My Groupon Thread...

Chris A

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We ended up with 249. I am looking at the list this morning and can only find 14 past custys that I recognize, probably a few more I don't, and 5 of those are chronic cheapasses that complain about the price every time anyway, so no biggie. We have booked about 25 now from Friday through today, so if we hit that number again, we'll be good, but that means we'll be busting out the other van a day or two this week so we don't get buried.
 

Chris A

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Also the phone was eerily slow for regulars Friday and Saturday, probably not connected in any way but worth reporting...
 

mirf

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Tips will probaly be goodif you don't tell them you are the owner.
 

Brian R

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Yeah, Living Social etc push the tipping...They also promote tipping on the regular price.

I've gotten a good amount of tips from the Deal jobs.


That has been one of the issues.....Regular calls getting trumped.

Not that it's an issue...It's just something to think about.


Of course, the reason for only scheduling 2 or so deal jobs a day is so you can fit the regulars in....but if the phone lines are tied up?

I had thought about sending the deal jobs to another number...But that could get muddy later.

So after the initial hit, I tell my deal jobs to email me on my voicemail....Depending if Full Circle catches it.

I have also put on my website to email for appointments etc.

It's a spin on voicemail....and it seems to work somewhat.....I can return emails at my leasure and retain info from the get-go.

I would check the voicemail all the way through and see who is a regular call and who is not...If you can....Then call the regulars back first.
 

smastio

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Again Brian - why would you send them to any phone number when they found your offer online. reviewed it online, and bought it online. When people are that motivated to do something... chances are they want to finish it by booking it online... see how one of my clients handle it...

http://youtu.be/-5sZrlhAE54
 

Brian R

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I know Steve...Service Monster already told me to speak with you.

I've seen plenty of other companies do the "only booking deal jobs online" for Massages etc where people go to them.

It's a little different this way...But I'm sure your program has features to deal with that.

I'm in the process of leasing out my TX area...Maybe the new peeps will be interested in online scheduling.....I know it's a great Idea.
 

smastio

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It's 100 % customizable.... the first quarter of the year Joe at SM is building an API and want me to be in contact to help make sure that it ties into FittleBug. Nice guy, good product... being able to tie in FittleBug will make the process sing.
 

Chris A

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Alright cha Bastards quit hi-jacking my thread...

Brian R said:
That has been one of the issues.....Regular calls getting trumped.

Not that it's an issue...It's just something to think about.


Of course, the reason for only scheduling 2 or so deal jobs a day is so you can fit the regulars in....but if the phone lines are tied up?

I would check the voicemail all the way through and see who is a regular call and who is not...If you can....Then call the regulars back first.

We don't seem to get a ton of new clients this time of year for whatever reason, and most of our regulars will leave a voice mail or call back. That being said, we haven't gotten to a point of a bunch of calls coming in at once, yet, its just pretty much non stop from 8-3:30 or so.

I've done 6 deal jobs since Monday, and added on $30 total :oops: . The people who are adding on are pushing their appts. out a week or two. I have one today that added on $200, so that's cool.
 

Chris A

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Im at about 15% average. Im trying but this first batch just aren't hearing it. Also were getting a fair amount of end of the month rentals. Even though we said no rentals if its the owners calling were letting it fly. Im confident the numbers will get better as we go.
 

Royal Man

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Sound like a suckie time so far. Do you do sales training with your techs in the morning before they go out?
This might be a great time to supplement their sales skills.

Do some role playing with an other tech or you being the client.

Teach them how to ask the right questions and how to offer benefits and handle expected objections.

Give them enough time or flexibility for each job slot to allow time for extra work per job.

Have them follow a routine scrip to guarantee uniformity for your company.

A little sales 101

$330 on 6 jobs crack ain't going to cut it. Most here average that much on one job.

Thanks for keeping us posted.
 

rhino1

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Too early to tell. You may not make anything now but could retain customers for the long haul... Or you could be sliding into a shitstorm of losing jobs.
 

Royal Man

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rhino1 said:
Too early to tell. You may not make anything now but could retain customers for the long haul... Or you could be sliding into a shitstorm of losing jobs.

Sounds like clients not worth retaining.
 

Chris A

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Out of six, 4 have been rentals. Like I said, we were trying to avoid it, but whattryagonnado. I am versed in sales 101 so thanks Dave, however once I ask and am turned down, I don't pursue. I'm hoping to break even on the Groupons, and build our database, I'm not trying to rip every penny from every client we get. Now that being said, we have a lot of people who have scheduled out a week or two that are open to having more done, we just got hit with some right away that didn't. 25% of the Groupons sold were in our 3 towns that we do the most work in, so I'm confident those numbers will improve, it's way to early to tell anything. And Dave, I have a $250 average on resi jobs, so thanks for the totally non-condescending advice, but we're doing just fine...
 

Brian R

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I find a positive attitude going in helps a great deal.

You're not going to upsell every job...That's for sure.

But I'm sure you'll make money on the deal.
 

Chris A

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So am I. I don't feel that people who don't add on the first time are neccessarily cheapskates either. Just that their getting an incredible deal this time and we're getting a chance to wow them with our totally awesome cleaning and super duper professionalism and charm...
 

Ken Snow

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Good deal Chris- I think Dave doesn't realize that you are the lead tech on most of your jobs. I wouldn't report out again till you've done about 20 or unless you get some great ones :-)

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 

Royal Man

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I would of stuck to my guns on them being owner occupied and owner present on the job or what is the purpose of giving a job away. It's like the parameters that are used on the free cleaning promotion used by some. If you don't set parameters the whole thing can become a losing proposition.

Even on rentals you should be able to increase the job by 50-100 bucks (at least on most of them.)

I just think this is a good time to improve your sales abilities.

You saying you hear the word No once and quitting sounds problematic.

Every NO should get you closer to the YES.

Learn to love the word No.

Because, it shows you the pathway to Yes .

It's as easy as asking Why? when the client says No.

You can train a monkey to do it.
 

Royal Man

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Not trying to give you crap Chris,

Just thought using Groupon would be a great time to pump up your sales techniques.

Everyone get comfortable and complacent over time and needs to put more a little more focus back into salesmanship.

This is not carpet cleaning. It is sales and service.

I have been in a few companies lately and they have a large room in each one the is dedicated to nothing but sales training.

It is a very important factor in driving their business also.
 

Brian R

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Yeah, but I think you come accross as a bit insulting the way you do it Dave.


Do you they have a room for teaching etiquette or fixing social retardation? shiteatinggrin

Just messin with ya...sorta. !gotcha!
 

Chris A

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Ten nos and a yes does not equal yes Dave. It equals someone who feels like they've been sold. Im totally pro-sales, but not holding a huge liens hostage in their home. Ask about everything, and when they say no, then that's the end of it for us. Different strokes...
 

Chris A

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So we ended up doing 18 this week. Our avg. Now is up to 55, still not where I want to be but certainly in the right direction. The clients in the second half of the week were definitely a higher class of people than the first. Im looking forward to next week with no rentals (that I know of) and a lot of custys already committed to adding more.
 

Royal Man

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Chris Adkins said:
So we ended up doing 18 this week. Our avg. Now is up to 55, still not where I want to be but certainly in the right direction. The clients in the second half of the week were definitely a higher class of people than the first. Im looking forward to next week with no rentals (that I know of) and a lot of custys already committed to adding more.

That's great Chris, 55% is heading in the right direction.

Not to keep beating a dead horse on getting NOs. But, What helps to work for me. Is when I get one I don't badger the client. I just ask a question or two to find the real reason for the no and then I can negotiate with them a little after that.

Usualy there can be a work around that suits the client.

If you are approach it with being truly sincere and look at things with the client interest first. You can come off as a trusted friend and a professional instead of a used car salesman.

They usually are not aware of the myriad of ways different products or services can help them. Explaining features and benifits that can be tailored to the client's individual needs can help to increase sales.

Different strokes. But, I was just trying to lend a hand.
 

Chris A

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I can appreciate that, that's exactly how I feel. However some of your posts and vids suggested ignoring the nos and somehow through persistence (badgering), beating them into submission. Maybe I interpreted wrong. We didn't change our sales strategy throughout the week, we just had better customers in nicer homes with more money and the desire to spend it.
 

Royal Man

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Thanks Chris,

A no is never to be ignored.

But, usually the reason for the no can lead to a sale.

Always use sincerity and come at it as a professional and a problem solver and the client will appreciate your advice and they will benefit and thank you for whatever it is they bought.


I'm just trying to help the guys that give up after the first no.

It actually hurts the clients if they need something and they don't purchase it.
 

Chris A

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So after 2 weeks, the total is

36 completed
$68 average
$43.5 average upsell per job

So far for me, its a win...
We ar not scheduling any more groupons before thanksgiving to allow our regulars some times. As it is we've been double-trucking at least a day a week the past two weeks and probably will 2-3 days next week. The m-t-w before thanksgiving will be for past custys only...
 

Brian R

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Good to hear you are doing well with it.

I've said before .....The deal of the day is the #1 way to get more customers.....What you do with those customers is up to you.

Congrats!
 

Chris A

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We've done 65 now, and still about the same average ticket. Id still like to get to a $75 avg. but were hovering around $68.
 

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