Finding a landscaper to plant some shrubs and flowers in front of your home should be an easy task. One landscaper is pretty much the same as another? Or are they?  What makes one landscaper better than another? What’s the secret customer service trick?

Is it the plants that are picked or the mulch color that is chosen? Is it the size of the shovels used or the horsepower of his truck? Does the program used to design the plant arrangements matter more than the timeliness of the installation?

Well, each of these are important, with the exception of the truck horsepower, but what ONE thing can be used to “clinch-the-deal” and get the customer to say yes?

Think like the customer, of course!

I contacted multiple local landscapers in order to get estimates and ideas for some foundation plantings at my house. Gone are the days when I was able to work hour after hour in the hot sun all for my vain attempt at beautifying my home. Now it’s time to bring in the professionals. But how to choose one over the other?

For me it came down to something that should be so simple, so basic in the world of landscaping, that I wondered why they all didn’t do it.  What was it?

Provide me with a visual.

The company I ultimately choose had the foresight to take a clear photo of my home and superimpose images of the exact plants and shrubs that were included in the estimate and placed in their correct positions around the house.  Brilliant!  What more could I ask for?

Now I can see my home in all its soon-to-be glory.

Why wouldn’t other businesses use this tactic too? Why were they so sure that a standard estimate coldly listing the names and quantities of plants on a sheet of paper would “WOW” me enough to get my business?  Heck no!

I guess it’s just them doing business the same old way.

But that’s not good enough anymore!

[callout]A business that doesn’t find a way for their customers to make an easy purchase decision, one that puts their mind at ease, will be left behind by others that do.[/callout] It’s as simple as that.

Great companies find the ultimate reason for a sale & work towards making it happen.

Is it a nice suit for an upcoming job interview, or a reliable used car that gets good gas mileage for that student going away for college or is it as basic as a homeowner wanting his home to look nicer with a few shrubs and flowers?

Identify the reason for the purchase and provide the customer with the best method to experience the product or service prior to making the decision to purchase. That’s when it gets easy. That is what customer service is about! Fulfilling a need, but do it smartly.

You will have removed the uncertainty for the customer and the questions of how it will happen or what will it look like. That’s when the sale is made. Before any money is exchanged. When it’s still just an idea, a want, a desire.

The “secret customer service trick“?  For me it was a photo…now I just have to get my wife to agree to the work.