4 Customer services strategies to make your current customers loyal customers

It’s one thing to sell your business to a customer once. It’s another thing entirely to master the art of convincing your one-time customers to come back – and tell their friends about you.  Here are 4 strategies to make your current customers loyal customers and to propel your reputation in the industry.

Ensure your service is top-notch –

Great customer service is integral to the livelihood of your business. Especially in the landscaping industry when your very job is dependent on your ability to work hand-in-hand with your customers to produce the product of their dreams. When you work that closely with your customer, you can bet your bottom line, you need to be able to communicate well. Proper communication will not only ensure the job is done on time and on budget, and in accordance with the customer’s requirements and vision. But it will also evoke feelings of trust, comfort and appreciation, all of which are factors that determine whether or not your customer will stick around. Therefore, the essence of great customer service is relationship-building. Your customer needs to feel inclined to pursue a relationship with you and your company.

Here are some ways to ensure top-notch customer service:

-          Greet customers warmly and enthusiastically, regardless of whether it’s a first meeting or just another typical day on the job. For phone calls, be sure to answer all incoming calls promptly with the same warm greeting. Remember that for many new customers, your voice or the voice of your employees is the only real impression they have so far of your business. Make it a good impression! Always make sure someone is there to answer the phone during work hours. There is nothing worse – and more unprofessional for that matter – for your customers than to have to listen to a robotic voice recording and to be prompted to leave a message during work hours. Have a team of staff or a designated staff member in the office answering phone calls at all times during work hours.

-           Be reliable. If you tell a customer that you will be in touch with them on a specific date, make sure you follow through. Meet project deadlines, show up to all appointments prepared and on time, call customers back promptly, respond to emails promptly. Nothing is more annoying than broken promises and unresponsiveness. It’s a surefire way to lose customers and your reputation.

-          Address complaints. We know the saying ‘the customer is always right,’ and while it may not ring true in all cases, it is certainly something to keep in mind.

-          Train your staff on the principles of good customer service. Make sure your staff is friendly, helpful, courteous and knowledgeable so that your customers can approach them and feel as if they are getting the right answers and professional assistance from your employees.

-          Go the extra mile to prove you care about your customer’s satisfaction. That could be offering a complimentary service, accommodating their work schedule and agreeing to meet with them on weekends, whatever you think will make a difference… the little things really do add up!

Communicate regularly –

Sure, communicating regularly means promptly answering phone calls and emails and meeting with your clients on a consistent basis throughout the process of completing a job, but the line of communication shouldn’t end once the final payment transaction has been completed. After the project is completed, you must give it your best effort to stay in touch with your clients. Send emails and electronic newsletters on a consistent basis (note: not too often!) The goal here is not to harass or bombard your customers with an overload of company literature, sales and promotions, but rather to drop in, say hi and keep them up-to-date with the latest news regarding your business and their needs.

It’s good practice to get in the habit of sending follow-up emails, thank you notes, and customer surveys and questionnaires.   

Create and develop a customer database –

This is especially useful when trying to ensure your employees deal with your customers properly and professionally. Create a customer database that contains information about all your customers – track customer interactions, appointments, complaints, concerns any sort of history that would be useful to your employees the next time they go to deal with any particular client.

Reward your best customers –

Offer special discounts or complimentary services to your loyal customers. Use your customer database to keep track of your frequent customers and make sure you recognize them. A satisfied customer who is pleased with your work and is rewarded for your good work will continue to come back.

Landscape Management Network is a collection of systems, tools, and training to help great contractors build and manage great businesses. Visit the LMN website.