How Will U.S. Lawns Help Me Find and Secure Commercial Customers - Part VI

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.