Document everything. Keep written records of estimates, jobs and cus- tomer preferences so you have valid points if an issue does come up. "It doesn't have to be complicated. For exam- ple, we keep simple log books with the trucks on each route," says Jason Coffi n, owner of A Cut Above Lawnscapes, in Schaghticoke, New York. "One column lists customer service notes such as, 'The customer wants clippings from the backyard bagged be- cause they have a dog.' This also allows better consistency in the level of services." Some install GPS units on trucks to verify routes and time spent on prop- erties, which can help if clients dispute whether or not a crew was pres- ent, for example.