How to Improve Customer Satisfaction: a Guide for Landscapers

Landscapers may work with their hands and spend a lot of time outdoors, but ask any of them and they’ll say their job can also be very stressful. Yes, landscaping can be an amazing business model for those who enjoy being outside and gardening. Working with clients, however, can be challenging. You need to contend with clients first-hand, you need to work to a high standard, and you’re also going to have to deal with penny-pinching behavior. Yes, not every client will be like this, but you need to be prepared so you can give every client an amazing experience. 

With a train of rave reviews behind you, you can get consistent work and eventually work your way up to higher-end clients, like business building owners, housing associations, and even the government itself. Getting those contracts is very lucrative, but before you get there, you first need to use these tips to boost every existing client’s satisfaction with your services as a whole: 

Let Them In On Great Deals 

One of the hardest things for clients to swallow is the cost of seeing their dream design come to life. A great way to make that cost easier to digest is to put them in the driver’s seat, and to also let them in on how the cost is broken down. For example, when shopping for supplies, go to a wholesale supplier like FIS Outdoor and pick out three similar mulch options and print out the full product description and price. You can even let them see the full supply list and choose from there. 

This way, they’ll be in full control over the cost of the base materials and also understand more clearly where their money is going. The same applies for hiring any subcontractor. Getting approval is important, but unless the client really wants to be involved in the decision process (which is ill-advised), offering them a few options is best. This means choosing a low-cost, low-quality option, a good-value option, and a high-value, high-cost option. 

Use Visual Tools During the Design Process 

The best way to exceed your clients’ expectations is first to meet their expectations. Don’t ever assume that you know what they mean based on a conversation alone. People use different words for things all the time, and sometimes what they think they want just doesn’t match up to real-life conditions. This is why you’ll want to book in a long design meeting and use professional visualization tools. To do this, get the right design tool, and get their property’s measurements. Once you have those, you can then create a mock-up based on what they’ve said, and you can then adapt the design from there with your clients. 

Keep Your Clients Updated on Progress 

Always keep your clients updated on progress and the overall timeline, and make them clearly aware that there may be delays and where to expect them. This way, they can work with clear expectations and not get frustrated if there’s a delay, because they know why and also where to direct their frustration, which would typically be at a supplier or other business. Working this way puts you and your clients on the same side, so you can work together as a team.