Dos & Don’ts of Customer Service

35 tips from experts to boost client retention

By Carolyn Mason

Do you offer your clients the best possible customer service? If not, your competitors will be happy to step in and give it a whirl.

The recent recession has presented a good opportunity for landscape owners to take stock of their business practices, instead of using the economic hard times as an excuse for losing customers, says Wayne Volz, president of the landscape business consulting company, Profits Unlimited, in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Customer service is not a newly discovered concept to be brought out as a reaction to the economy. You should always treat customers with respect and professionalism, and you have to continually train employees to conduct themselves according to the standards you set,” Volz says. One technique he used in his landscape business was to ask employees to list five reasons why a customer should choose Wayne’s Lawn Service. “If the employees don’t know the benefits you offer, how can you expect the client to get it?”

The recession is not the only reason to shine the light on customer service practices. Social media has changed the landscape of problem resolution; now dissatisfied customers can post their negative comments on Facebook, Twitter or area business review sites before you even know they are disgruntled. “You have to put your ego aside and handle customer issues immediately and thoroughly,” Volz says. How you handle different customer service scenarios may bring you new business, or it may contribute to a public thrashing via social media or the loss of longtime customers.

Customer’s crew complaints

The homeowner calls you and says he’s unhappy with the workers who are installing a backyard pool and deck. He says they are late to arrive, noisy and unpleasant to deal with. There also appears to be a language and cultural barrier between customer and workers.

TLC Landscaper of the Year finalist, William Dickerson, owner of Dickerson Landscaping in Tallahassee, Florida, says he taps into his Dale Carnegie training when dealing with an irate customer. No matter who is at fault, the end result is that the customer needs to be heard. Dickerson follows a simple list of dos and don’ts for handling unhappy clients.

Do this:

1.  Listen carefully to the complaint and tell the client you will look into the situation. This strategy gives you time to gather the facts while acknowledging you are taking the customer’s complaint seriously.

2. Immediately visit the work site to assess the situation. The client will see you taking action, and you have a chance to talk to the workers and evaluate the work site.

3. Ask the client, “How can I make good on this?” This puts the ball back in the client’s court. It may be as simple as asking the workers to turn the music down. Often the client just wants to get a minor annoyance off his or her chest.