Great Marketing Ideas ... got any?

[Phil Nilsson]

Valentines Day approaches ...

Spend $5.00 on a customer by doing this ... fancy long white box, red ribbon & bow a long stem rose inside ... formal card says ... WE LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS ... have a happy Valentines Day! ... and thank you so much for doing business with us.


Phil

P.S. You or your staff deliver these in person. If a commercial account ... a boxed rose for several of the ladies at the front desk area ... they'll put out the word for you.

[lilyrose]

Phil, Grassmaster, and others

Your opinion on this money back guarantee is requested

Use our services with no risk. We Guarantee your satisfaction 100% for One Full Year! Yes, we guarantee your satisfaction 100%! Only our Lawn Service comes with an unconditional, one year 100% money back guarantee.


This is for cut trim edge and blow only. I put it at the bottom of a flyer/doorhanger.

Thanks
Christian R

[GrassMaster]

Nope, it would have to be Worded Differently or they use your Service for a Year & want their money back for the whole year.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Or Something Similar!

[mariner]

Originally posted by GrassMaster
Nope, it would have to be Worded Differently or they use your Service for a Year & want their money back for the whole year.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Or Something Similar!

Most people are pretty honest. I don't think you'll have to deal with that garbage if you really and truely are providing quality service. Of course there are those that are exception to the rule and you will have to deal with them accordingly.

I think its a good hook but also a very common one. The market is flooded with lawn care . It amazes me everyday that customers keep coming....and so easy!

[dave_n_mulberry]

Most people are pretty honest.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

most people are however out of 50 customers 10 decided they wanted all the money back and they are lawyers they would eat your lunch....

[mariner]

Your getting way too technical...And being very pessimistic! It aint going to happen. If that many people want their money back, your doing something wrong!!!

[jfishenter]

I'd never offer a gaurantee that would even possibly cost me a years worth of service. If you feel you need an edge to get someone to sign on the dotted line, try this. Offer to do there lawn 1 time. If there satisfied with your work, they pay you and sign a service agreement. If not, they owe you nothing. Don't offer this in advance. Just use it if needed, to convince them of the quality service that you will provide.

[GrassMaster]

I used to think the Exact same way...

"Most People are Honest"

Until I entered the World of Retail (Sales & Repairs).

You got to remember as long as folks are happy, everything is OK & you can Work for them for 10 years & all you got to do is, Make 1 Mistake & that's it, They going to Seek Vengeance at all Cost!

Most all Folks used to be Honest but Now Things are different? Most People Live Beyond their Means & they have to get it one way or another to pay for that Lifestyle.

Back when I was a Young Stud, Poor People Lived in Shacks, no TV, No Phone, No VCR, Most all of them were skinny & didn't have BLA BLA Bla. Now they Fat, have Car, Decent House, VCR's & DVDs Galore... We call them customers!

My Daughter has had 3 wrecks in the past 4 1/2 Years none over $1,000 damage to both Vehicles combined. All three times I was Sued, Insurance companies settled out of Court & My Insurance Canceled.

One of My Employees had Wreck in Company Truck, No Tickets, No Vehicle Damage, Sued & Insurance Canceled.

My Premiums are Sky High, My Company has no Company truck & My Daughter is 20 years old & hasn't owned a Car in over 1 Year, She Walks or Rides with others.... I carry 1/2 Million Liability on my Personal Vehicles & I'm Still Scared driving down the Road!

Ask K-Mart about their return Policy, Ask Home Cheapo How many Millions of Dollars they lose a year on their No Questions asked return Policy.

A few Years Back we did warranty Work for Lowe's, they had so many Problems with Returns, that they sold the Returns & gave them receipts that Said in 1" Letters in Red "Sold As IS & No Warranty" They would bring unit to Shop & Say it Had warranty & we tell them that they must bring Receipt to Complete Warranty...

They hand us Receipts with those Big Red Letters on it & When we tell them we can't warranty it, We get Cussed out & Threatened because we told them it was warranty? Go Figure?

Say Uncle & I Stop! LOL

Don't get me Wrong but at least 4 out of 10 Commercial Cutters tell us that their Equipment is for their own Personal use & they Don't Cut Commercially, that's with Company Shirt on, Truck & Trailer next to Shop with Business Name & Lettering on it.

We do over 5,000 repairs a year, at least 100 or more People a Year come to Shop & say we fix their Equipment & it hasn't worked since they pick it up. The repair was done over a Year ago... They Pitch fits.

We have at least 1 or 2 people a year, that try to make us Refund money fro Repairs because we scratched the Inside of their fender well in back of truck & it's only 6 Months old Bla Bla Bla. We tell them to Contact our Insurance company & get it Painted, We never hear another word? Go Figure?

We have over 5 people a year that their Auto Lock on their Trunk doesn't work & they claim we damage it when loading their Lawn Mower.

We have Commercial Guy bring Trimmer back 4 months later, because the Line Cutter Blade fell off that we replaced.

Say Uncle & I Stop! LOL

We have commercial Guy, bring Trimmer back because we repaired his Pull Rope Assembly 6 Month ago & it Fell off the Trimmer, he admitted that he had Trimmed over a 1,000 yards with it. Go Figure?

My Wife goes to get Braces for Daughter, she's Told that the Total Cost to Do it is $5,000, they've already X-Ray Mouth & determine Cavities & number of teeth to be extracted that was all Explained, She pays Amount Down & so much a month...

Then they Charge her later $179 Consultation fee, Charge her so much for each Cavity, Charged her $85 dollars a Tooth to be Pulled. What's Next She still owes the $5,000 that she was told was going to be total Cost!

Say Uncle & I Stop! LOL

Over 50 people a year bring mower in for service & tell us to do it. Then when they pick it up, they say well I just Put New Blade on it or I just Put New Filter on it, they want us to deduct it from Repair. We show them wore out Blade or Dirty or Oily air Filter. They say that isn't theirs, theirs was new. Bla Bla Bla, we lose Lying Thieving Customer. We can't afford him any way...

I had a Retired Surgeon bring Snapper Mower in to be repaired, LOL It Needed everything, a Very High Repair bill, few weeks later he's back, we fix it for free, few weeks later again, we started writing down serial numbers, come to find out he had 3 snappers just alike, I confront him, He said the reason he did it was because we overcharged him. I showed him past repair tickets on other mowers, He thinks different now, he pays for that repair & refuses to pay for other free repairs. He a real POS, if you ask me?

A Preacher comes to Shop, He's about 6 foot & around 350 pounds (Fatter than me), he's on Workman's comp because he hurt his back at Church, I go to Help him load his 132 Pound Honda Commercial Mower, he says he's got it, he Holds it Straight out from his Body & sets it on his Front seat of his Van, he then tells me about how much grass he's cutting, that he's on Workers Comp from Hurting back at Church, he then tells me he was at City Ball Park at Game & His Thieving Lying Lard AZZ broke board on Bleachers & Fell, then ask me should he Sue the City, I asked him "What Would Jesus Do?" Lost another Lying Thieving Customer.

My Greatest Fear is Dying in Public, maybe a Heart Attack from Sitting on My butt too much writing these Mile Longers & I drop Dead Face Down, Then Some Body Pulls up on Bicycle & Tries to park their Bicycle in the Crack of my ....

Most People are Honest, but When You Need them the Most, Where in the World are they at?

I'm Here to Help & All I can do is Try to Give Good Sound Advice from my Own True Life Experiences! I've owned 5 Legitimate Businesses & Plan on Owning a Few more before I drop dead of a Heart Attack in Public!

I Wish You & Yours The Best of The Best!

This is the end of Part 1, Parts 2 thru 10 Later!

[Seascape]

Ive never had a quality issue and i still wouldnt do it. Its only gonna take 1 preditor client to cost you alot of money.

Mike

[Ground Works]

Most ppl honest

I have to agree a little bit on that however I worked as a service manager for awhile and I cannot go thru a single day without complaints from ppl and ppl who try to refuse to pay..

Also when I was doing lawns for the summer I had a customer who was a preacher and it was so diffucult to get paid and then his checks started to bounce so I told him I had to have cash. then he was never home so i could collect so finally i just quit doing is lawn...

So my thoughts are u just need to protect yourself from the rare chance that soemoen might take advantage of your hard working good nature

Dayak

Ps Hey Mike how are things in columbus

[lilyrose]

His Thieving Lying Lard AZZ broke board on Bleachers & Fell, then ask me should he Sue the City, I asked him "What Would Jesus Do?"

This post has had me laughing a couple times.

Thanks for the replies guys, I guess when selling repeated items, the cost would add up substantially over the year and you would lose a lot of money if just one guy "screwed you over".

I just use the one year guarantee on some products I sell, but those are books and videos so anyone who returns them I really don't 'lose' anything because I get the product back. But with a service its totally different. I see there are some differences between selling products and services.

Thanks and I didn't mean to hijack Phil's original thread. I would like to hear any more marketing ideas.

Chris

[Scaper-S2k]

GrassMaster, sorry, but I love reading your rants about how society REALLY is. I read that post twice. I solely agree with all of it. If that was part one, I'll be waiting for parts 2-10. Wait, I recall you allready writing a Part 1 a couple months ago, so that was really part 2. Keep it straight man.

Originally posted by GrassMaster
A Preacher comes to Shop, He's about 6 foot & around 350 pounds (Fatter than me), he's on Workman's comp because he hurt his back at Church, I go to Help him load his 132 Pound Honda Commercial Mower, he says he's got it, he Holds it Straight out from his Body & sets it on his Front seat of his Van, he then tells me about how much grass he's cutting, that he's on Workers Comp from Hurting back at Church, he then tells me he was at City Ball Park at Game & His Thieving Lying Lard AZZ broke board on Bleachers & Fell, then ask me should he Sue the City, I asked him "What Would Jesus Do?" Lost another Lying Thieving Customer.

SWEET

[BravesFan]

Re: Great Marketing Ideas ... got any?

Originally posted by Phil Nilsson
Valentines Day approaches ...

Spend $5.00 on a customer by doing this ... fancy long white box, red ribbon & bow a long stem rose inside ... formal card says ... WE LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS ... have a happy Valentines Day! ... and thank you so much for doing business with us.


Phil

P.S. You or your staff deliver these in person. If a commercial account ... a boxed rose for several of the ladies at the front desk area ... they'll put out the word for you.

Sounds like an azz whoopin from a jealous boyfriend/spouse waitin to happen

Dennis

[BravesFan]

Originally posted by lilyrose
Phil, Grassmaster, and others

Your opinion on this money back guarantee is requested

Use our services with no risk. We Guarantee your satisfaction 100% for One Full Year! Yes, we guarantee your satisfaction 100%! Only our Lawn Service comes with an unconditional, one year 100% money back guarantee.


This is for cut trim edge and blow only. I put it at the bottom of a flyer/doorhanger.

Thanks
Christian R

Nothing exciting at all about that offer. You're only inviting lowlifes to pull a number on you after a year.

Dennis