[Hoosier]

How do you handle the first phone call?

I try not to give too many details and listen to what they have to say. But this lady today had me lost, she couldn't even come up with a time that we could meet. I think she talked more about her new front door than what she wanted us to do.

[Stonehenge]

Our process is more about screening the prospective clients than anything else - find out how they heard about us, what work they want to have done, if they have a budget in mind, if they have any time constraints for the project, etc. If that all seems ok, then we'll set a day and time to get together.

The ones that are scattered enough that they struggle to focus on a day and time for a meeting will likely not be different when the time comes to install the landscape.

[jshilan]

The initial phone call should be very well scripted, with the primary goal being to get the clients contact information, but also some idea if they are your (type of) customer with a project that is appropriate for your company. If you have a script you can also keep the conversation short and to the point. The ultimate goal is for you to decide if you are going to try to set an appointment with this client, if you are going to try to prequalify the client by discussing fees up front, or deciding that this is not your (type of) customer and thank them for the call. Just because someone calls you or wants a "free estimate", does not mean that you are obligated to meet with them. Even in recessionary times you want to be able to properly screen a customer on the phone to determine if it is a good fit. If it is, than do every thing you can to service the client, if not than move on. Time wasted on a bad customer, even an initial meeting, is time you are taking away from good customers.

If a client is "crazy" in the beginning of the process, you can guarantee that you will be crazy by the end of it .

[Hoosier]

If a client is "crazy" in the beginning of the process, you can guarantee that you will be crazy by the end of it .[/quote]

amen

I think its time to get things organized on the landscape & hardscape side of the business for situations like this. This is our first year in the phone books and I can see the "client types" changing as the calls are coming in.

Before everything was word of mouth or by seeing us do work. Now the customers are asking more about us (age, yrs in business, ins, education...).