Aeration hustle
Here’s an awesome story from yesterday. I was servicing one of my residential clients yesterday, a really nice recent widow, and a young side hustler pushing an aerator passed by. You see these guys every spring: they put holes in your lawn, charge who knows what, and collect forty percent of their take. Their clever bosses collect the other sixty percent because they own the aerators, and shuttle those heavy machines between neighbourhoods. It’s possible one of these dudes knocked on your door on a Sunday.
Now, I have a client several blocks away, so I gave this side hustler the address and told him to try his luck there. And he did. He pushed the aerator all the way there and knocked on the door.
What happened next was awesome. For me, that is, not the dude.
Relationships!
My client called me to thank me for trying to hook him up with a quick lawn aeration job, but he declined the offer. He wanted me to do it. Later was totally fine. How nice!
This shows the awesome power of relationships. The aerator dude was ready to aerate and probably did a decent job, although I suspect he would have charged more than me. But the key here is relationships. My client doesn’t know the dude. He’s known me for years. He knows my work, and my fees haven’t derailed his retirement plans. Yet!
We have a relationship, and that’s priceless.
Google search calls
Every season, I get random calls about lawn cuts, and the first question is always about cost. Once I reply, they hang up and sort through their list for the lowest price. There is no relationship, and it’s awful. To them, I am just another lawn dude.
Luckily, I have several clients I have been servicing for years. We have a relationship, so they won’t replace me with a cheaper landscape contractor. Once you reach that level, work really hard to maintain the relationship because it’s priceless.
Be of service! Help people, and your business will grow!
Need help? Call Red Seal Vas.
