Rooted in Resilience: Overcoming Interiorscape Client Cancellations

Receiving a client cancellation notice is a tough pill to swallow in any service industry. For interiorscape professionals, it can be especially discouraging when you’ve invested time and care into maintaining their space. Most of the time, the client will provide an explanation, such as budget cuts, and when a service ends for that reason, it’s easier to accept—it feels less personal when it is beyond your control.

The real challenge comes when cancellations are vague, like “management wants to move in a different direction” or “we’re changing things up.” This can lead to a whirlwind of self-doubt and questions. Was there a cheaper competitor? Did the plants fall short of expectations? Did a service technician make a mistake, or did I unknowingly say something inappropriate? Could it be that the building manager simply preferred someone else?

Even when you’re confident you’ve delivered excellent service, kept foliage looking its best, and gone the extra mile to please the client, cancellations can still feel frustrating and personal. In this post, I’ll share an experience that reshaped how I approach client relationships and contract management, including how to move forward after a cancellation.

When Unfair Practices Cost Me an Interiorscape Contract

In the heart of downtown, I managed the interiorscape and holiday décor for a large office building. Even as budgets shrank and ownership changed hands, I continued to provide high-end foliage and annual decorations. But when the building sold for the third time, the new management decided to “go in a different direction” and wanted to replace live plants with artificial ones. The property manager kept requesting design proposals, each time asking for something new. Then, during a follow-up visit, I walked into the lobby and found it filled with artificial plants strikingly similar to my last proposal—only they’d been installed by another company.

The frustration didn’t stop there. The manager requested modern, non-traditional Christmas décor, and I worked hard to create unique concepts. Yet every follow-up brought additional requests for more ideas. What did I see when I visited the lobby in December? About twenty traditionally decorated artificial trees of various sizes. At that moment, I felt like the Grinch, ready to load every tree into my minivan and toss them off a cliff. I was baffled and disappointed.

Later, a chance encounter with the manager’s assistant—someone I’d built a friendly rapport with—revealed the truth. Her boss had intentionally strung me along to discreetly award the contract to a friend’s company without appearing biased. Even with my suspicions confirmed, it was a shocking glimpse into the undercurrents of client relationships and how favoritism can quietly shape interiorscape contracts.

Retaining Contracts With Quality Service and Relationships

This experience was a one-off for me—the only time someone intentionally set me up to fail. But is favoritism a factor when it comes to winning or losing interiorscape contracts? From what I’ve experienced, absolutely. Over the years, I’ve been on both the favorable and the unfavorable side of it.

Property managers often move from building to building, and many favor vendors they already know and trust. The good news is that most act fairly and keep the current interiorscape company as long as it meets standards. It’s when quality slips or there’s a lack of timely response to issues or requests that they start looking for a replacement.

Consistently high service standards—strict quality control, prompt foliage replacement, and quick replies to calls and emails—go a long way in securing future business. Just as important is building genuine connections with the management staff and understanding their preferences. Taking time for casual conversations with everyone from security to administrators and maintenance personnel can reveal valuable insights about upcoming budget cuts, renovation plans, or new tenants—information that can help you protect and strengthen your client relationships and form the basis of effective client retention strategies.

Moving Forward After Interiorscape Client Cancellations

When you’re left wondering about the reason behind a client cancellation and there’s no inside source to offer clues, a polite email to the right contact can be insightful. Express your desire to improve your service and ask for honest feedback on any shortcomings. An exit survey with multiple-choice questions can also make it easier for them to respond.

If you don’t receive a reply or an explanation, try not to dwell on it. Some cancellations stem from factors far beyond your control. By seeking feedback and showing professionalism even at the end of an interiorscape contract, you leave the door open for future opportunities, strengthen your reputation with potential new clients, and position your interiorscape business for long-term success.