Customers reason for leaving

[Toroguy]

Hi again,

To go along with the customer retention poll, I thought being able to determine the leading causes of customer turnover would be interesting.

Please take another moments to vote.

Im offering a mythical door prize to the first 100 voters...

The prize: Good luck in the coming season.

Enjoy, thanks again.

[Bob Minney]

My # 1 reason for losing customers is credit/ payment trouble
# 2 is moving - I get about a 10% turnover from this every year

That mythical prize-would it be 100 customers that pay on time and wont be moving soon? :laugh:

[Toroguy]

I forgot about the payment dilemna...future payment problems please vote under "Dropped customer" option.

Bob,

I left the prize vague, yes you can have that prize however. Now the disclaimer: Toroguy is not responsible for the death or non payments to/from Bob Minney's customers.

Thanks

[Richard Martin]

Amazingly enough I have all of my customers from last year again this year. The only year I've ever lost accounts on any kind of scale was last year. The year before was the "Year Of The Crabgrass". It rained a lot all summer and the crabgrass was growing so fast no one could keep up with it. I got a lot of new customers in August of that year. The following spring I called these new customers to see when they would want to start and every last one of them refused the service. A valuable lesson was learned that year. Generally if I loose a customer it's because they pass on or move away. I have never lost a customer to a real, legitamite competetor.

[kroll]

I lost 1 customer because the guy that is doing it now aproached them in Jan. and told them I was not
mowing any more. had gone out of business.signed them to a contract on the spot.when my customer found out she was almost as pissed as I was, But didn't want to start a argument. said she will be back next year. I've been keeping an eye on this
freak and in time every dog has his day.

[Brickman]

I often don't find out why they left. Over the years it has varied when I do find out. Pretty much every thing you mentioned has occured. Probably moving is the most common. I only send out ONE notice in the spring, and NONE to customers I don't want to hear from. This usually works real well for me.


As for the jack a@@ that took a customer away by lying to her, I would have encouraged her to dump him, and tell him that since he lied she was dumping him. I know about the signed contract and all, but I am sure it has an "out" clause she could use. If the loser were to try to take you/her to court over it, I am sure that he would lose when she told the judge that he lied to her. As for "what goes around, comes around" check him out, see if he has the apropriate licenses and such, if not turn him in. (if your area even gives one, I cannot get one, the city and state do not give one for lawn maint here.)

[kroll]

we talked about breaking the contract but she is real passive. and I did'nt want to push her.
this way i'll get her back next yr. instead of her
being ticked @ 2 people & looking for someone that was not involved. she's worth the wait.
gives me free run of the yard if it needs done do it pays on time & is a real good cook.

[FrankenScagMachines]

Hey Kroll
You would have to be Brazil's only LCO! (not now that this POS scrub came in) It's a real small town. I used to live in Switz City, near Linton. That's a speck in the road! Now moved to Columbus, what a breath of fresh air! Do you know who the Culler family is? They live in that neck of the woods. My cousin Josh Canada married Eugena (Culler) a couple weeks ago. Just curious if you have ever heard of them.
Eric

[kroll]

not the only 1 there is 6 others that I can think of. not counting the new little start ups.
I know the Culler name but but don't know any of them.

[GCS LawnService]

I had a customer last year that was the poorest paying son of a gun that has ever took a breath of good air. He finally paid up for the summer mowing in November. I guess that is a whole lot better than not getting paid at all. The yard was a nightmare due to debri in the yard such as paper towels, fish and veggie remains in the ditch that stunk to the high heck! I also got my tail stung off due to wasps in a swing frame that got excited from the Honda trimmer. I almost creamed a boat paddle that was camoflouged in the landscaping. I guess that is a good enough description of why I dropped this customer and it is worse when they live a block from my residence.

:blob2: This fires me up just thinking about it!

[The Lawn Choupique]

Most of the time when I lose an account I get some kind of
lame excuse. Like the last one I lost they said that I had butchered their lawn. I might have scalped it but I sure did not butcher it. So who knows?

[Toroguy]

Thanks for the votes and replies.

We hear about how the non-professionals are a huge concern, threat, etc.

The current poll results show being underbid is not a major factor in customer turnover after all. And of these under biddings, who's to say it was a non professional?

Perhaps we could market health care and moving services to retain all customers forever?

[thfireman]

I rarely loose a customer. When I do they are usually dead. If they gave me the boot it was a devistating day. I dont like to loose.:cool:

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Either they get droped by us, move, pass on, or we lost them for some outragous excuse.

I had a former employee try the same as what happened to kroll, the guys grandfather helped him start off by getting him a brand new 3/4 ton 4X4 truck, with plow, Lazer 60" 48" Hp trimmers blowers trailer etc..... So far the guy has had a hard time since I found out he did that.

He has been busted for spraying without a license, if I see him at an account, he looses it within the week!!! I play dirst pool right back. I don't go out of my way to follow him but hey I see him, I get even and then some.

[Brickman]

LGF's former employee :angry: :cry: :angry: :cry:


What goes around comes around, I didn't used to believe that, but I have seen it happen too much lately.

[kris]

Loosing commercial accounts due to a lower quote is quite common.
Nothing in the poll to distinguish what type of accounts.

[TurfGuyTX]

I've lost many customer's due to death. It's something you experience with so many elderly customers. Everytime your doing the neighbor accounts, you get to remember how they would bring out lemonade when you were there.

[awm]

im residential and dont callum mine untill into the second yr. after that they pretty much stay with me . at least thats how its been in the past. also almost any acct ive lost was not regretted . exception being a widow that got married ,and of course new hubby got the job.it was a nice place to work.