How it works in my businesses

[saveliberty]

There are some clients you can turn around but after many years of watching and observing you get a vibe for people who are simply just plain miserable in every aspect of their life. They spend their almost every waking hour bitching about something or someone. Just remember the cyber world and brick and mortar world are not the same. That old faceless anonymity we gain online is the dividing line in "business". It can create histrionic personalities and a rude boldness that a face to face or phone call to phone call will not.

My intial contacts are mostly by phone, but then its followed up by a site visit. You get to know them as individuals and account for their personal tastes and style. The miserable customer certainly does exist Dreamy. I meet them more in the sales job I have. They rarely are people who return again and again.

I like to try and turn people around but some people simply like waking up miserable and going to bed pretty much the same and for those people I prefer to not share air space with them. My deal is this. If I offer you the best product and service I can, keeping in mind you can't please all people all the time, and there are some lost revenue because of a few who are simply terminal whiny asses, such is life in general and in business. Now if I am offering a free service and you still piss and moan I will be even less gracious.

The bold part I agree with and it helps me sleep at night knowing that is what I tried to do. Landscaping has no free lunch jobs from me. I have done some near cost and it seems you make a valid point with the last part. I do make every attempt not to be ungracious though.

 

[saveliberty]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

If I try and speak to a customer, who refuses to pay any attention to what I am saying, and constantly interrupts me and is difficult, they can go and get fucked.

I have no time for idiots who demand I help them, then refuse to listen to a word I say.

I usually try to listen a little more first. People often are trying to help you sell them something. Granted they have pretty strange ways of doing that at times. In the end your right, two peolpe talking at the same time are not going to accomplish the sale.

 

[Dreamy]

My intial contacts are mostly by phone, but then its followed up by a site visit. You get to know them as individuals and account for their personal tastes and style. The miserable customer certainly does exist Dreamy. I meet them more in the sales job I have. They rarely are people who return again and again.

I like to try and turn people around but some people simply like waking up miserable and going to bed pretty much the same and for those people I prefer to not share air space with them. My deal is this. If I offer you the best product and service I can, keeping in mind you can't please all people all the time, and there are some lost revenue because of a few who are simply terminal whiny asses, such is life in general and in business. Now if I am offering a free service and you still piss and moan I will be even less gracious.

The bold part I agree with and it helps me sleep at night knowing that is what I tried to do. Landscaping has no free lunch jobs from me. I have done some near cost and it seems you make a valid point with the last part. I do make every attempt not to be ungracious though.

Another rule I try to follow? If I have not walked the walk in your shoes or profession or job I try to avoid making judgment calls on how you should run your business or life. Actual hands on experience in the business or trade trumps my outsider opinions every time. So sir you are the man when it comes to sales and landscaping.

 

[saveliberty]

Well thanks for the feedback folks. I think the survey idea sounds good. I can make one up and distribute it to existing customers and see where I excel and where I might want to make changes. I might have a cutoff on the total revenues by customer to save money.

 

[saveliberty]

I like to try and turn people around but some people simply like waking up miserable and going to bed pretty much the same and for those people I prefer to not share air space with them. My deal is this. If I offer you the best product and service I can, keeping in mind you can't please all people all the time, and there are some lost revenue because of a few who are simply terminal whiny asses, such is life in general and in business. Now if I am offering a free service and you still piss and moan I will be even less gracious.

The bold part I agree with and it helps me sleep at night knowing that is what I tried to do. Landscaping has no free lunch jobs from me. I have done some near cost and it seems you make a valid point with the last part. I do make every attempt not to be ungracious though.

Another rule I try to follow? If I have not walked the walk in your shoes or profession or job I try to avoid making judgment calls on how you should run your business or life. Actual hands on experience in the business or trade trumps my outsider opinions every time. So sir you are the man when it comes to sales and landscaping.

Well...in truth Dreamy...I have fired customers before. Twice actually. Both returned years later and are good customers now, not perfect. Respect needs to be both ways.

 

[saveliberty]

This has been helpful for me ladies and gentlemen. Much appreciated.

 

[Dreamy]

Well thanks for the feedback folks. I think the survey idea sounds good. I can make one up and distribute it to existing customers and see where I excel and where I might want to make changes. I might have a cutoff on the total revenues by customer to save money.

Sounds like a plan.

And then again you might garner new revenue with new customers who bring more to your business. Sometimes those difficult customers take up more time(time is money) than their revenue brings in.

Best of luck SL!

 

[Papawx3]

I just retired, but I built and ran a service industry business for 18 years.
Without exception, my customers were at the heart of my business, because without my customers, I would have no business.
.

 

[saveliberty]

With the two businesses, I have had a retail sales customer become a landscape customer and the other way around as well. It gets complicated and all the more necessary to be customer friendly.

 

[Mr. H.]

We owned a florist business for a couple of years. The wife took a phone order from some guy that brought her to tears. Only saw that gal cry twice in the 30 years I've know her. The other time was when her dad died. Long story short, he ended up calling me and profusely apologizing. That was a tough business. Either extremely boring or extremely hectic. LOL

 

[saveliberty]

We owned a florist business for a couple of years. The wife took a phone order from some guy that brought her to tears. Only saw that gal cry twice in the 30 years I've know her. The other time was when her dad died. Long story short, he ended up calling me and profusely apologizing. That was a tough business. Either extremely boring or extremely hectic. LOL

I hear that last part. This summer I built tore down and rebuilt a retaining wall five times, bcause it sat on a lake property line. The neighbors couldn't agree on the actual spot. Finally both of them were not happy, so I told them that must mean I found the right spot. They sort of laughed and agreed.

 

[boedicca]

The difference being.... most posters here are not customers...as in paying customers. The membership here is using the site for free.







^^^ see bold letters and little flag.

The members here create content for free. Without member content to which ads can be attached, there is no board.

 

[saveliberty]

One customer that I fired, wanted a particular stone as mulch. It was at the base of a large hill. It was a narrow opening to the spot, so a wheelbarrow was the best way without tearing up the yard. You had to make a corner at the bottom or you went into the lake. Anyways, I got it all done and went home. The nest morning they called and were upset that the rocks didn't look as they anticipated. They wanted them all out. As difficult as taking the rocks down was, up was even worse.

The other customer lived in an upscale neighborhood with soil I knew to be sandy. I recommended an irrigation system and a variety of other landscape features and plants. Totalled about $10,000. The customer proceeded to eliminate about half the project. I returned the $1,000 deposit and refused the job. After all the resistance, they went with a friend of mine and basically followed my recommendations and design to the letter. Problem was, I was paid nothing.

This work combines your personality, expertise and hard work. Rejection gets very personal.

 

[saveliberty]

The second customer above returned last summer. They wanted the stone mulch removed and replaced, because they felt a mold was in the beds stone or weed barrier. I dug around a bit and told them I felt that was not the case and perhaps the tree in one of the beds had developed a fungus or mold on the bark.

They liked the tree, so they requested the stone and weed barrier come out. Customer is right, right? So I take them all out and replace them with "new" ones...

...well the new ones were covered with a layer of dust which made them appear to be slightly browner. They were the wrong stones according to the customer. Confered with the supplier who also installed the prior batch. Same source. Oh no they weren't according to the customer. Their answer?

Remove them and put them in the side and back beds. Transfer the stones from those locations to the front. It made no snese to me. Now I'm using stones which have the potential of having the mold back in front.

No customers were harmed in the completion of these projects. If I was Catholic, I'd have applied for sainthood.

 

[saveliberty]

The kicker to the above story is it was an ex relative.

 

[Ringel05]

The second customer above returned last summer. They wanted the stone mulch removed and replaced, because they felt a mold was in the beds stone or weed barrier. I dug around a bit and told them I felt that was not the case and perhaps the tree in one of the beds had developed a fungus or mold on the bark.

They liked the tree, so they requested the stone and weed barrier come out. Customer is right, right? So I take them all out and replace them with "new" ones...

...well the new ones were covered with a layer of dust which made them appear to be slightly browner. They were the wrong stones according to the customer. Confered with the supplier who also installed the prior batch. Same source. Oh no they weren't according to the customer. Their answer?

Remove them and put them in the side and back beds. Transfer the stones from those locations to the front. It made no snese to me. Now I'm using stones which have the potential of having the mold back in front.

No customers were harmed in the completion of these projects. If I was Catholic, I'd have applied for sainthood.

Good for you. Now let me tell you how my business works. You pay me, say, 50% of your gross and you get to keep your tools, truck and your knees...... Oh and I guarantee none of your competition will muscle in on your territory...... unless we let em...... That costs extra.......

 

[saveliberty]

The second customer above returned last summer. They wanted the stone mulch removed and replaced, because they felt a mold was in the beds stone or weed barrier. I dug around a bit and told them I felt that was not the case and perhaps the tree in one of the beds had developed a fungus or mold on the bark.

They liked the tree, so they requested the stone and weed barrier come out. Customer is right, right? So I take them all out and replace them with "new" ones...

...well the new ones were covered with a layer of dust which made them appear to be slightly browner. They were the wrong stones according to the customer. Confered with the supplier who also installed the prior batch. Same source. Oh no they weren't according to the customer. Their answer?

Remove them and put them in the side and back beds. Transfer the stones from those locations to the front. It made no snese to me. Now I'm using stones which have the potential of having the mold back in front.

No customers were harmed in the completion of these projects. If I was Catholic, I'd have applied for sainthood.

Good for you. Now let me tell you how my business works. You pay me, say, 50% of your gross and you get to keep your tools, truck and your knees...... Oh and I guarantee none of your competition will muscle in on your territory...... unless we let em...... That costs extra.......

How about you pay your own way here and you can amuse me with your little act?

 

[Ringel05]

The second customer above returned last summer. They wanted the stone mulch removed and replaced, because they felt a mold was in the beds stone or weed barrier. I dug around a bit and told them I felt that was not the case and perhaps the tree in one of the beds had developed a fungus or mold on the bark.

They liked the tree, so they requested the stone and weed barrier come out. Customer is right, right? So I take them all out and replace them with "new" ones...

...well the new ones were covered with a layer of dust which made them appear to be slightly browner. They were the wrong stones according to the customer. Confered with the supplier who also installed the prior batch. Same source. Oh no they weren't according to the customer. Their answer?

Remove them and put them in the side and back beds. Transfer the stones from those locations to the front. It made no snese to me. Now I'm using stones which have the potential of having the mold back in front.

No customers were harmed in the completion of these projects. If I was Catholic, I'd have applied for sainthood.

Good for you. Now let me tell you how my business works. You pay me, say, 50% of your gross and you get to keep your tools, truck and your knees...... Oh and I guarantee none of your competition will muscle in on your territory...... unless we let em...... That costs extra.......

How about you pay your own way here and you can amuse me with your little act?

Careful, ya might wake up one morning with a fake horse head in your bed...... Or not. Depends on how kinky you are.......

 

[saveliberty]

Good for you. Now let me tell you how my business works. You pay me, say, 50% of your gross and you get to keep your tools, truck and your knees...... Oh and I guarantee none of your competition will muscle in on your territory...... unless we let em...... That costs extra.......

How about you pay your own way here and you can amuse me with your little act?

Careful, ya might wake up one morning with a fake horse head in your bed...... Or not. Depends on how kinky you are.......

I'm guessing Mrs. Liberty in cotton gloves and a CPAP machine will protect me from any unannounced visits. hee hee

 

[Ringel05]

How about you pay your own way here and you can amuse me with your little act?

Careful, ya might wake up one morning with a fake horse head in your bed...... Or not. Depends on how kinky you are.......

I'm guessing Mrs. Liberty in cotton gloves and a CPAP machine will protect me from any unannounced visits. hee hee

If you can sleep with that thing on I could drive a herd of cows through your bedroom and you would never hear them.......