With springtime upon us and summer right around the corner, and nothing defines that time of year like green grass and a beautifully landscaped lawn.
However, getting to that point can be quite a challenge and it can be a never-ending battle for homeowners.
That is exactly why Greg Cressman decided to start RightWay Integrated Lawn & Pest Solutions one year ago.
He had lived in Palm Valley for a while and began to realize that there was something lacking from the lawn and pest control providers in the area.
One of the ways that he believes RightWay stands out is in its customer service approach, which some may see as “old-fashioned,” but Cressman sees as just what is needed.
“A company’s culture has and always will be key no matter the industry, and that’s been the case everywhere I’ve been,” Cressman said. “If you take care of your employees, then they’ll take care of the customers. It can really affect how they sound on the phone and their attitude when they show in the yard.”
One way they offer good customer service is by providing top notch service when called to work on a lawn or property.
As a result, they have not only gained customers in the past year, but they have also maintained them, which is another major piece of the puzzle.
“We hired really good technicians at the start, and we haven’t lost a single customer during our first year,” Cressman said. “We have high quality people and are as environmentally friendly as we can be. The response has been great.”
What makes having knowledge employees so important is the fact that they interact so closely with homeowners in making sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the desired plan for their lawn and what it entails.
“There is so much that goes into working with the homeowners, and getting in tune with what goes into an irrigation system,” Cressman said.
According to Cressman, a lawn in Florida is different from those in other states as it comes down to the various weather patterns and seasons in that specific state.
This is something that has come into play with so many new residents moving to the First Coast from other parts of the country.
“It’s a full education process and we spend a lot of time on that,” Cressman said. “St. Augustine grass is so dominant here and some people don’t even know what that is.”
The unique and big weather swings that happen in Florida plays a huge role, and chinch bugs present another unique problem, as they are not common in the Northeast United States, according to Cressman.
RightWay only has four employees now, but Cressman has a plan in place where he would like to see it get to in the future, but it all centers around growing at a smart pace and not too rapidly.
Their current size does have its advantages, because it allows the company to have quicker adaptability to changing situations than a larger company.
However, his goal for the future includes doubling the company’s number of employees this year and reaching more than 2,000 customers in the next couple of years.
“We service lawns seven times a year with a normal program, but we will come out and treat any situation that presents itself with a lawn,” Cressman said.
One of the things he never wants to see wean, even as they expand and grow down the road, is their reputation for reliable customer service.
“One of the ways we measure this is how often we answer the phones,” Cressman said. “We answer within three rings 80% of the time and voicemails are returned within 100% of the time. It was one of the areas where I saw a weakness and knew there was a better way to go about it.”
RightWay also offers discounts for veterans and first responders, as Cressman understands the sacrifice made having served in the military himself.
