Dealing with Unhappy Clients In Your Lawn Care Business
No lawn care business owner ever wants to find out that a client is unhappy with the service they’ve been provided. You likely pride yourself on your ability to mow lawns and trim trees to perfection, so it can be shocking when you receive a complaint.
The rarity of complaints might mean you don’t know how to handle them when they do come in. Fortunately, we’ve got some top tips for navigating complaints if you should ever find yourself on the receiving end of them.
Stop and Listen
If a client has approached you in person to voice their concerns about a service you’ve provided or something else they’re not happy with, stop what you’re doing and listen. Allow your customer to explain their side of the story and see if you can piece together what happened based on their version of events.
Even if you don’t believe you were in the wrong, your client is likely going to appreciate being given the room to communicate their needs in the hopes that you can provide a solution.
Visit In Person
If you’ve received a complaint online, such as via email, text message, or social media, don’t be in too much of a hurry to address it using those same platforms. Depending on the contents of the message, see if the customer would be willing to meet with you to discuss their problem in person.
Doing so can make you look more professional while also being appreciated by the customer, who will likely be thrilled to learn you will take the time to visit them for a face-to-face discussion. Addressing the problem in person also gives you extra time to come up with a solution before you need to meet them.
Remain Calm
As challenging as it can be to keep your cool when your character, skill set, and professionalism are being questioned, remaining calm can be crucial for maintaining a strong customer relationship.
If you’re struggling not to respond in a way that might be viewed as disrespectful, step back, take a deep breath, and regain your composure. The calmer you remain, the easier it can be to salvage your relationship and continue providing high-quality lawn care services.
Investigate
If your lawn care business operates with a team, you might not have been directly involved with the person making the complaint. Before responding to any digital correspondence, attempt to get to the bottom of the problem by talking to the staff members involved.
If a lawn care customer has approached you in person about a situation you weren’t involved in, thank them for bringing the issue to your attention and ask for permission to investigate before coming back to them with a solution. In that time, you can find out what happened and possible solutions to satisfy all involved parties.
Use Feedback to Learn and Grow
You might have noticed that you’re receiving the same type of feedback repeatedly. If you are, take it on board as an opportunity to learn and grow. For example, if more than one customer has expressed concern about how you trim their roses or edge their lawns, consider upskilling in these areas to satisfy your customers’ needs. Complaints can be an opportunity to improve, even if receiving negative feedback is rarely a nice feeling initially.
Don’t Try to Win Any Arguments
Some clients can be so frustrated with a situation that there’s potential for a heated argument to break out. When a client approaches you in a state of heightened emotion, enter the discussion with the mindset that you’re not there to win any arguments.
Instead, apologise for the disappointment they’re feeling and express sadness that they’ve experienced what they did. You’re not necessarily admitting guilt, but you’re empathising with their situation. You might also like to put yourself into their shoes to understand how you’d feel in the same scenario.
Consider Gestures of Goodwill
Some complaints can be solved with a simple apology, while others might require more effort and consideration. Depending on the type of complaint, you might be able to rectify the situation with a free lawn mowing session, a credit to their account, or another free service like hedge trimming.
You might even like to leave the problem-solving in the hands of the customer, asking them what they would like the outcome to be so that you can negotiate a resolution that suits you both.
Turn Unhappy Customers Into Happy Ones
While the majority of your clients might be more than satisfied with your efforts, you might encounter one or two complaints over your years in business. However, with these tips above, you might be more than capable of resolving any issues that might arise and maintaining those client relationships long into the future.