Efficiency Tip: Survey says

Photo: iStock.com/Bet_Noire

Within a few years of founding Stickle Lawn Care in 2012, owner Cody Stickle realized he couldn’t be everywhere at once. That was when the Hampton, Va., company incorporated a client satisfaction software system called Quality Driven Software (QDS) into its operations.

“Being that we’re continually growing, I’m not able to go out and look over every single client’s yard,” Stickle says. “QDS is an extra tool to help with quality control.”

Each survey is emailed or texted to the customer, allows him to rate the service on a scale of one to five and asks an open-ended question about the quality of service.

If a customer gives a high score, QDS directs him to the company’s website or a Google review page, granting the option to leave a review.

If a client is dissatisfied with a service, Stickle says QDS provides a drop-down menu listing items that may have gone wrong. Stickle Lawn Care then follows up with the client.

“If clients aren’t happy, then hopefully we can correct the issue before they go online and post something negative about our business,” Stickle says.

In addition to reducing client complaints, Stickle says the surveys help pinpoint quality problems stemming from a specific crew or employee. In those cases, Stickle says he arranges for extra training or supervision.

Of the approximately 120 surveys Stickle Lawn Care sends out weekly, the response rate is about 30 percent. Stickle adds it’s important to remember to send the surveys. They’re not sent automatically.