The COVID Crisis has presented challenges to all industries and businesses; none have been left unaffected. According to a recent Forbes Magazine article, one thing this crisis has shown is the resiliency of franchising. Independent businesses were left alone to figure it out on their own, while franchises had the support of a franchisor to help navigate business in this uncharted landscape.
U.S. Lawns is a prime example of a franchisor that steps up and acts as a beacon, guiding and supporting their franchisees through this crisis, helping them continue to build sustainable businesses that improve their communities in a time when it was needed more than ever.
U.S. Lawns entered into the pandemic with an already strong business model. With its 35 years’ experience in the landscape industry, U.S. Lawns had already laid a strong foundation to anchor franchisees during times of uncertainty. A solid operational model, support systems and trainings were already in place. Their network of franchisees was strong, united in the brand values that are central to U.S. Lawns. The brand never waivers from their commitment to 100% satisfaction in both franchisees and customers.
As shutdowns and regulations were put in place nationwide, in 49 states U.S. Lawns was deemed an essential service and continued operations with minimal interruptions. Taking swift action, it provided support and resources to help its franchisees to best serve their customers while at the same time keeping them safe. The brand modified their operational systems to adhere to local and federal guidelines, increasing their communication and information sharing as new information was obtained.
Stephen and Elizabeth Carman, U.S. Lawns franchisees in Fort Collins, Colorado, felt particularly fortunate to have the support of U.S. Lawns during this time. “The guidance U.S. Lawns has given us in regard to COVID has been invaluable. As an essential business, we had to quickly make adjustments to our operating procedures. They researched local and federal guidelines and helped us implement all the health and safety measures necessary to keep us running efficiently and, most importantly, safely,” says Stephen, “If we were in business by ourselves, we would have had to wade through all of that alone.”
Jason Cory, U.S. Lawns franchisee in Jacksonville, Florida, agrees, “The response and quick action from U.S. Lawns was great. I was impressed with how well prepared they were to council us and answer our questions during these unprecedented times. They were quick to publish info and materials for our use. It really helped us serve our customers.”
U.S. Lawns also tapped into one of their most valuable resources during this time as well, the power of the network. It hosted weekly conference calls with franchisees to facilitate cross-sharing best practices within the network. Dave Wells, director of brand development says this, “The old cliché of being in business for yourself, but not by yourself is true. You not only have the franchisor’s support team to rely on, you also have dozens of like-minded entrepreneurs facing the same issues you are. At U.S. Lawns we call it the Power of the Network and it has never been more apparent than it has over the last year.”
Both the Stephen Carman and Jason Cory say their businesses have grown significantly in the past years and 2020 was no different in that respect. “The pandemic has not slowed us down,” says Cory.
For many U.S. Lawns franchisees, despite the widespread economic slowdown, their businesses have continued to grow and thrive. The brand’s Item 19 shows that during the peak disruption period of March through December 2020, franchisees saw, on average, a modest increase in gross sales (+0.7%) and a significant increase in both gross profit (+10.8%) and net profit (+12.8%). With responsive support and corporate backing from the brand, franchisees were able to step into their communities and serve their customers in ways independent business were not able.
Your success in franchising begins with finding the franchise offering that is the best fit for your skill set and personal and financial goals. When these are aligned with the right business model you will be better positioned for success.
Finding alignment comes when you have first taken an inventory of what you want from your business and the role you want to take in it. Before you can know if any business offering is right for you, you have to be clear on your short-term and long-term goals, both personally and financially, as well as an accurate assessment of what skills you can leverage in the right business model to maximize your chances for success.
Franchise business models can generally be categorized into three different categories. These categories vary in a number of characteristics: time commitment, entry and operating costs, level of industry knowledge required, scalability, and flexibility. The role you play in the business will differ depending on the business model as well as the ability to scale. Determining which ownership type best fits your goals and skills is the first step in deciding if a business offering is right for you.
An owner/operator model would be an immediate career change and income replacement. The owner would be immersed in the business and involved in daily operations. By avoiding managerial staffing costs early on, investment costs lower, but time commitment will be high. If the owner does not have previous industry knowledge, a support intensive franchisor and a willingness to learn are necessities. If you are detail oriented, able and willing to put in the time required, and looking for an immediate career change, this model would be a good fit. A U.S. Lawns start-up generally fits in this category. Over time, as the U.S. Lawns business matures and is able to support a level of management infrastructure, time commitments become much more flexible. The business can then transition into more of a semi-absentee business model.
A semi-absentee business model is better aligned with someone looking for immediate flexibility. The day to day management of the business is handled by a manager with indirect oversight by the business owner. Start-up costs will be higher and it will likely take longer to reach profitability as the business will need to cover the additional cost of managerial staffing. The owner’s time is spent managing the managers, growing the business and handing big picture tasks. Managerial and people skills are more important than knowledge of the daily operations. The owner may be able to maintain their current employment and commitments, while building the business on the side. From start-up, this investment takes longer to build and is not meant as an immediate income replacement. This model may work will for a U.S. Lawns start-up as long as the owner understands the economies involved and has realistic expectations. This model most accurately describes the U.S. Lawns business model at maturity.
An executive business model or owner/investor model is almost completely hands-off. It requires significantly higher operation costs, but minimal time commitment on behalf of the owner. All functions of operation are hired out and the owner has no involvement in the day to day operations. Because the business runs autonomously, the ability to scale is great if the funds to do so are available. This model works best for businesses that are very transactional in nature. It best aligns with someone who has a large amount of capital and is looking solely for an investment. U.S. Lawns highly discourages this type of investment. It is not a good fit for the relational nature of our model.
After determining whether a business model is in alignment with your ownership goals you can look closely at what the franchise you are considering is offering. What support and training is offered? Will this help bridge the gap between your current knowledge and skills and what is required of you in the role of franchisee? Does this offer you the lifestyle you want in the short term? What about in the long term? If you would be hiring managers to run your business, does the franchisor provide resources and training on how to get the best out of them? Will you have the support you need to succeed within the role of franchisee? Also, take a look at the values and mission of the brand. Do they align with you personally and professionally? What you can expect from your relationship with the franchisor and what will they expect of you helps determine if this is a good match.
When you prioritize finding an opportunity that aligns with skill sets and your personal and financial goals you set yourself up to be more successful. A good franchise should be looking for alignment as well in the people to whom they award franchises. You are entering into what should be a long-term relationship with the franchisor. Both parties need to be focused on making sure that it is a good fit!
After years working as a high-level manager in aerospace manufacturing, Taylor Kelley found himself tired of the corporate lifestyle. He grew weary of the 55–60-hour work weeks, late night overseas calls and having to have his phone attached to his hip at all hours.
“I wanted more control over my life. As a manager, I felt like I was just feeding the next level. There was constant pressure. I wanted to build and grow something for myself; something that was mine,” says Taylor.
No longer wanting to stay on the corporate ladder, Taylor came to a crossroads in 2019. Wanting to be closer to their adult daughter, Taylor and his wife, Emee, decided to leave California and start a business in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Taylor was no stranger to starting up a business. Years before entering the aerospace industry, he and a partner owned a Sport Fishing company in Baja California. Knowing what went into building a business from scratch, this time around Taylor decided he wanted to invest in a concept that came with a road map and strong support.
After researching several industries and brands, he felt U.S. Lawns offered the best fit for his personal and financial goals. “I appreciated U.S. Lawns’ no pressure approach. It was about determining if this was the right fit more than anything,” says Taylor, “The Culture Index (personality profiling) Survey was a milestone in my discovery process. I really saw how my skills and aptitudes fit in with the business model.”
In talking to other owners, Taylor found the U.S. Lawns network to be welcoming and helpful. “I saw these other owners who were able to scale their business with the help of U.S. Lawns. I knew this was a team I wanted to be a part of.”
He goes on to say, “I also saw the advantage having U.S. Lawns behind my business would give me. There is a confidence that comes from being a nationwide brand with a recognizable name.”
In just two years since joining the team, Taylor business is flourishing, despite the unique challenges Las Vegas’ unrelenting desert terrain presents. “There were a lot of unknowns when I started because landscaping in Las Vegas is very different than anywhere else. Some of the systems and standard procedures had to be adjusted to work here,” explains Taylor, “It was like putting together pieces of a puzzle, but it was very much a “We” situation. The support team was right there, helping me figure it out. They even went out to some properties with me to help me figure out how to establish metrics that worked for our unique situation.”
Today, Taylor has grown his operation to three trucks. He has a Business Developer working steadily to help in add a fourth truck in the first quarter of this year. His team consists of eight guys, a tree guy, and a part time irrigation expert. “I enjoy being challenged and building something. Developing my employees has been very rewarding. It is a great feeling to be able to play a part in helping people change their lives, buy a new car, and support their families. I want this business to be one of the best places to work in Las Vegas.”
It is this connection to U.S. Lawn’s brand vision of improving community in ways you can see, that resonated so deeply with Taylor and ultimately helped him decide to invest in U.S. Lawns. “The culture of a company is very important. I am proud to be a part of U.S. Lawns.”
As for where he sees his business heading, Taylor says, “We have some big goals for 2021 with some huge metrics to surpass. I am looking forward to growing a sustainable business that will give me the freedoms and flexibilities that I could not get working for someone else.”
“Getting that first job was tough, but I kept at it and now I have a portfolio of referrals. Everything is falling into place,” adds Taylor, “I would not have been able to do this, let alone be as successful as I have been without U.S. Lawns. The roadmap has been incredible. I would 100 percent do this again.”
When asked if he had any advice for someone just starting out, Taylor says, “You have to be all in when owning a business. You can’t have just one foot in and be successful. In the beginning it takes putting in the hours. You also have to believe in the system and to be willing to listen. It’s an all or nothing thing.”
Look for these habits to help you determine if a franchise is right for you.
Not all franchisors are created equal. There are great ones and there are others who are short-sighted. When performing your due diligence, you want to make sure that the franchise you are investing is going to be a good fit, now and into the future. This means a franchise needs to have developed certain habits to keep them healthy and growing sustainably for years to come. Here are some habits to look for when considering a franchise.
When a brand demonstrates these five characteristics, it is a good sign that they are committed to creating a positive and growth-oriented brand culture, one you can leverage for your own business success.
The pandemic and resulting economic crisis have caused many of us to reevaluate our financial security, amplifying the desire to have greater control of our financial destiny. It has awakened us all to the reality that job security can not be taken for granted.
It may seem counterintuitive, but times of economic uncertainty have always presented great opportunities for those willing to take calculated risks. With many jobs already lost or furloughed and looming rounds of corporate downsizing ahead, there is no better time to invest in yourself.
No doubt, the business landscape has changed drastically but here are some reasons why entrepreneurial optimism is on the rise and why now is a great time to take the leap into business ownership rather than remaining frozen in the face of uncertain times.
While the climate is right for starting a business, the current slow growth economy leaves many businesses with less margin of error. For this reason, franchising offers a great option for more risk adverse entrepreneurs. Franchises offer:
With so much uncertainty in the world today, your financial security does not need to be one of those things. Now is a great time to take control of your destiny and create greater personal and financial freedom through business ownership.
U.S. Lawns has been helping franchisees build sustainable and profitable businesses for over 30 years. With a brand vision of 100% customer retention and a focus on positive experiences and overall satisfaction, customers come back again and again.
To better accomplish this vision, we rely on our brand’s mantra of “close to the customer and close to the employee”. Experience tells us the best way to develop long lasting relationships with customers is twofold: by staying close to the customer through excellent customer service and by staying close to the employee through development and by being an employer of choice.
Through relationship building and a service mentality the franchise owner works to create positive customer experiences by focusing on service quality and value. Proactive and regular communication helps the business to consistently exceed customer expectations and build long-standing trust. By looking at the property through the customer’s eyes and understanding their needs and long-term goals the franchise owner is also well positioned to identify enhancement opportunities that help the customer reach those goals and provides additional revenue opportunities for the business.
It should go without saying that keeping crew members happy, safe and productive is critical to the success of your business. This is not only clear in your bottom-line, it’s clear in your organizational health. When you take care of your employees, they in turn take care of your clients. When you take care of your clients, they renew their contracts, offer enhancement opportunities and even refer you to new business. This all starts with hiring the right employees, training them properly to be consistent and efficient, and by creating opportunities for growth. Ensuring safety, seeing that equipment is well maintained, and creating a positive and growth-oriented work culture all contribute to being an employer of choice.
Franchise owners who follow these principals closely and are successful in building strong, lasting relationships with their customers and staff. Then, as their businesses grow, they begin to find it difficult to juggle the number of relationships that grow along with it. While this is undoubtedly a good problem to have, it can also strain the business and prevent the franchisee from taking the next step toward sustainability. For that reason U.S. Lawns has put together all of the tools necessary to fill a key role in your business: the account manager. With time, the account manager will become an extension of you, the owner. They will take on many of those key relationship oriented responsibilities and allow you to take a step up to focus on other, big picture relationships and tasks.
From job description templates to attract quality candidates, to onboarding tools to integrate them into your team and get them started off on the right foot, U.S. Lawns has created comprehensive resources and training programs to help you find, train and grow the right person for the role and responsibilities of the account manager.
Through our proprietary 12-week development plan account managers will learn how to effectively manage customer and employee relationships. They will learn things like proper job sequencing techniques, how to efficiently manage a labor budget and how to onboard and train new members for their crews. They will learn how to price and sell enhancement work and, in turn, create high margin revenue opportunities for your business. They will learn to become key members of your team as you grow toward a level sustainability that removes you from the responsibilities of your day to day operation and create the lifestyle flexibility that comes with being your own boss.
This is how U.S. Lawns makes a commitment to 100% franchisee satisfaction. This is also how you can build a business that makes a commitment to 100% customer retention. By leveraging simple systems of standardized procedures that yield consistency of product and efficiency of process. By leveraging training programs, processes and resources that allow you to replicate your results through successful team building. By building trust and loyalty by simply doing what you say you will do when you say you will do it.
If all of this resonates with you, you might have a cultural backbone that will fit well within our organization. Click here to start a conversation today.
In 2019, we interviewed Stephen and Elizabeth Carman shortly after they made the decision to become U.S. Lawns franchise owners. Their goals were to escape the uncertainty of the corporate world and to take control of their time and financial future (you can read that interview here). Since that interview the Carmans have experienced substantial growth in both their personal and professional lives. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with the Carmans and talk to them about how they are doing two years into their business and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today our operation includes three trucks, three trailers and eight employees.” says Stephen. “Our business is up significantly over last year which is incredible considering the global pandemic and economic slump the country has been dealing with.”
Feeling particularly fortunate to have the support of U.S. Lawns during this global crisis, Stephen says, “The guidance U.S. Lawns has given us in regard to COVID has been invaluable. As an essential business, we had to quickly make adjustments to our operating procedures. U.S. Lawns immediately jumped into action and researched all the local and federal guidelines and helped us implement all the health and safety measures necessary to keep us running efficiently and, most importantly, safely. If we were in business by ourselves, we would have had to wade through all of that alone.”
Stephen adds, “As our business has scaled so has the support. The Home Office has been great. They have provided us with the resources we need at each stage in development to get to that next level.”
Having greater personal freedom and financial security as they have built a sustainable and profitable U.S. Lawns business, the Carmans have been able to be more present for the growth in their family. Over these past two years, the Carmans have added three grandchildren plus another on the way to their family.
“Even as our business has grown substantially over these past two years we have been able to maintain, with few exceptions, a four-day work week. While a lot of credit for that has to go to our amazing team, we feel blessed because that was something that was important to us when we started out. Our goal was to build a business that would allow us to have the work life balance we sought.” says Stephen. “Elizabeth has been able to spend about a month at a time with each new grandchild while still doing her part remotely. I have even been able to get away for visits myself. Having that freedom is priceless to us.”
While pursuing their ideal work life balance, the Carmans have not sacrificed their business goals. Stephen says, “We are chasing big revenue goals, we are going for a Top 100 spot.”
One area they are focusing on as they take their business to the next level is becoming employers of choice. “We strive to create a positive work culture for our employees to foster loyalty. We provide paid holidays, paid time off, as well as opportunities for growth. Quality employees are essential for a thriving business,” says Stephen.
When asked about the culture of U.S. Lawns, Stephen says, “We have found everything they have said about the culture and support from the beginning has been true. The Home Office is incredibly supportive and encouraging, as has been the network of other franchises. The culture of competitive camaraderie amongst the owners has been fun and motivating.”
Stephen has this to say to someone in the process of deciding whether U.S. Lawns is right for them, “Reach out to owners and get to really understand what goes into the operations, even if you have to travel a bit. It is so important to get the whole picture. But don’t let it overwhelm you either, the U.S. Lawns system provides a framework and rails to run on. It helps instill confidence when you are just starting out.”
Stephen concludes with this, “Our faith and sticking to the U.S. Lawns systems have been instrumental in our business growing at the pace it has. Everything we came to U.S. Lawns to accomplish we have. We look forward to seeing what the future holds.”
The Carruth family’s roots run deep in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jamie, a retired elementary school principal spent 31 years with the public education system. Her son, Alex worked with a local irrigation and landscape company. Today the mother and son team own a successful U.S. Lawns franchise and are continuing their family’s tradition of improving their community.
It all began with a conversation between Alex and an acquaintance of Ken Beasley, U.S. Lawns franchisee in Natchez, Mississippi. While discussing this opportunity with his mom, Jamie pulled up the website on the computer and the two began to consider the brand’s offering. The more they learned, the more they began to feel this was the right opportunity for them to go into business with each other.
It was U.S. Lawns proven processes and systems that particularly appealed to Jamie. “Coming from the structured background of public education, I enjoyed knowing the groundwork was already laid. There is not a question as to how to do things,” explains Jamie, “There isn’t a question or problem they haven’t already came up with an answer or program for. They have thought everything through and everything they do is for the benefit of the franchisees. They provide a roadmap for success.”
Feeling the brand was a good fit, the pair signed their U.S. Lawns Franchise Agreement in August of 2016. At the time Alex was just 22 years old, relatively young to be a business owner by most industry standards. “I had no business background, just labor experience when we first started out. Today, I have a better understanding of what I am doing businesswise. U.S. Lawns provided the tools I needed to learn and grow. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t do it any other way,” says Alex.
New to business, as the Carruths first started out, they found themselves up against a learning curve. The U.S. Lawns support proved to be helpful in growing their business. The Direct Sales Dial-Up program, in particular, really helped them ramp up. “The team helped us a lot by getting us in the door with prospective clients. Our first contracts were through appointments set up by the team. As our business grew, so did our referrals. Now most of our new business comes through word of mouth and Google rankings. Today, the phones are ringing with business coming to us,” says Jamie.
One of the reasons the Carruths have enjoyed continued success in their business is their commitment to U.S. Lawns’ mission of creating a best place to work culture. Jamie says, “It is so important to find the right employees and keep them around. When you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers and this leads to more referrals.”
Alex adds, “Some of the way we tried to create a desirable work culture is through well maintained equipment, finding ways to say thank you, and having get-togethers like family BBQs. We’ve got a great team and it has been a key to us growing at the rate we have.”
Over the past four years, the Carruths have consistently added one truck a year. This year they are likely to add two more trucks. This is a remarkable growth rate, especially considering the recent global pandemic and subsequent economic slowdown.
“Even with the certain market verticals affected and ancillary services down because of COVID, we have seen our base business grow. We have even had clients undertake some enhancement projects during this time, so it’s safe to say we haven’t really felt the effect of the downturn,” says Alex.
“Being locally owned, family owned, and lifelong residents of Baton Rouge has helped us build strong relationships with our community, but at the same time we are able to leverage the support and resources of a large well known brand. With U.S. Lawns, we get to be in business for ourselves, but not by ourselves,” explains Jamie, “Running a business can be lonely sometimes, so having that interaction with the U.S. Lawns team and being able to pick up the phone and call them with a problem has been incredibly advantageous to us.”
Brand recognition and the power of the U.S. Lawns network are just a couple of the advantages that come with being a part of such an established brand. “Some of our large contracts have been referrals from other U.S. Lawns Franchisees. For example, we now service the 25 Taco Bells in our area because they were happy with the job U.S. Lawns did in New Orleans and Alexandria. And we service three apartment complexes because the property management company was happy with the service they were getting from the U.S. Lawns franchisee in Shreveport. We are in this together and that gives us a competitive advantage over businesses that are independently owned,” says Alex.
The Carruths have been recognized by the U.S. Lawns Home Office for their exceptional ability to grow their business while embracing the U.S. Lawns Brand DNA and they continue to rank high in revenue growth. Just four years in, they have already built a sustainable business with unlimited potential while improving their hometown of Baton Rouge in ways they can see.
When asked if they had any advice for those who are in the same position they were in four years ago, just starting out in business, Alex has this actionable piece of advice, “ We found understanding man hours, keeping in budget and staying on track with the master services calendar helped us break even faster and U.S. Lawns provides resources for all of these. Just stick to the system and everything else falls into place.”
The landscape industry is populated with a high number of independent business owners. Attracted by a low barrier of entry, basically a lawn mower and some manpower are all that is needed, many of these business owners find that they eventually hit a revenue ceiling.
This is what happened to Jeremy Vincent in Boise, Idaho. For 10 years he owned an independent landscaping business, focusing primarily on high end residential and niche commercial clients. In 2008, as the economy took a downward turn Vincent found his business treading water.
“Each year it would take me until August to build back up the business I lost at the beginning of the year due to cancellations, “ says Vincent, “Also, my advertising dollars just weren’t getting any results, especially in the commercial space.”
This is when Vincent decided that teaming up with a franchise would help him take his business to the next level. “I realized I needed help to get where I wanted to go.”
Vincent’s story is becoming more common in the landscape industry. Irrigation and Green Industry Magazine, an industry publication for landscape, irrigation and maintenance contractors, recently highlighted this trend. Vincent, along with two other business owners, are featured in the September edition of the magazine, discussing their reasons for teaming up with a franchise and what that did for the growth of their businesses.
Franchising offers more security and predictability than independent business models. They also have a greater growth potential. Franchisees are able to leverage the power of a large brand, its resources, support and access to new markets for greater success.
For Vincent, it was just a matter of finding the right franchise, saying, “I wanted to make sure my return on investment would be good. I didn’t want to just pay a company royalty, just to have them just cash my checks. I needed to be sure of the level of support they would offer. I needed a partner.” After vetting several franchises, Vincent felt confident that U.S. Lawns provided what he was looking for. In 2014 he converted his business to U.S. Lawns and has since expanded into two additional territories.
Having already had experience in the industry, Vincent found that his biggest hurdle was getting out of his own way. “I found myself trying to adapt the systems to me rather than just trusting the system.” Once he stopped working against the system and began working alongside something incredible happened. “I went on to experience about 100% growth on average for three years in a row!”
In addition to helping him grow his business and maximize his revenue potential, Vincent gained the power of the U.S. Lawns network. He has been able to tap into the resources of a larger group of franchisees to help him navigate operating an essential business during the pandemic, sharing best practices and materials to help them connect with their customers and communities.
By joining U.S. Lawns, Vincent found the partner in business he was looking for. “We’re a team. They’re motivated to help you be better and more successful,” he explains.
For Vincent, franchising provided the framework for to achieve his business goals saying, “For anybody opening up a business, franchising is going to help create the biggest return on investment in the long run, especially if you’re not familiar with the industry.”
Read the full article here.
To create a sustainable business, you can’t only focus on sales and marketing and expect things to work out well. Now that you’ve got a strong sales and marketing program in place, you need to figure out how to keep those clients around long-term. No matter how much business you bring in front door if you are letting an equal amount of business slip out the back door you will be treading water, not growing. Our brand vision is 100% client retention and to achieve this vision we have developed systems and tools to help franchisees deliver on our brand promise: “To be there, be responsive, be excellent and be a friend.”
U.S. Lawns became the largest commercial landscaping franchise in the U.S. by exceeding customer expectations for over 30 years. Getting to know the customer on a personal level and providing an excellent level of service means the customer never has to question their decision to work with U.S. Lawns. Our mantra of stay close to the customer and close to the employee helps our franchisees achieve this and create positive experiences that build loyalty.
As you grow your own U.S. Lawns business, initially you will hold your employee and customer relationships closely. As your business grows, you’ll necessarily need to hand some of these responsibilities and relationships off so that you can focus on other areas of the business. That isn’t to say that you stop focusing on your employees or lose touch with your key customers. To build long term, sustainable success, you must find new ways to extend your reach and dedication to service by hiring capable account managers that will help you keep your finger on the pulse of your business.
At U.S. Lawns, the primary role of an account manager is employee development and customer service. Our account manager training program provides these key team members the tools they need to develop long lasting relationships with customers and employees.
The program helps train your employees so they can create positive customer experiences by focusing on service quality and value. Proactive and regular communication is essential in building trust with a customer so you can consistently exceeding customer expectations. This comes down to doing what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. That simple idea goes a long way in building customer trust and loyalty.
We recently had the opportunity to speak directly with a couple of customers of Owen Smith, U.S. Lawns franchisee in Sacramento, California. Here is what they had to say about working with U.S. Lawns:
Lyn, the volunteer coordinator at the McKinley Rose Garden, is a loyal customer. When asked about her business’ relationship with Owen and U.S. Lawns, Lyn says, “They do quality work, but beyond that are friendly and so easy to work with, which is important to me. I am able to communicate our wants and needs with them and they do extra things for us that no one else would do. Working with U.S. Lawns is a pleasure and we plan on sticking with them for the long term.”
Ray Garcia, manager of the Tuscaro Apartments, has had a similar positive experience with the brand. “What makes U.S. Lawns stand apart is their constant communication. They are always available to me, be it on the phone, email or face to face. There is consistency in the quality and they are constantly exceeding my expectations,” says Garcia.
We understand that you work hard to secure customers and when someone is just starting out in business, exceeding expectations can be difficult due to inexperience. To help bridge that gap, U.S. Lawns has developed systems and processes to help you to build trust and lasting connections which will result in long-term loyalty from your clients and employees. In the end, loyal and happy customers have no reason to look elsewhere for their service needs. Strong customer retention, combined with a strong sales and marketing strategy, means you will be set up for long term, sustainable growth and your business will thrive as a result.
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