Don't Be a Schmoe

There are some important things that I learned about customer service as an executive in a small company.  One was that we had to act and react to events like a big company.  And we made sure of our success by following some dos and don’ts as illustrated below.

I will use a fictional lawn service in this example because it’s relatable, and it’s lawn services that I’m ticked off with right now.  In my example, Mr. Schmoe from “Premium Lawn Care” can’t cut my grass because his company’s so very little, and he’s way behind because it’s rained a lot, and he’s the only cutter; or so his wife is telling me.

First off, I shouldn’t even know this.  It’s OK to be a family business, but you don’t tell your customers you’re in rags.   You’re named “Premium” after all. 

Also, as your customer I don’t care there will be delays because right now it’s just crazy with how many demands are being put on your little business.  You’re a lawn service, my grass is knee high; I want my neighbors to stop staring at my grass.

I think this scenario is not at all abstract.  I believe that the real reason no cutting was done when it was sunny was because there was no plan for rain.  I guarantee that the big competitors, whose jobs “Premium” is trying to take, are cutting grass because they have crews of 80.  So, since it rains a lot some years, what should “Premium” have done so it doesn’t end up losing one customer too many.

Cast a big shadow.  For instance, having a professional message on the phone, not a home greeting is a must.  If a business card reads “Professional Lawn Care,” I don’t want to hear “This is the Schmoes, we’re not here right now…” or just plain “I’m not here, leave a message…beep.”

I don’t want to leave a message for “Mr. Schmoe” or “Mr. No Name” only to find that I dialed the number wrong, or it’s been changed.  This is especially true since half the lawn care people don’t return phone calls once they’re booked up or are fly by nights and drop their phone numbers.  I feel I’m wasting my time.

This leads to point number two in cast a big shadow.  Accept all the clients you reasonably can by coming up with forward looking plans to do so; a business can’t grow if it doesn’t. 

If you have credit and a house, get a line of credit for expansion. (If not, it’s hard to compete against competition that does).  If  my family business hadn’t done so, we’d never have been able to service our big accounts. 

Too many lawn services go under because they take on too many accounts and lose them when it rains when they can’t service them.   With a line of credit, you can get the equipment and can hire the people to do the extra jobs.  Then, if it rains, bump every customer up one day.  This way you can service the little guys and the big guys. 

If you don’t want to buy equipment as of yet until you have one good dry year for more financial safety, rent the equipment in a wet year when needed, provided you don’t lose money. Also plan ahead to get a jump on rental equipment early in the year, those who are brilliant last are as bad as those who are stupid first.

And use common sense.  I’m not saying that you should recklessly spend, spend, spend.  I am saying, though, that you should have the line of credit from the first day you can get it.  This way, by using common sense and planning, you’ll have the credit to expand to meet your customers’ needs. 

One tip, if you have a job and want to leave it to start a new business, get the credit while employed.  And keep the day job for a while so you stay honest on the application.  And don’t be a Schmoe.