Award-Winning Couple Places Service at the Core of Their Lawn Care Business
Franchise: Weed Man Billings, Montana (opened in 2016)
Prior to joining Weed Man, Tyler Hollenbeck was in the tool business for nearly nine years with the Matco Tools franchise. Beth received her bachelor’s degree in human services and has worked for the local credit union for seven years.While successful with his previous business, Tyler didn’t feel as though he could see his Matco Tools franchise providing a high enough return on investment, long term. So, he sold his Matco business in 2016, however remained intrigued by the franchise industry.
After hiring one of the big lawn care providers, the Hollenbecks saw firsthand the lack of high-quality lawn care service available in their area. In Tyler’s research of trustworthy lawn care companies, he came across the Weed Man franchise opportunity. Together, Tyler and Beth made the decision to invest because of the integrity of the brand, the benefits of the proven systems and the potential growth opportunities. Most importantly, though, they knew they could provide a better customer service experience while cultivating healthier, greener lawns for their community.
The Hollenbecks have been committed to executing Weed Man’s proven plan since the start. In fact, because they made such a positive impact their first year in business, Tyler and Beth were presented with Weed Man’s “Rookie of the Year” award in 2017 at the company’s annual conference. The next year, they were the recipients of the “Marketing Performance Award (under $750,000)” and were nominated for the “Ambassador Award” and “Referral Engagement Award” as well. All awards and nominations gave recognition where it was due. Whether it was their dedication to executing all marketing plans with excellence, optimizing the customer experience, increasing sales, having a strategic referral program or exhibiting the company’s values, this husband-and-wife team serve as a great example to the rest of the Weed Man franchise system.
How has your franchise been successful with increasing referrals?
We received many of our referrals from social media. There are some excellent local buyer guides in our community (customer service Facebook groups) and our customers would recommend us in these groups. We inadvertently established relationships with local influencers who would post any time their lawn was serviced. Tyler took time to explain our processes, how to see the best results and the customers would listen. Leaving a treat for their furry friend would garner some love on various groups as well. These were happy customers who were sharing their experience with Weed Man out of the goodness of their hearts. Anytime they would post, we would receive an influx of phone calls requesting a quote and oftentimes they gave us a chance to win them over. Many of our customers belong to these local city-based Facebook pages and when people would seek recommendations on how to remove weeds and other lawn care issues, our business would be tagged and/or mentioned 2-3 times in the comment section. This is all thanks to our satisfied existing customers. We got into this industry to provide quality service and we know that if we continue to put that as our #1 priority, the more referrals we will receive. We have also partnered with a platform called Podium to help increase our online reviews to leverage our service being recognized.
Is there any positive customer interaction that sticks out the most to you?
There was one woman we were able to help by taking the time to educate her. The more the customers know about their lawn and what to expect, the better lawn they will have. She had a weed problem, and we explained to her she needed thicker grass to choke out the weeds. She became one of the happy customers who took to Facebook to share how we not only solved her problem, but also how we made sure she understood why and how we did it. We could easily have said to, “just be patient,” but some customers want to be taught the method. Everything we do is proven, and when we provide our expertise, that adds additional value to our customers. Whether it’s how much they should be watering or the proper lawn mower blade length, they appreciate it.
What’s one of the most important things to create happy customers?
Service is key and delivering on our promise. Also, communication. Even before someone becomes our customer, it starts in the sales room. We’re listening to their problem areas, concerns and often we’re able to share some advice and be a resource for prospects prior to the free quote. When we have earned their business, we’re always available. Our trucks are clean, we look professional and we like to look sharper than our competitors.
Want to learn more about the Weed Man franchise opportunity? Request a consultation or give us a call today at 1-888-321-9333. We look forward to hearing from you!