Problem:
You are the owner of AAA Landscaping, a small company in Orlando Florida that specializes in resodding and maintenance of lawns. Much if your business is through word of mouth advertising. Once a contract is negotiated, portions of it are subcontracted out,( sprinkler system repairs, and pesticide services).Recently you went to the home of Stu Murphy to bid on resodding Stu's Lawn. Several other bids were obtained but yours was the lowest. You arranged for the old sod to be removed and replaced it with St. Augustine Grass sod.
As part of the contract, Stu had asked that some basic maintenance be done, such as, hedge and tree trimming, hauling away of the old decorative logs around the flower beds, and a general sprucing up of the front area of the house. Also pesticide and fertilizer were to be applies within two weeks. The contract was signed on Wednesday and the work was completed by Saturday, when Stu had planned a party.
Your role:
You where pleased to get the contract of over 1,200.00. This is the third bid that you have gotten in the development were Stu lives. The initial sod removal and replanting as well as the weeding and pruning where completed on Saturday and you received full payment on Monday. Later in the week you received a call from Stu stating that there were several trees that were not trimmed to his satisfaction Debris covering decorative rocks around the hedges was not removed and that bags of clippings had been left behind. Because of other commitments it was several days before you sent someone out to finish the job. A day latter you get another message from him that there was still an untrimmed tree, the debris still remained and that the bags of clippings was still in the garage. You did not get around to returning his call and a week later he called again reminding you of the unfinished work and that the fertilizer and pesticide had not been applied yet. You call him back and say that someone will be out latter in the week to finish the work. Again you had other commitments that kept you from following through. So Stu called on Saturday and left a fourth message on your machine. He said that he was getting aggravated by not getting call backs from you as well as action on his needs. Without returning Stu's call you responded by sending someone out on Tuesday to take care of the outstanding work. It has been several days since the work has been completed and you assume that Stu is now satisfied because you have heard nothing further from him.
1. Based on the information in this scenario, how have you done in providing service to Stu? Explain.
2. What where Stu's needs in this case?
3. Could you have done anything differently?
4. Are you sure that Stu will give a good recommendation to neighbors or friends in the future? Why or why not?