08 Feb 7 things no landscape lighter ever wants to hear. How to deal with the issues.
By Mike Gambino
I heard of another landscape lighting specialist business going out of business this week. Thought I’d focus my blog article this week on a subject to benefit fellow specialist landscape lighters.
That is such an awesome truck! You must be making big money to be able to afford that. I’m not sure I can afford you!”
The statement is insulting because it implies you are not worthy of your fees are undeserving and somehow are able to pull off the ownership of the truck by overcharging customers. If you’ve ever heard this in person, I feel sorry for you. Landscape Lighters, like most creative individuals, tend to take things very personally, and this is one of the most insulting things you could say to a professional. I don’t need to tell you why everything is wrong about this, but because it is so frustrating to hear it, it’s very important not to get carried away in front of your client and remain calm.
The fact is a landscape lighters truck is his shop on wheels. It contains all of the tools, equipment and fixtures required to install and service lighting systems. Trucks need to be updated regularly to assure reliability. A truck is probably one of the biggest expenses that a service person has besides labor. A well kept truck saves the client money by making the landscape lighter more efficient and on time for work because they are not broken down along the freeway.
What’s the discount if I get the fixtures myself or bury the cable myself?
It’s surprising what people are willing to do to get a discount or because they feel over confident in their abilities. It is also a line that can come from clients who have little or no experience in acquiring landscape lighting services. Whatever the situation, the best way to deal with it is explain that the fixtures and cable installation are included in the price tag and that it is not optional. If the client chooses to do their own editing on top of that, it is their choice but you have to be consulted regarding copyright and publishing. Also, you should point out that choosing the proper fixtures is a large part of the service you provide and that too is something people hire you for.
“I love these fixtures, but I was wondering, can I choose the locations of each?”
It might take you a few moments to figure out how to give the best response to this one without seeming rude or irritated. So, you obviously need to explain that the optimum effect is obtained by the best location of the fixture. You shouldn’t get very specific because one, your client might not understand what you’re trying to explain, and two, you could become boring fairly quickly. Also reinforce the fact that although the fixtures are not ugly they are principally designed of durable materials and designed to properly house the lamp and deliver the best lighting effect and are meant to be hidden or concealed in the landscape if at all possible.
“I envy you. Your job must be so easy. To make a living by people finding your website…”
Ok, should this situation ever occur the first thing to do is take a long, deep breath and do your best to keep it together and not make the evening news. Having someone tell you your job is easy can be very frustrating, especially since you know how many hours, dollars, blood sweat and tears you put to get to that point, and still you have that kind of client. The truth is, you and your loved ones are probably the only ones who know what is behind the curtains, but it’s in your best interest to politely educate them that it’s not all just posting content on a website and in fact, the work begins long before the installation and finishes long after.
“Can I change the bulbs myself or have my handyman or gardener do it?
I have heard different approaches for this issue. Some landscape lighters say “yes, that’s fine because they don’t really care and don’t plan on doing any maintenance anyway. Others are strongly opposed to it, and that is mostly justified because it is “their system“. In the eyes of the dedicated landscape lighting service specialist each and every system is his stock in trade. It is his marketing showcase, his means of maintaining a close relationship with the client because he cares enough to keep the system looking as good as it did when originally installed. Frankly it is also a source of income albeit a small one but overall it greatly behooves both the professional and the system owner when the original builder is retained on a service agreement. A system can deteriorate very very quickly when the proper care is not given and inferior replacement lamps used.
“Why are the systems so expensive? My landscaper has a way better price.”
Because they don’t have experience with what custom premium quality landscape lighting means, many clients tend to feel offended by the cost of professionally designed and installed landscape lighting. Landscapers, electricians and other such service people are good for what there primary job is. Next time your client complains about this, let them know what they’re getting different. If you’re using a high quality product, like you should, that means those people also have costs to run their business, so cheap materials are out of the question. Delivery is also a crucial factor so it’s fair to say that out of the final price, only a small amount actually goes into the landscape lighter’s pocket. Most important however, the quality you provide with the completed lighting system is (should be!) light years away from what their non specialized trade person can.
“What do you mean you won’t be finished by next week? The other guy said he can start tomorrow. Don’t make me regret working with you.”
Clients are usually very anxious to get their finished landscape lighting system installed as quickly as possible, and often have no ears to hear that it takes a little bit more than next day installation. Whenever you have to deal with this issue, as always, keep calm and politely explain that rushing the entire process will result in poor quality. The landscape lighting process is every bit as artistic as any other high qualkity amenity and requires inspiration. In reality we have other clients and a busy work schedule installing and maintaining other systems, but your client doesn’t care so you need to make sure they understand that, but make sure you don’t sound like you’re just lazy and don’t feel like working everyday. If you do have a tight deadline though (it usually comes in a package with a tough customer) make sure you meet it because otherwise you can bet you won’t get any work from that source again.
This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .
Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.
No Comments