PR E S IDENT’ S C OL UMN continued from page 3 not only change their mood before they leave the shop, it will also set the bar for how you expect them to treat the people they come into contact with. Helping them understand what’s important to your company and clients starts every morning and doesn’t stop until you thank them for their hard days work. Treating a property as if it’s your own. When it’s something we own, we notice the finest of details. If you try and view the world from your client’s eyes – putting forth the little extra effort it takes to address those details – the effects may be felt for years to come! When you pull onto your customer’s property take notice and help with some of those little chores. Bring the garbage cans back to house, grab the newspaper and bring it to the back door. In other words, act like you care! These meaningless tasks can bring joy to your clients and cost you nothing more than a few extra minutes, if that. Dress. Yes, the way you and your employees dress doesn’t go unnoticed. Another point shared by my customer was simple, but overlooked. Do you supply logo shirts for your employees? Every one of us has an employee who seems to find the mud, so are you updating their wardrobe over a period of time, so they look clean? When entering someone else’s home, courtesy is to take off your shoes, or have a pair of cloth booties to put over your boots. These simple acts can go a long way and make you look professional. Business 101. Some of the most basic steps to increasing your profits are simple, like answering the phone, and being honest. It’s no secret that every company is suffering due to a lack of work force, but making excuses is worse than just being forthright. In that same vein, if you rely on technology to be your receptionist, what does your message sound like? My voice mail says I will call back by the end of the business day – and surprisingly enough – my clients are blown away that I call as I say I will, because they’ve become accustomed to no one following through. Isn’t that sad? Basic customer service is very simple – under promise, over deliver – even if it’s just returning phone calls. Also, if your jobs are falling behind, be proactive and give your customers a heads-up. In conclusion, the basics are often pushed to the side as we look for the newest and greatest way of taking care of business. We shouldn’t push the basics to the side, but embrace them and hopefully become the rock stars, the legends, the heros we want our customers to see us as! Always, Marie
6 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association