Landscape Companies > 90% chance that Customer Service is not great

[mdvaden]

Been reading two business books lately for my Oregon landscape license CEU needs. My choice of books. One on "Rainmakers" a term I was unaware of. The other book called A COMPLAINT IS A GIFT. The 2nd book is hard to put down.

The foreward was added by the CEO of Zappos.com

Reading more yesterday, this new edition says that great customer service is rare to find. So my guess is that landscape services like many other businesses, fit that shoe.

I'd say that for something to be rare, it can't be more than 1 out of every 10. I'd say more like 1 in 50 or 1 in a 100.

Anyhow, according to this book, and the authors seem to really know this inside and out, it would be a safe wager that 9 out 10 of us on Lawnsite, who own companies, do not have great customer service.

It became much more plain after learning about their research, experience and examples.

[JDUtah]

i wouldnt be surprised

[bohiaa]

today Customer service is rare to find.... try calling your phone company....

armed with this information, you and I can learn a lot from it and put it to GREAT use.

I have found that when someone wants answers they want them NOW. or when they want service if ya cant give it NOW then give them that warm fuzzy were all seeking.

thanks for posting and lets all try to provide GREAT customer service

[PTP]

I don't provide great customer service. I already know that. What I do provide is good customer service. I bill accurately, I always show up, and I do an acceptable job - but not a perfect job all of the time.

I guess that I don't see the profit in going that extra mile for most customers. Perhaps I am wrong though and just don't see it. I have known guys though who do go that extra mile and who also don't make much or have gone out of business. I would be willing to provide exceptional service but I just am not convinced that the average customer is willing to pay for "above and beyond."

[mdvaden]

I don't provide great customer service. I already know that. What I do provide is good customer service. I bill accurately, I always show up, and I do an acceptable job - but not a perfect job all of the time.

I guess that I don't see the profit in going that extra mile for most customers. Perhaps I am wrong though and just don't see it.

The book seems to show that the extra mile may often be what you do with the complaints, not neccessarily help them, because maybe you have done all you can for them.

I felt my service was "good" too.

But my thinking is changing. Due to these books and a customer lately, overlapping my book purchase time. I worked for them for 3 days, and they already referred me to 2 or 3 people before I finished. So I'm reading the Rainmaker book - a new term to me - and realizing that what's better than becoming a rainmaker for my company, is if the customers decide to be rainmakers. It would be almost a step above just word of mouth. Like pro-active.

Right now my goal is to combine the learning from the Complaint book and the Rainmaker book, to improve customer service as much as I can over the next year. My guess is that this can bring at least a 10% increase in business income.

Advertising is pretty hodge-podge these days. I'm pretty sure that taking customer service up about 9 notches may just be the medicine to take care of the internet corroding printed ads with neither form sufficiently doing the job.

[snomaha]

Been reading two business books lately for my Oregon landscape license CEU needs. My choice of books. One on "Rainmakers" a term I was unaware of. The other book called A COMPLAINT IS A GIFT. The 2nd book is hard to put down.

The foreward was added by the CEO of Zappos.com

Reading more yesterday, this new edition says that great customer service is rare to find. So my guess is that landscape services like many other businesses, fit that shoe.

I'd say that for something to be rare, it can't be more than 1 out of every 10. I'd say more like 1 in 50 or 1 in a 100.

Anyhow, according to this book, and the authors seem to really know this inside and out, it would be a safe wager that 9 out 10 of us on Lawnsite, who own companies, do not have great customer service.

It became much more plain after learning about their research, experience and examples.

There is a great story about the CEO of Zappos talking with another CEO poolside in las vegas about customer service. The question to the CEO of Zappos was how did they provide such great customer service. His response was that all his employees were empowered to make decisions on behalf of the company to accommodate any reasonable request. He then asked his fellow CEO to call Zappos customer service line and ask to have a pizza delivered to the hotel pool. Without hesitation the customer service rep said "what kind of pizza would you like"? The pizza arrived 30 minutes later.

For the cost of a $20 pizza I'm now retelling this story as well as thousands of other people who have heard it...sounds like a great $20 investment.