wn service, how may I help you?

C: I would like an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Now this is for the entire season, correct?

C: Yes

G: Great. I will just take down your address for I can meet with you for the estimate and to talk about the contract

C: Contract? I am not signing a contract.

G: I am sorry, but all lawn maintenance accounts are required to sign a contract.

C: Forget it then

Conclusion: Why would they want to refuse to sign a contract? More than likely they probably would not be a good customer that would try to stiff you out of money.

Situation 4:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how many I help you?

C: I need an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Not a problem, I would be mo

When you operate a lawn care business and market your business, you will gain new customers. Sifting through these potential lawn care customers to find which ones are right for your lawn care business is a very important process many new lawn care business owners fail to do. Here at Gopher Lawn Care Business Software our lawn care business forum tends to become a head quarters for lawn care businesses who are trying to learn how to get their businesses to grow. Let's take a look at the question of pre-qualifying new potential customers who call you.

A question came in from our forum member Gman. He asked ”I am always getting new customers, but then I lose one. There seems to be a big turnover all the time. Is this how it is in the lawn care business is? Just wondering if this is normal or am I doing something wrong."

"I think that I’m offering my lawn care services way too cheap for the amount of work that I’m doing for all my clients. When I’m there I am always doing an extra small landscaping job for every client to improve the yard and lawn. Nine out of ten times I’m not charging anything for the lawn care service. I was talking to another lawn care operator and he was telling me that I’m charging way to low for my landscaping services. He would charge a lot more than what I’m changing for the average lawn mowing.”

For answers on how to resolve this lawn care business issue we turned to our friend Troy Tiedeman owner of Tiedeman llc. a Central Michigan provider of environmentally responsible lawn care.

Troy responded by saying “perhaps you just have the wrong type of customers and it has nothing to do with you. Because of how low your price is you are attracting the price shoppers. Raise up your price and don’t be disappointed when a customer tells you that you’re too much. Don’t expect to land every single lawn care account. If you do land every account, then yes your prices are definitely too low.”

Troy went on to say "Let me throw you some examples of different phone conservations you might have with customers and in the conversations I am going to have what you SHOULD say and do."

C=Customer and G=You

Situation 1:
G: This is Gman lawn care how may I help you.

C: I am looking for someone to cut my lawn

G: Are you looking for a one cut or seasonal service?

C: I am just looking for a one time cut while my mower is serviced.

G: Well, I am sorry, we do not offer one time cuts. Sorry I couldn’t help you.

Conclusion: Do not take on one time mowers. You will gain nothing from it in the long run. All they want is a cheap fix, not a long term solution

Situation 2:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service how may I help you

C: How much would it be to mow my lawn?

G: Well, I would have to come out and look at the property first to determine your price.

C: Can’t you give me a ballpark over the phone

G: No, Sorry I can not.

Conclusion: Do not take on a customer that wants an estimate over the phone. Now if they ask you that they would like you to come over and give them an estimate, then that is a different story.

Situation 3:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how may I help you?

C: I would like an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Now this is for the entire season, correct?

C: Yes

G: Great. I will just take down your address for I can meet with you for the estimate and to talk about the contract

C: Contract? I am not signing a contract.

G: I am sorry, but all lawn maintenance accounts are required to sign a contract.

C: Forget it then

Conclusion: Why would they want to refuse to sign a contract? More than likely they probably would not be a good customer that would try to stiff you out of money.

Situation 4:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how many I help you?

C: I need an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Not a problem, I would be mor

something wrong."

"I think that I’m offering my lawn care services way too cheap for the amount of work that I’m doing for all my clients. When I’m there I am always doing an extra small landscaping job for every client to improve the yard and lawn. Nine out of ten times I’m not charging anything for the lawn care service. I was talking to another lawn care operator and he was telling me that I’m charging way to low for my landscaping services. He would charge a lot more than what I’m changing for the average lawn mowing.”

For answers on how to resolve this lawn care business issue we turned to our friend Troy Tiedeman owner of Tiedeman llc. a Central Michigan provider of environmentally responsible lawn care.

Troy responded by saying “perhaps you just have the wrong type of customers and it has nothing to do with you. Because of how low your price is you are attracting the price shoppers. Raise up your price and don’t be disappointed when a customer tells you that you’re too much. Don’t expect to land every single lawn care account. If you do land every account, then yes your prices are definitely too low.”

Troy went on to say "Let me throw you some examples of different phone conservations you might have with customers and in the conversations I am going to have what you SHOULD say and do."

C=Customer and G=You

Situation 1:
G: This is Gman lawn care how may I help you.

C: I am looking for someone to cut my lawn

G: Are you looking for a one cut or seasonal service?

C: I am just looking for a one time cut while my mower is serviced.

G: Well, I am sorry, we do not offer one time cuts. Sorry I couldn’t help you.

Conclusion: Do not take on one time mowers. You will gain nothing from it in the long run. All they want is a cheap fix, not a long term solution

Situation 2:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service how may I help you

C: How much would it be to mow my lawn?

G: Well, I would have to come out and look at the property first to determine your price.

C: Can’t you give me a ballpark over the phone

G: No, Sorry I can not.

Conclusion: Do not take on a customer that wants an estimate over the phone. Now if they ask you that they would like you to come over and give them an estimate, then that is a different story.

Situation 3:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how may I help you?

C: I would like an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Now this is for the entire season, correct?

C: Yes

G: Great. I will just take down your address for I can meet with you for the estimate and to talk about the contract

C: Contract? I am not signing a contract.

G: I am sorry, but all lawn maintenance accounts are required to sign a contract.

C: Forget it then

Conclusion: Why would they want to refuse to sign a contract? More than likely they probably would not be a good customer that would try to stiff you out of money.

Situation 4:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how many I help you?

C: I need an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Not a problem, I would be mo

d it has nothing to do with you. Because of how low your price is you are attracting the price shoppers. Raise up your price and don’t be disappointed when a customer tells you that you’re too much. Don’t expect to land every single lawn care account. If you do land every account, then yes your prices are definitely too low.”

Troy went on to say "Let me throw you some examples of different phone conservations you might have with customers and in the conversations I am going to have what you SHOULD say and do."

C=Customer and G=You

Situation 1:
G: This is Gman lawn care how may I help you.

C: I am looking for someone to cut my lawn

G: Are you looking for a one cut or seasonal service?

C: I am just looking for a one time cut while my mower is serviced.

G: Well, I am sorry, we do not offer one time cuts. Sorry I couldn’t help you.

Conclusion: Do not take on one time mowers. You will gain nothing from it in the long run. All they want is a cheap fix, not a long term solution

Situation 2:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service how may I help you

C: How much would it be to mow my lawn?

G: Well, I would have to come out and look at the property first to determine your price.

C: Can’t you give me a ballpark over the phone

G: No, Sorry I can not.

Conclusion: Do not take on a customer that wants an estimate over the phone. Now if they ask you that they would like you to come over and give them an estimate, then that is a different story.

Situation 3:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how may I help you?

C: I would like an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Now this is for the entire season, correct?

C: Yes

G: Great. I will just take down your address for I can meet with you for the estimate and to talk about the contract

C: Contract? I am not signing a contract.

G: I am sorry, but all lawn maintenance accounts are required to sign a contract.

C: Forget it then

Conclusion: Why would they want to refuse to sign a contract? More than likely they probably would not be a good customer that would try to stiff you out of money.

Situation 4:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how many I help you?

C: I need an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Not a problem, I would be mo

>

G: Well, I am sorry, we do not offer one time cuts. Sorry I couldn’t help you.

Conclusion: Do not take on one time mowers. You will gain nothing from it in the long run. All they want is a cheap fix, not a long term solution

Situation 2:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service how may I help you

C: How much would it be to mow my lawn?

G: Well, I would have to come out and look at the property first to determine your price.

C: Can’t you give me a ballpark over the phone

G: No, Sorry I can not.

Conclusion: Do not take on a customer that wants an estimate over the phone. Now if they ask you that they would like you to come over and give them an estimate, then that is a different story.

Situation 3:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how may I help you?

C: I would like an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Now this is for the entire season, correct?

C: Yes

G: Great. I will just take down your address for I can meet with you for the estimate and to talk about the contract

C: Contract? I am not signing a contract.

G: I am sorry, but all lawn maintenance accounts are required to sign a contract.

C: Forget it then

Conclusion: Why would they want to refuse to sign a contract? More than likely they probably would not be a good customer that would try to stiff you out of money.

Situation 4:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how many I help you?

C: I need an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Not a problem, I would be mo

wn service, how may I help you?

C: I would like an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Now this is for the entire season, correct?

C: Yes

G: Great. I will just take down your address for I can meet with you for the estimate and to talk about the contract

C: Contract? I am not signing a contract.

G: I am sorry, but all lawn maintenance accounts are required to sign a contract.

C: Forget it then

Conclusion: Why would they want to refuse to sign a contract? More than likely they probably would not be a good customer that would try to stiff you out of money.

Situation 4:
G: Hello, this is gman lawn service, how many I help you?

C: I need an estimate for lawn maintenance.

G: Not a problem, I would be more than happy to give you an estimate for seasonal weekly mowing.

C: No, I just need it mowed every 2 weeks.

G: I am sorry, but we only offer weekly mowing services.

Conclusion: This weeds out any bi-weekly customers lawns that may get super tall and super thick in which you would waste time and money on in the long run.

Thanks Troy for the great insight you have to share with us. Sometimes reading some real world applications of business lessons can really help us grow faster. This specific lawn care business example was also spotlighted in our lawn care industry entrepreneur business show, GopherHaul episode 10. You can watch our many episodes of GopherHaul to improve your business skills and educate yourself.