Do you really know your customers? Do you know what they expect from a landscaping and lawn care company? When a customer is frustrated, do you understand why? As it turns out, we all need to take more time to just ask. Here are three ways that you can get to know your customer—and grow a more successful business. Image may be NSFW.
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Know Your Customer Profile
How old is your typical customer? Are they male or female? What is their income? What do they do for fun? Chances are that you already know this, but haven’t taken the time to intentionally think it through. Write down a profile of who your target customer is. The better that you understand who they are, the better you’ll be able to understand their needs, and you will be able to make smarter marketing and business decisions based on that knowledge.
Ask for and Listen to Customer Feedback
The Grounds Guys uses the Net Promoter Score to ask their customers to rank their level of customer satisfaction via phone after each service call. If a certain team member is underperforming, the manager or owner will know that they need to work on customer service with that individual. It’s also very important to ask customers on an ongoing basis how you can improve your services. Once you identify those problem areas, you can work on fixing them and eliminating issues that may cause a customer not to return or refer your services to a friend.
Hint: Social media has become a great new tool and informal setting to request customer feedback. Do you have a social media presence? Do you know what reviews say about your business on Yelp or Google Places, and have you solicited positive reviews for those sites?
Treat Each Customer Like a Real Person
In a busy day stacked with service calls, are your team members taking the time to be personable and friendly to customers? In a landscaping business, getting to know your customer is essential for repeat business. Train your staff to memorize customers’ names and to learn one thing about them, such as how old their kids are. Simply taking 30 seconds to ask how a customer’s day is going will make a huge difference in helping customers remember that you cared, and remember to refer you to their friends.
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