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112 113 alized.When a prospect receives a direct mail piece or a digital advertisement, not only does it have a specific program description, it has a unique neigh- bor code which can generate a personalized quote based on the treatable area of their lawn. It’s a dif- ferentiator for us, because our competitors lead with a generic pricing for the first application and then, after that, they tell you what it’s really going to cost because now they know how big your lawn is.We take a different approach being more transparent in our pricing and it pays off as part of the overall customer experience.” Then there is Spring-Green’s national call center for both inbound and outbound calling services during peak times of the year. Inbound services al- low the owner to focus on the necessary leadership it takes to operate the business in the spring, the busiest time of the year, in order to maximize the greatest opportunity to acquire customers.Out- bound customer care calls following a field property evaluation ensure that customer expectations are being met in a timely fashion and that relevant additional service offerings are being made. “When people call in, in the spring,we spool up the national call center for the franchise owners,” Young relates.“That’s where the value comes in. If somebody calls the call center based on their property address, or unique neighborhood discount code, or a PURL in an email or digital ad, they’re going to be provided their personalized quotation for service. We also offer an e-commerce site that allows the same level of personalized experience to be self-driven allowing customers to sign up and pay bills online. It’s complex behind the scenes, and SPRING-GREEN LAWN CARE we gain efficiency by centralizing our data, but ul- timately it is the expectations of the customer that drive us to deliver this experience.” Young also reports that the strategy of selling franchises to existing green industry business owners has had some notable and positive out- comes.One is that, as the Spring-Green side of the business succeeds, some owners are now choosing to focus less on their original companies. “A lot of owners will stop trying to grow the other side of their business,” he says. “We’re starting to see owners sell off their mowing and maintenance businesses because the Spring-Green business is operationally simpler and more profitable. Once the Spring-Green business has grown to be siz- able enough to meet their income needs they’re simplifying their life. The other thing that we’re seeing is second generation succession planning –a high percentage of our new franchise owners are choosing Spring-Green with existing family members in mind. In some cases, they are seeking a way to bring family back into the business. Dads are putting their kids into the franchise side of the business with the idea that they’re leveraging what they’ve built, and building a road for their children’s future.” After 40 years in business and all of the notables above, the thing Spring-Green is most proud of is that this second generation business has main- tained its core values and remains true to the vision of franchising that it started with. It is a powerful value proposition when ideals align and,with the help of a strong operating system, leading technolo- gy, and effective marketing programs, Spring-Green Lawn Care continues to be the “neighborhood lawn care professional”of choice.