<font color=red>ON THE ROAD</font> GIC Breakfast with Champions

Each day of the Professional Landcare Network's Green Industry Conference, Oct. 24-27 at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, attendees were invited to start the day with intellectual conversation about the green industry at the Breakfast of Champions. Attendees had a range of topics to choose from, including these:

Making customer service work

Those attending the Breakfast of Champions who discussed good customer service Thursday morning agree it’s paramount, but how to go about it is the real question.
 
“You’re supposed to keep your customers happy,” says Todd Dilley, president, Outdoor Environments, Savage, Minn., who moderated the discussion. “Sometimes it seems like some customers are always happy and then you have customers who seem like they’re never happy.”
 
The ways contractors keep in contact with customers vary. Some clients rely on e-mail, others like phone contact, while some would rather have face-to-face meetings. Most contractors agree e-mail, while handy and fast, has some pitfalls. “You have to be careful with e-mail. Sometimes you can read too much or too little into an e-mail,” says Frank Mariani, CEO of Mariani Landscape, Lake Bluff, Ill. “When there’s a problem, go there to the site and look the customer in
the eye.”
 
Some customers never check their e-mail, says Dave Briggs, horticulturist for Level Green Landscaping, Washington, D.C. Because of this, Briggs assertains early on how a customer wishes to be contacted. “For some, the only way they communicate is through e-mail,” Briggs says. “For me, it’s important to find out exactly how they like to be communicated with.”
 
Briggs had his own bad customer service experience, which reinforced the importance of quality customer service. His car caught fire and he began leaving messages for the insurance company account manager. “But he wouldn’t return my calls,” Briggs says. Growing frustrated, it took calls to five people before he reached a vice president, who promised the account manager would call back in 10 minutes. The account manager called back, but by then, the relationship with the insurance company was beyond repair.
 
To head off potential customer service problems, Mariani engages his employees in roll-playing exercises. Through those, he presents a problem and employees act out how they believe they’d handle it. Those exercises sometimes result in some surprises which helps employees hone their customer service skills.

Owner’s Role

They might have the same title, but the role of an owner at a lawn care or landscape company can vary greatly from one business to another. A diverse group of owners discussed the parts they play in their businesses at a PLANET Breakfast with Champions table Thursday.
 
Nikos Phelps was on one end of the spectrum. Until recently, the owner of Utopian Landscapes in Hershey, Pa., started his day at 4:30 a.m. and stopped work for the day around 1 a.m. He spends much of his time setting up systems for his relatively young company, figuring he eventually will leave most of the operations to his four employees and add to that workforce in the near future. “I got my first paycheck in five years this year,” he says.
 
Greg Vinella, owner of ECOSystems Landscape in Austin, Texas, started out on the small scale, much like Phelps, when he got into the business 16 years ago. “I’ve never felt more alive, lonely and scared all at the same time,” he says. Today his role at his company is much different; he acts more as the company’s chief financial officer, keeping tabs on finances but leaving the operations to his managers. 

While some of the other owners at the table agreed that they perform in CFO roles, most agreed that an owner must learn to entrust others with operational tasks.
 
“As the owner, you feel like you need to do everything and that no one can do it better,” says Mark Borst, owner of Borst Landscape & Design in Allendale, N.J. Phelps is starting the process of delegating his workload.
 Overall, the owner should act as the company’s biggest cheerleader, which includes being present and visible among the employees. “I drive the same yellow truck and wear the same yellow shirt as everyone else, and it has made a huge difference,” Vinella says.

Determining Customer Desires

Lead qualification, transferring information among departments and surveying customers was the topic of discussion at the “Determining Customer Desires” table.
 
Table moderator Dale Shuler, landscape design/sales representative of Winnscapes, Gahanna, Ohio, kicked off the discussion with a description of his firm’s lead qualification process. When a prospective client calls Winnscapes, the business manager runs through a list of questions to determine the clients’ needs. Lead qualification, it turns out, is one process that all participants acknowledged could use some improving at their firms.
 
Lindy Westerfield, maintenance account manager at Rooney Landscape, Arlington Heights, Ill., says her company’s owner calls the administrative assistant who answers the phone “the ambassador of first impressions,” which everyone agreed was an appropriate term for such an important role. At Rooney Landscape, one part of the qualification process includes explaining their procedure for design – the fact that they work with outside designers who set their own fees, which are later credited to the cost of the job. Laurie Erdman, safety manager for The Bruce Co. of Wisconsin, Middleton, Wis., noted that one way to put a positive spin on that process would be to tell clients that design fees are “waived” upon the plan’s acceptance – which sounds more appealing.
 
Erdman also emphasized the benefit of educating the administrative assistant, receptionist or other front-line personnel about the company’s procedures – take them on jobsites, show them the services they may not understand (like aeration, for example) and show them what a contract looks like. It goes a long way in indoctrinating them into the company and the industry, says Raquel Perez-Chico, maintenance account manager for Christy Weber Landscapes in Chicago.
 
Another hot topic was troubleshooting flawed systems for transferring client information from one department to the next – like from design/build to maintenance or design to production.
 
To remedy that type of problem, Perez-Chico says she’s working on a client file system, which is an Excel spreadsheet where she keeps a log of her 250-plus clients and any pertinent details about their accounts. Examples include whether or not a client has a dog or if they expressed future interest in a specific service. This way, all information will be documented in the event a staff member leaves the company or a new department begins working with a client.
 
Randy Morgan, warranty manager at Designs by Sundown, Englewood, Colo., says his company uses a contact database for a similar purpose. Anyone at the company can access the files, which include budget sheets, gate codes and other important details.
 
A similar product called Microsoft CRM achieves the same goal, while also linking information into other Microsoft programs like Outlook, says Matt Harris, field representative for Anchor Wall Systems, Canton, Ga.
 
Surveys are a great way to determine client wants and needs, the group says. Shuler, for example, thought he did a great job of following up with clients after their projects were completed, but a recent formal survey the company conducted let him know some clients expected even more follow-up visits and phone calls. Now, he knows he needs to follow up at least once a quarter by just stopping by and walking the property. Shuler says Winnscapes previously conducted informal surveys, but the formal survey the business manager recently conducted over the phone was much more effective than a mail or e-mail survey because the personal contact increased the response rate.
 
Sometimes, you just have to come right out and ask clients what they want, Erdman says. “When it comes to loggerheads with a customer, the very last question should be, ‘What would it take to make you happy?’”

Start the day with intellectual conversation about the green industry.

Making customer service work

T hose attending the Breakfast of Champions who discussed good customer service Thursday morning agree it’s paramount, but how to go about it is the real question.
 
“You’re supposed to keep your customers happy,” says Todd Dilley, president, Outdoor Environments, Savage, Minn., who moderated the discussion. “Sometimes it seems like some customers are always happy and then you have customers who seem like they’re never happy.”
 
The ways contractors keep in contact with customers vary. Some clients rely on e-mail, others like phone contact, while some would rather have face-to-face meetings. Most contractors agree e-mail, while handy and fast, has some pitfalls. “You have to be careful with e-mail. Sometimes you can read too much or too little into an e-mail,” says Frank Mariani, CEO of Mariani Landscape, Lake Bluff, Ill. “When there’s a problem, go there to the site and look the customer in
the eye.”
 
Some customers never check their e-mail, says Dave Briggs, horticulturist for Level Green Landscaping, Washington, D.C. Because of this, Briggs assertains early on how a customer wishes to be contacted. “For some, the only way they communicate is through e-mail,” Briggs says. “For me, it’s important to find out exactly how they like to be communicated with.”
 
Briggs had his own bad customer service experience, which reinforced the importance of quality customer service. His car caught fire and he began leaving messages for the insurance company account manager. “But he wouldn’t return my calls,” Briggs says. Growing frustrated, it took calls to five people before he reached a vice president, who promised the account manager would call back in 10 minutes. The account manager called back, but by then, the relationship with the insurance company was beyond repair.
 
To head off potential customer service problems, Mariani engages his employees in roll-playing exercises. Through those, he presents a problem and employees act out how they believe they’d handle it. Those exercises sometimes result in some surprises which helps employees hone their customer service skills.

Owner’s Role

They might have the same title, but the role of an owner at a lawn care or landscape company can vary greatly from one business to another. A diverse group of owners discussed the parts they play in their businesses at a PLANET Breakfast with Champions table Thursday.
 
Nikos Phelps was on one end of the spectrum. Until recently, the owner of Utopian Landscapes in Hershey, Pa., started his day at 4:30 a.m. and stopped work for the day around 1 a.m. He spends much of his time setting up systems for his relatively young company, figuring he eventually will leave most of the operations to his four employees and add to that workforce in the near future. “I got my first paycheck in five years this year,” he says.
 
Greg Vinella, owner of ECOSystems Landscape in Austin, Texas, started out on the small scale, much like Phelps, when he got into the business 16 years ago. “I’ve never felt more alive, lonely and scared all at the same time,” he says. Today his role at his company is much different; he acts more as the company’s chief financial officer, keeping tabs on finances but leaving the operations to his managers. 

While some of the other owners at the table agreed that they perform in CFO roles, most agreed that an owner must learn to entrust others with operational tasks.
 
“As the owner, you feel like you need to do everything and that no one can do it better,” says Mark Borst, owner of Borst Landscape & Design in Allendale, N.J. Phelps is starting the process of delegating his workload.
 Overall, the owner should act as the company’s biggest cheerleader, which includes being present and visible among the employees. “I drive the same yellow truck and wear the same yellow shirt as everyone else, and it has made a huge difference,” Vinella says.

Determining Customer Desires

Lead qualification, transferring information among departments and surveying customers was the topic of discussion at the “Determining Customer Desires” table.
 
Table moderator Dale Shuler, landscape design/sales representative of Winnscapes, Gahanna, Ohio, kicked off the discussion with a description of his firm’s lead qualification process. When a prospective client calls Winnscapes, the business manager runs through a list of questions to determine the clients’ needs. Lead qualification, it turns out, is one process that all participants acknowledged could use some improving at their firms.
 
Lindy Westerfield, maintenance account manager at Rooney Landscape, Arlington Heights, Ill., says her company’s owner calls the administrative assistant who answers the phone “the ambassador of first impressions,” which everyone agreed was an appropriate term for such an important role. At Rooney Landscape, one part of the qualification process includes explaining their procedure for design – the fact that they work with outside designers who set their own fees, which are later credited to the cost of the job. Laurie Erdman, safety manager for The Bruce Co. of Wisconsin, Middleton, Wis., noted that one way to put a positive spin on that process would be to tell clients that design fees are “waived” upon the plan’s acceptance – which sounds more appealing.
 
Erdman also emphasized the benefit of educating the administrative assistant, receptionist or other front-line personnel about the company’s procedures – take them on jobsites, show them the services they may not understand (like aeration, for example) and show them what a contract looks like. It goes a long way in indoctrinating them into the company and the industry, says Raquel Perez-Chico, maintenance account manager for Christy Weber Landscapes in Chicago.
 
Another hot topic was troubleshooting flawed systems for transferring client information from one department to the next – like from design/build to maintenance or design to production.
 
To remedy that type of problem, Perez-Chico says she’s working on a client file system, which is an Excel spreadsheet where she keeps a log of her 250-plus clients and any pertinent details about their accounts. Examples include whether or not a client has a dog or if they expressed future interest in a specific service. This way, all information will be documented in the event a staff member leaves the company or a new department begins working with a client.
 
Randy Morgan, warranty manager at Designs by Sundown, Englewood, Colo., says his company uses a contact database for a similar purpose. Anyone at the company can access the files, which include budget sheets, gate codes and other important details.
 
A similar product called Microsoft CRM achieves the same goal, while also linking information into other Microsoft programs like Outlook, says Matt Harris, field representative for Anchor Wall Systems, Canton, Ga.
 
Surveys are a great way to determine client wants and needs, the group says. Shuler, for example, thought he did a great job of following up with clients after their projects were completed, but a recent formal survey the company conducted let him know some clients expected even more follow-up visits and phone calls. Now, he knows he needs to follow up at least once a quarter by just stopping by and walking the property. Shuler says Winnscapes previously conducted informal surveys, but the formal survey the business manager recently conducted over the phone was much more effective than a mail or e-mail survey because the personal contact increased the response rate.
 
Sometimes, you just have to come right out and ask clients what they want, Erdman says. “When it comes to loggerheads with a customer, the very last question should be, ‘What would it take to make you happy?’”

Open-Book Management

Open-book management is a way to play the game of business with your employees,” says Alan Mumford, founder of Landscape Images, Jefferson, La. “It engages them and creates fun competition between departments.”
 
Contractors discussed the ins and outs of open-book management at breakfast table moderated by Phil Allen, professor of Brigham Young University’s landscape management program, Provo, Utah.
 
Mary Wheeler, director of human resources for Wheeler Landscaping, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, has practiced open-book management at her company for the past several years. Wheeler conducts monthly meetings to discuss where the company is financially and its goals on where to go in the future, and posts the numbers on employee bulletin boards so they’re accessible to everyone. “Our employees like that there are no surprises,” she says. “By conducting monthly meetings, it gives our people the opportunity to turn any unfavorable numbers around.”
 
Mumford implemented open-book management into his business six years ago and so far hasn’t seen any negative outcomes. His primary goals were to create better communication between employees and management, as well as to create a competitive incentive plan. “When they’re involved, employees become energized about the business,” Mumford says. “I find that some of my guys police the others that aren’t performing up to par and keep everyone on track.”
 
oseph Smith, president of Embassy Landscape Group headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., was intrigued by the idea of open-book management, but was concerned about presenting his 130 employees too much complicated information. Mumford, who’s company has 24 employees, acknowledged it is easier to communicate to a smaller group, but keeping it as simple as possible can help make it work for any company. “If Southwest Airlines can operate with open-book management, anyone can,” he says, adding hiring an accountant can simplify the transition. “Switching to open-book management can be a tall ladder to climb, but once you do, you feel like you’ve been set free.”
 
Allen compared open-book management to lean management because you have people from the bottom up paying attention to the company’s financial situation. Wheeler agrees and says her company’s combination of lean and open-book management has created “a nice little package.” “At first it was awkward because our employees didn’t understand all of the information we were trying to present to them,” she says. “But sharing with your employees where the company is financially gives them a sense of ownership and creates trust.”
 

Open-book management is a way to play the game of business with your employees,” says Alan Mumford, founder of Landscape Images, Jefferson, La. “It engages them and creates fun competition between departments.”
 
Contractors discussed the ins and outs of open-book management at breakfast table moderated by Phil Allen, professor of Brigham Young University’s landscape management program, Provo, Utah.
 
Mary Wheeler, director of human resources for Wheeler Landscaping, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, has practiced open-book management at her company for the past several years. Wheeler conducts monthly meetings to discuss where the company is financially and its goals on where to go in the future, and posts the numbers on employee bulletin boards so they’re accessible to everyone. “Our employees like that there are no surprises,” she says. “By conducting monthly meetings, it gives our people the opportunity to turn any unfavorable numbers around.”
 
Mumford implemented open-book management into his business six years ago and so far hasn’t seen any negative outcomes. His primary goals were to create better communication between employees and management, as well as to create a competitive incentive plan. “When they’re involved, employees become energized about the business,” Mumford says. “I find that some of my guys police the others that aren’t performing up to par and keep everyone on track.”
 
oseph Smith, president of Embassy Landscape Group headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., was intrigued by the idea of open-book management, but was concerned about presenting his 130 employees too much complicated information. Mumford, who’s company has 24 employees, acknowledged it is easier to communicate to a smaller group, but keeping it as simple as possible can help make it work for any company. “If Southwest Airlines can operate with open-book management, anyone can,” he says, adding hiring an accountant can simplify the transition. “Switching to open-book management can be a tall ladder to climb, but once you do, you feel like you’ve been set free.”
 
Allen compared open-book management to lean management because you have people from the bottom up paying attention to the company’s financial situation. Wheeler agrees and says her company’s combination of lean and open-book management has created “a nice little package.” “At first it was awkward because our employees didn’t understand all of the information we were trying to present to them,” she says. “But sharing with your employees where the company is financially gives them a sense of ownership and creates trust.”