When Peter Henrikson considered joining a franchise, a large territory and a company that made customers a priority were at the top of his list. Those factors played a large role in his decision to become a franchisee for GrassRoots Turf in 2019.
“The company really differentiated itself in regard to how they viewed the customer,” says Henrikson, owner of GrassRoots in Charlotte, N.C. “The customer is central to everything they do, and they build the franchise model around service.”
Josh Wise, now CEO, founded GrassRoots Tree and Turf Care in 2002 in Acworth, Ga., after working in lawn care for several years. The company began franchising in 2019. GrassRoots franchisees provide tree and shrub care, lawn care and pest control.
Through his customers’ eyes
Henrikson’s company provides lawn care, mosquito control and tree/shrub care to 95 percent residential and 5 percent commercial clients. While evaluating franchises, Henrikson wanted to learn how different companies treated customers. So, he looked at them from a customer’s perspective — and encourages other potential franchisees to do the same.
“Go through the new customer process at a franchise and ask them questions like what happens if you need to cancel and who is the local support team,” he says. “You might have access to sales or the customer service team, but you most likely won’t get the number for the owner.”
Experiencing a franchise through the customer’s eyes provided him with a better understanding of whether or not joining one would be a good fit, Henrikson says. With GrassRoots, he liked how customers had direct access to the entire team, including the franchise owner.
GrassRoots’ customer-first approach also extends into its services, he says. He can customize services for each client, instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
“That helps them feel like they have the best service company working for them,” Henrikson says. “The ability to be nimble and tailor our program to the customer’s needs and be more inclusive benefits the customer and also franchisees by providing higher retention rates and referrals.”
New products, new technology
One thing that surprised him about GrassRoots was the franchise’s dedication to technology. In addition to the mobile technology used by the office staff, all technicians wear body cameras out in the field.
“If a customer calls and has a question about an application, my competitor can only give them their word,” Henrikson says. “I can show them exactly what we’re talking about and what happened. The trust and credibility I can build goes through the roof, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
He says he also was impressed by the franchise’s commitment to test new products, keeping GrassRoots competitive across the industry.
“We’re not a stale company,” Henrikson says. “Across the board, we will take well-managed risks to be a market leader — whether that’s with technology or products. We can create change.”
Open communication
For those interested in learning more about GrassRoots, Henrikson said he and the other owners will gladly share their experiences.
“We’ll share information with you like you’re a part of the group,” he says. “We want you to enter the organization knowing everything you need to be successful.”
The franchisees also have open lines of communication with the corporate GrassRoots team, from customer service to the owner — as well as to each other. The franchisees have group forums and texts, along with meetings and events, to build collaboration and learn from other owners.
“You can be successful with GrassRoots without being an owner before or having experience in the green industry,” he says. “That’s how good the GrassRoots’ support network is. That diverse background makes it that much better. We’re invested in not only our success, but also that of our peers.”
