Boost efficiency and profit by creating custom categories for your lawn maintenance customers.
Hey Clippers! Dave Tucker here to talk about classifying your lawn maintenance—and maybe even your crews.
- The size of their business, its operational scope, and the market potential.
- The type and range of services or products they frequently need or request.
- Their level of demand or how high maintenance they can be (few will openly admit this, but it’s a well-known industry secret!).
- And countless other factors, including payment habits, communication preferences, and future growth prospects.
This method of categorization is often referred to as “lead qualification.” These strategic customer categories make it significantly easier for salespeople to make informed decisions about where to allocate their time, energy, and resources most effectively. For instance, a fussy high-budget customer might logically warrant more attention than a smaller account. Numerous companies have seen tangible success with this approach—and with some careful planning and execution, you can too.
Qualifying leads in the lawn maintenance business: An insightful Perspective
One long-time CLIP user sorts their customers based on the level of service they want. They have four categories: platinum, gold, silver, and bronze.
Bronze: The Essentials
A bronze customer is your standard mow, blow, and go—and you may not even blow. These people are low maintenance and won’t inspect your work with a magnifying glass after you go. Don’t get sloppy, of course, but no need to worry about a flawless appearance. They’re just happy someone else is doing the work!
Silver: A Notch Higher
A silver customer needs a little more TLC, but again, nothing fancy. Think of the silver category as a traditional mowing job, plus some trimming. You may also put bigger properties in the silver category.
Gold: They Eye-Catching Green
Gold is another step up. Again, no one is going to pitch a fit over a single missed blade of grass. But anyone walking by should think, “Wow… that’s a nice lawn.” You might do some tree trimming, edging, and other special services.
Platinum: The Picture-Perfect Lawn
Platinum customers demand and deserve the best you have to offer. Every inch of their property requires meticulous attention from your crew.
The end result should look like it’s ready for the cover of a lawn maintenance magazine. Immaculate lines, not a single stray leaf or blade of grass in sight. These yards require your top-tier crews.
The seasoned CLIP user I mentioned communicates with every new customer to understand their expectations. They use this feedback to assign each customer to the appropriate category. Depending on the feedback received throughout the year, they might shift a customer to a different category to better meet their needs and exceed their expectations.
What’s more, they’ve cleverly labeled their crews based on these categories! The bronze crew is adept at breezing through the properties as swiftly as possible. The platinum crews, brimming with perfectionists, genuinely relish the painstaking attention to detail required to create a truly immaculate yard.
Each crew has mastered their category and can approach every job with unshakeable confidence. This ensures a streamlined operation where no one has to juggle different categories from property to property, and most importantly, every customer leaves satisfied.
Customization and Flexibility: Adapting the Strategy to Your Business
Admittedly, not every lawn maintenance business needs to adhere strictly to these exact categories. And if you are operating with only one or two crews, you might not feel the need to segment them.
However, never assume that this strategy won’t work for you. Invest a little time in creative thinking, and you might find ways to translate the concept of lead qualification into a strategy for delivering enhanced customer satisfaction. A touch of extra research into what each customer desires can drastically uplift their overall experience with your services.
Harnessing Technology: Using CLIP Software for Clientele Classification
If you decide to start qualifying your customers, the good news is that CLIP software is designed to aid in this process! Our cutting-edge lawn maintenance business software allows you to tag each account and maintain extensive notes, making it easier to recall details when needed. Imagine not having to memorize every minute detail about your customers because CLIP can remember it for you!
This state-of-the-art tool also offers other features such as advanced routing tools that can streamline your operations, pricing tools to ensure profitability, and calculators that can help optimize your business processes. All of these are aimed at making your lawn maintenance business as profitable and efficient as possible.
Your Feedback Matters: Join the Conversation
Remember, understanding your lawn maintenance clientele is not just about maximizing profits; it’s about delivering a service tailored to their needs, which in turn fosters loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. And, in today’s competitive market, customer satisfaction and loyalty are your most valuable assets.
We’d love to know more about your methods. Do you qualify your leads? Feel free to share your experiences, thoughts, and queries in the comments below. And in the meantime, keep your business spirit high and keep clipping!