Software is at the center of many businesses these days. With its ability to streamline processes, store information and increase efficiency, it has become a solution for landscape contractors looking to modernize the way they do business.

Software isn’t just something the back office uses to create invoices, process payments and route crews. It is also a powerful tool companies can use to get in front of and create a better experience for their customers.

Carrier’s Turf Pros Lawn Care in Sutton, Mass., has been using SingleOps’ software for the last two years.

“We have access to a customer’s information quickly, it’s easier to communicate through SingleOps and we have a record of the emails we send to them,” says Jennifer Power, office manager at Carrier’s Turf Pros.

The company performs lawn care services for a 90 percent residential and 10 percent commercial clientele.

Greg Brooks, CEO, founder and president of Brooks Landscaping, has been using Jobber since 2014. The company, based in Hiram, Ga., has grown a lot in the five years since it was founded, and Brooks said much of that growth is thanks in part to the software.

“When Jobber was introduced to me, it was a pivotal time in my business because we were transitioning away from trying to keep up with 60ish clients that we were doing maintenance for,” he says. “It allowed us to be 10 times more effective out in the field and be more effective toward being more professional with our clients.”

Communicate and connect

Being able to communicate effectively with customers is important for business owners. That’s why many software solutions available to landscape contractors have features that allow companies to easily connect with their clients.

“We have built in some intelligent automated email and text message functionality,” says Sean McCormick, CEO and co-founder of SingleOps. “You can have reminders about estimates. You can have emails about work. If there is a rain delay, you can notify customers.”

According to Power, SingleOps allows Carrier’s Turf Pros to send out planned emails to customers and also text them when crews are on their way.
“Communication with our customers has greatly improved through the use of SingleOps,” she says.

Shawn Cadeau, chief revenue officer for Jobber, adds that features like texting and branding make a business really impressive. “These are things (customers) might expect from a much larger company,” he adds.

Customer experience

Customer portals are another innovation many software companies are including in their products to allow users to give their clients a better customer experience. These portals can perform any number of functions, and they give the customer greater insight into the work being done on their property.

“We implemented a customer portal this year where (customers) can go into their portal and see the invoices that are outstanding, the services they’ve signed up for. They can request or add on a service right through the portal,” Power says.

Jobber has a Client Hub, which allows for two-way communication between the customer and the company. This feature makes it possible for companies to view quotes and ask questions of the customer using the hub, Cadeau says. It also allows the user to ask the client for feedback after completing a job.

“(The client hub) is an opportunity for the customer to have their own portal. They’re able to see their invoices and our movement with them,” Brooks says. “It provides two-way communication with clients. It’s been instrumental in being able to take a payment on a deposit, rather than having to take a payment through check. It’s created a 65 percent conversion ratio just simply on them being able to decide upon making the deposit on their credit card.”

Real Green also has a customer-assisted website that allows customers to handle referrals and order services right online, says Brian Bacigalupo, director of software sales and account management for the company.

“The end-to-end service is very important,” he adds. “These are people who want to run their business and not do the administrative stuff. This allows them to do that efficiently.”