Two weeks after I take on a new customer, my phone reminds me to call them. Not text, not email — call. It’s been part of how I run Cutting Edge Lawn & Landscaping since almost the beginning, and it’s one of those things clients never ask for but almost always mention later as the reason they stuck around.
I’m Ryan Lingenfelter, owner of Cutting Edge Lawn & Landscaping in Garson, Ontario. Here’s why two weeks specifically, what I actually ask on that call, and what those answers have taught me about running this business better than any review or referral ever could.
Why Two Weeks, Not One and Not a Month
One week is too soon. The lawn hasn’t had a chance to show what a season of proper care actually does. People are still comparing it to whatever the last company — or their own mower — was doing. There’s no real change to talk about yet.
A month is too late. By then, if something’s wrong — a missed spot, a scheduling issue, a service they expected that didn’t happen — it’s had four weeks to turn into quiet frustration instead of a quick fix. I’ve learned that unhappy customers rarely call to complain. They just don’t renew. I found that out the expensive way once, and it’s the whole reason this two-week habit exists in the first place.
Two weeks is the sweet spot. It’s usually been two cuts, sometimes three. Enough time for them to notice a difference, but early enough that if something needs adjusting, I can fix it before it becomes a reason to switch companies. It also lands before the relationship goes on autopilot — before a lawn service becomes something people stop thinking about entirely, good or bad.
The Questions I Actually Ask
I keep the call short — five minutes, tops. Nobody wants a sales pitch disguised as a check-in. Here’s roughly what I ask, in order:
“Has anything surprised you, good or bad?” This is the most important question on the list. It’s open-ended on purpose. A closed question like “are you happy with the service?” almost always gets a polite “yeah, it’s good” whether that’s true or not. Asking about surprises gets people talking about the actual details — the guy who waved to their kids, the gate that got left open once, the edging that looks better than expected.
“Is the crew showing up when you expect them to?” Timing complaints are the number one thing customers won’t volunteer but will absolutely mention if asked directly. If a schedule needs adjusting — earlier in the day, a different day of the week entirely — this is when I find out, not three months in.
“Anything on the property I should know about?” New customers often don’t mention things upfront that matter — a septic field marker they’re worried about, a dog that gets anxious around equipment, a section of the yard with a drainage issue. This question catches the details that didn’t come up during the initial quote.
“Do you want me to look at anything while I’m already there?” This one opens the door naturally, without pushing. Sometimes it leads to a conversation about aeration for compacted soil, sometimes it’s a question about a patch of grass that isn’t coming in right. I’d rather they ask me directly than guess and worry about it for a month.
What Their Answers Actually Tell Me
The content of the answer matters less than people think. What matters more is how someone answers.
Fast, short answers — “all good, no issues” — usually mean exactly that, or it means they’re the type who won’t say anything even if something’s wrong. I’ve learned to read that second group by paying attention to renewal patterns instead of what they say on the phone. If they’ve quietly gone from weekly to biweekly service without explanation, that’s the real feedback.
Long, detailed answers almost always mean an engaged customer who’s going to be around for years — they’re already invested in how the yard looks and wants a say in what happens to it. Those are usually the same homeowners whose lawns end up looking the way I described in what a well-kept lawn tends to reveal about the person behind it — detail-oriented, wants to be consulted, appreciates a straight answer over a sales pitch.
And every so often, someone mentions something during this call that’s bigger than lawn care — a busy stretch coming up, a family situation, a reason the yard might get neglected for a bit. When that happens, I remember it. It changes how I approach that account going forward, the same way I’ve learned to read overgrown lawns differently after walking enough properties across Sudbury to know that neglect and not caring are almost never the same thing.
The Call That Changed How I Do This
A couple of years ago I called a new customer at the two-week mark, expecting the usual quick “all good.” Instead she told me, pretty bluntly, that the crew had been parking across her neighbour’s driveway apron every visit, and she’d been too embarrassed to bring it up. Small thing. Would’ve turned into a real problem — either with her or with the neighbour — if it had gone on another two or three months unnoticed.
That call is the reason I don’t treat this as a formality anymore. It’s the reason I still make these calls myself instead of handing them off. People will forgive almost anything if they feel like someone’s actually listening. What they won’t forgive is silence, especially when they’ve already told you — or tried to — and nothing changed.
What Happens After That Call
If something needs fixing — a schedule change, a missed detail, a request — it gets handled that week, not “next time we’re in the area.” If nothing needs fixing, I still write down what was said, because two weeks in, that’s the most honest read I’ll ever get on how a new relationship is actually going. Six months later, everyone’s used to the routine and the small stuff stops getting mentioned.
This call costs me maybe five minutes and it’s saved more accounts than any discount or promotion I’ve ever run. Most lawn companies lose customers quietly, without ever finding out why. I’d rather know while there’s still time to do something about it.
New to Cutting Edge? Expect a Call From Me in Two Weeks
If you’re a new customer reading this, now you know why the phone’s going to ring around week two. It’s not a sales call, and it’s not a formality — I genuinely want to know if something’s off before it turns into a reason to look elsewhere.
I service all of Greater Sudbury — Garson, Lively, Val Caron, Hanmer, Chelmsford, Azilda, Capreol. Call or text me directly or request a free quote through the website.
— Ryan Lingenfelter
Owner, Cutting Edge Lawn & Landscaping
Garson, Ontario | 705-507-6787
