Customer retention percentage

[Toroguy]

I was reading a thread about Trugreen Chemlawns high customer turnover ratio and wondered where lawnsiters stood in regards to this.

The question is what percent of last years customers returned again this season.

My season has begun above 90%.

Please take the time to vote, you can remain annonymous.


I have posted a sister thread poll where you can indicate the reason for any customer losses.

Thanks and continued good luck.

[Bob Minney]

What's everybody counting as retention.
If I only count people that I end up not being able to work with I would be over 95%, but if I add in movers and people let go for slow/no payment, then I'm at the bottom of the list. When you cut off service to somebody that wants you to continue working do you count that as a customer not retained? I do, its a spot that needs to be filled.
Customers are easy to find, good customers-thats more difficult.

[Toroguy]

Another good point Bob.

Yes, count customers you dropped as well.

If you had 100 customers last year and 3 moved, 3 died, two were lost to lower bids and two were lost to non-payment...your at 90=90%. If you dropped them because they were difficult to deal with or unprofitable count them also and unretained.

The thread I read theorized Chemlawn only retained 50%. I think that is a bad number, but they have high volume.

Thanks

[Bob Minney]

Toroguy
These are to great threads you started today, I've been thinking of something along the same line. I'm not trying to pick them apart, but more curious to get a true picture of how my numbers compare.

[Brickman]

For the last couple of years I have been at the 90% to 95% range. This year I have only picked up 4 or 5 new customers, the rest are all from previous years. I take that as a sign that I am doing some thing right.

[Raven]

I'm married to my customers!!! This is my fourth straight season with the same 37 customers. How's that for boring?!!! I shook things up a bit this year and took on two new customers!

[Toroguy]

Thanks Bob.

That is an impressive stat Raven!

[proline32]

I kept all of my customers from last year except for the ones that I dumped.

My reasons for dumping..........

Didn't care for working on the lawn, not to my liking.
Slow payers
DOG FECES ISSUE( this one really gets me) I won't mow a yard with dog **** in it.
Customers I didn't feel comfortable with( poor communication on thier end.
Customers that are out of the way of my service area.
I refuse to work in Port Orchard, washington( nothing but problems there)
the customer started to ask for "favors" too much.

[thfireman]

About the onlytime I loose a customer is when they die. :D