losing customers

[lawnworker]

This year I have lost 4 long time residentials customers and when you 15 tops for the start of the year it can really hurt.I think i charge just a little to much for my market or my news adds bring in the wrong type of lawns .I have never been able to break out of 15 tops for custermers. I always think the ads are to much $$$ to keep in for along time in the spring ,which i know is not really good thinking, becouse the more you can pick up the more you make.It seems in the spring I get frusterated by all the price shopers that i also use this as a reason to pull the add before i weed thrugh and pick up enuff to really make a go at this.At this piont i am down to a low of 8 regulers need some advice should look for a parttime job to fill in and prepare for winter aand really hit the advertising hard next year or try to expand more this remaining season.I really need at least 30 to make this bussiness work good for me.I must be doing something wrong


Lawnworker

[wallzwallz]

lawnworker sorry to hear things are lean right now.Does your area have a lot of work available?Did your 4 longtime customers give a reason for letting you go? In the spring do you bid a lot of lawns but only get a small percent of them ? sorry for so many Questions just trying to get some variables to better understand your sititution. Mike Wall

[Richard Martin]

How long you have been in business?

If you are getting customers and then losing them I don't think it's a price issue.

You might want to take a look at your quality control, customer relations, reliability, appearence and attitude.

[roscioli]

Not to be an ******, I am just in that kind of mood right now. My advice- go back to school, learn how to express yourself in sentences that make sense, then come back here and ask again. Or, answer Mike Wall's questions, and we can give you more advice.

[awm]

do you have the know how to do top work. that alone should
get you 5-6 new accts a season . mabe more.
are you in a depressed economy area . if the people dont have the money,well.
and i guess last ,are you using good fast equipment.
the 15 number hints to me that you may not be.
also this assumes you have some people skills.
good luckTM

[lawnworker]

I think i close a 10%-20% of the estimates that i go on .One lady i lost I done for 10 years,she is very old and her son is wanting to help her out.Another customer Moved away,two others were sorry to lose me but are helping a family member out.


roscolia I dont care what you think of my grammer I am not a english majer.

[wallzwallz]

sounds like,from the little bit i'm hearing it may be economical tuff times down there lawnworker,if this is the case maybe relocate. 15 lawns after how many years? is any landscapers doing good there? Hang in there Mike Wall

[lawnworker]

I know some personally that have arond 80 lawns there prices are lower then mine.If i was to charge 40.00 per cut they would charge 35.00.

[Lawn DOG]

What area in VA are you located in?

[peewee]

I think you should consider dropping your price a bit to be competitive. If you price is in line and your work is good you will do fine. Maybe you should make your work better anyway, do something special or unexpected for your customers free of charge and they will remember stuff like that, maybe even refer you to friends.
And roscioli you are being an ******, petty insults like this just show your weakness.
Pick it up lawnworker, you can do it.

[linky]

In Richmond things are booming. I dont know where in Va. you live but, I would suggest getting a part time job to make do. Get a flier together for aeration,seeding and fert. That should get your name out and tell people that you have openings for lawn maintnance accounts. Next spring ask other contractors if they have any accounts that they want to get rid of. Good luck!

[lawnworker]

I am in the Roanoke area we are not at all like Richmond .Our cost of housing is about 2/3 of Richmonds and we have far less people.Isn,t Richmond the 3rd Largest city in VA?

[roscioli]

Lawnworker- Sorry for the personal insult. It just seems to me that a properly worded question might get more responses, as people might actually be able to understand what you are asking. So, for my advice, lower your prices by $5 a lawn if thats the rate everyone else gets, and make sure your work is top notch all the time. What do you mow with? People will only remember that which is outstanding, so make sure you are always outstanding, and eventually you will not be able to handle the customer load thrown at you.

[fivestarlawnken]

Would it be possible widen your service area?:confused:

[65hoss]

Any of us here that offer high quality seem to get very full very fast. Attention to detail for the highest possible quality control will provide you with customers.

Read below:
I put this on notecards for my bookmarks while in college. I could read it everyday.

[Mike (MLC)]

Hopefully, things may pick up for you next spring. You lose people you gain people. It happens to me every now and again. I was upset at the beginning of this year for losing 5 of my customers. I didn't understand why. But when you break it down. 3 of them where ones that I really couldn't stand, but they were paying customers so I tolerated them. Life has been much easier without these people. 1 of them moved. She hated that I could no longer mow her lawn, because she really like our sewrvices, but she was going out of state. The last 1 was an elderly man who was losing it and he had to be put in a home. While you have the time in the winter months try to come up with an improved business plan. Which may be either dropping you prices some, or seeing what else you can add to your services to make clients happy. Just brain storm to see what you come up with. What does your ad say?? Maybe we can help you work on it. Things may get frustrating at times, but just keep trying. ;)

[plymouthvaliant73]

Originally posted by lawnworker
I know some personally that have arond 80 lawns there prices are lower then mine.If i was to charge 40.00 per cut they would charge 35.00.

I find it hard to believe that several LCO's with 80 accounts each would lower their prices to compete with one guy who has 8 accounts.

[roscioli]

Plymouth- The way i read that was different than the way you read it. I dont think they are lowering their prices to screw him, i think they have lower prices to begin with...

[kutnkru]

... lower your prices by $5 a lawn if thats the rate everyone else gets, and make sure your work is top notch all the time.Lowering the pricing structure is not the way to do it. If you are already getting clients to sign on with you and you are able to get a higher dollar amount than your competition - KEEP IT UP!!!

This is why every season we all see $18/Cut ANY SIZE LAWN door tags on $45+ accounts!!! :angry:

This Industry has some of the lowest standards out there, and yet you can still attain some of the highest earning potentials for having no formal training, lack of an education, and no knowledge of Business Management.

Yes, you should try to maintain exemplary performance in the field. Keep track of the work you perform, how long it takes to reneder your services, and then charge accordingly.

On a side note, I too agree with JL that it may be more cost effective to stay away from commercial clients that will take up valuable daylight hours and eat up your bottom line. I prefer Residential Loyalties over Commercial/Industrial markets.

Good Luck!
Kris

[Runner]

Did you just increase their prices this year, to keep up with the fuel increases? This is o.k.. I think I would stay away from the "lowering" prices, too. Atleast for the existing accounts. (Which is probably what was meant). For the existing customers, I would try to "insure" their future business with you by perhaps offering some extras and in the very least, if you have any that are in question, let them know that; "All our prices have increased across the board, however YOURS is going to be offered for the same rate this year due to you being a repeat customer, I'm able to do it for a bit less." Selling tactics like this do work, and it helps convince them that they are getting more for less. Good luck!

[AltaLawnCare]

Originally posted by lawnworker
I am in the Roanoke area we are not at all like Richmond .Our cost of housing is about 2/3 of Richmonds and we have far less people.Isn,t Richmond the 3rd Largest city in VA?

I understand it is very competitive there. I ran into a guy from Roanoke (part-timer) who was bragging about how much work he had. The more he talked, the more I understood. He was working out of a truck with only a 21 inch, more or less going door to door asking for work. I happened to see him again about a week ago, and he said he was charging way too little and was tired of doing it.

Not to get in your business, but if you can swing the drive -
You may want to try getting some accounts around the Smith Mountain Lake area.

[John from OH]

Lawnworker, the first thing I would do is call all of the customers that have cancelled. Ask them for a few minutes of their time, and ask them what you can do to improve your services. As you talk with them, you may find the reason so many have cancelled. Be prepared to hear things that you may not want to hear, those are the things you need to improve. I've lost less than a handful of residential clients to the competition over the last 18 years, losing almost half of your accounts in less than a season requires a serious look at how you are treating your clientel.

[roscioli]

Lowering the pricing structure is not the way to do it. If you are already getting clients to sign on with you and you are able to get a higher dollar amount than your competition - KEEP IT UP!!!

Obviously he isn't getting the customers to sign on with him if he only gets 10-20%, and he is obviously not getting the higher dollar amount than his competition if he lost half of his customers.

The reasons your customers have given you are the same reasons the 3 customers I have lost in the past 2 years gave me when they hired someone else. My son-in-law is going to do it, whatever, your son in law happens to be my biggest competition? Odd.

To clarify- I would NOT lower the prices on existing accounts, but would lower your new bids. I have only had one person ever tell me I was too expensive, I close on nearly 100% of all bids. I average $41.90 a cut. No cuts lower than $30, my largest is $75, but is not figured into that average for other reasons.

[BeerBefore12]

lawnworker. NEVER GIVE UP. its becoming a tight market down in some parts of the south have every tractor,car or hardware selling ztr's to punks with their parents expense account. stick it in. they will fall. you will win.

[lawnworker]

Originally posted by roscioli



To clarify- I would NOT lower the prices on existing accounts, but would lower your new bids. I have only had one person ever tell me I was too expensive, I close on nearly 100% of all bids. I average $41.90 a cut. No cuts lower than $30, my largest is $75, but is not figured into that average for other reasons.

Your market is alot better then mine 100 % is pretty good !!!
our pricing structure is close to the same i just need to do more advertisment next year thinking of a enclosed trailer with cool graphics on the sides stateing services i offer and my phone number this should bring in at least twenty new lawns in a years time,I might even get a new lazer hp 52 to replace my 48 exmark walkbehind who knows all things are possable.

beer before 12 thanks for the encouraging words:)

[ADLAWNCUTTERS]

here is an idea raise your prices & treat your customers like crap and they will love you. just kidding that only works with women.just kidding. seriously always try to get more customers than you need. so you can weed the pain in the ...... it always seems like your best ,friendly customers always die before thier time. tell your current customers that you will give them a discount on your services if they refer you to someone else.word of mouth is the best advertising. good luck:)

[the point man]

Here's what works for me:
In my town we have this little weekly newspaper called the
"Penny Saver" which is nothing but display and line ads. I
place an ad (line ad, rather than display ad) in this paper every
spring and let it run until the end of fall. I change the text every
so often. For example, I stress my rolling, mowing and spring
clean-up services in the spring, mowing and lawn renovation
in late spring and leaf clean-up in the fall.

The responses to my ad, especially in the spring are numerous
and I pretty much pick and choose my customers. I do not
underprice competitors intentionally. I show up on time, dress
nicely and treat my customers like they are all my momma. And
if a job takes an hour longer than I had expected or quoted, I
suck it up and learn from my mistakes. The best thing is, my ad
in the "Penny Saver" cost much less than a similar ad in the
local newspaper would be.

So, maybe you could find a great advertising buy like I did and
it will work out for you. I have an advertising background, but
I am still very miserly with my advertising dollar.

Also, one thing that I think has helped my business: It has no
name. I think that my cost-conscious (but sometimes filthy-rich)
customers might shy away from calling the "Great Estates Lawn
and Landscape Service" (my apologies if there actually is one)
but are more likely to call "Dan at 386-2900". Good luck!

[bubble boy]

I think that your business name in your ad gives you credibility. Esp. if you are "Inc." Thats not to say that all corporations are credible but some people do percieve it that way, right or wrong.

then after your business name add "call dan @ ...", that way you still feel familiar to readers

[AltaLawnCare]

I agree with Bubble on that.;)

[lawnboy82]

I happen to be an inc. All of my customers know me as "Matt" or "Matthew" some of them don't even know the business name. However when they get the bill they remember how to make the check out.

[charlesw]

Lawnworker,

There's lots of great comments here from everyone. But you should consider asking your customers the same question.

Create a questionair for your costomer to complete and send back to you. Include stamp and envelope to get a better response. It is worth the extra effort.

Use the information you receive to improve your business.



Example:
_________________
Please help us help you. How would you rate us?

poor great
Quality of Service 1 2 3 4 5
Price 1 2 3 4 5
Profesionalism 1 2 3 4 5
etc.....

Comments:




________________

My 2 cents...

[yergus]

if you are doing quality work at a reasonable charge, more than likely the customers you lose are the type of people that can not be pleased by anyone, how ever, if you lost some long time customers, you need to sit back a visualize what you are doing different. it's easy to get into bad habits, and hard to get out of them. we treat every customer as though they are the only customer we have, and it works.