How Often Do You Call Your Customers?

[Shane Deubell]

One thing i always found weird in this industry is how little cleaners call their customers, its super cheap and you have direct feedback from a decision maker. What's not to like?

We call every 6 months currently.

 

[Steve Toburen]

One thing i always found weird in this industry is how little cleaners call their customers, its super cheap and you have direct feedback from a decision maker. What's not to like?

We call every 6 months currently.

I found having a "hook" (as in a "reason") for the call was important. The old "Just callin' to see how ya doin', Mrs Jones?" always seemed kind of lame and intrusive. So with residential customers we would call to see if they needed more of their free Lifetime Spotter.

Steve

PS Speaking of calling, Shane, we've recently changed strategy at SFS. We used to say do a Quality Check Call the next day on residential. Now we suggest doing an Immediate Quality Check call within five minutes after the tech leaves the house. Gotta stay up with technology and all...

 

[Shane Deubell]

Actually the real reason is nobody has figured out how to make money off it yet....

So, nobody talks about it. Phone calls and email newsletters are dirt cheap and effective.

 

[TomKing]

We call all commercial work the next morning or day.

We call all residential the next day.

We use the service monster 6,9,12,18,24 Call lists to contact our customers about the monthly special or service we are highlighting.

We just started to use Service monster for 3,6,9,12, email.

We send a post card for the 369's

I was just working on a email format for our commercial one time customers to contact at 9,12,18 months.

58% of our work this year so far is repeat customers.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We call commercial clients the day after, we used to call residential clients but they are much more difficult to reach.

Instead we send a them a thank you and QC card a couple of days after cleaning.

We've never done phone prospecting, I'm sure it would work to some degree. Do you offer them a special? What are you saying to them Shane?

 

[Steve Toburen]

Actually the real reason is nobody has figured out how to make money off it yet....

So, nobody talks about it. Phone calls and email newsletters are dirt cheap and effective.

Shane,
Big Billy Yeadon and I talk about this stuff all the time.
Regards,
Steve

PS And yes, phone calls and newsletters can be "cheap and effective".

However, my personal theory on most (not all) REGULAR commercial accounts was to "blend into the woodwork". Do quality "unobtrusive" good work but don't be noticed that much. Every time I got "noticed" was one more chance for them to say, "Hey, how long has it been since we put that Toburen guy's contract out to bid?" (Obviously this is not a "one size fits all rule".)

 

[Derek]

any worries about telemarketing (illegal ain't it?) complaints?

or is it not considered telemarketing if they are already your client?

 

[Chris A]

We don't do much at all. Ive tried to make a hundred different systems to do it consistently but the boss just doesn't see the value in it, which means she don't do it

 

[Shane Deubell]

Shane,
Big Billy Yeadon and I talk about this stuff all the time.
Regards,
Steve

PS And yes, phone calls and newsletters can be "cheap and effective".

However, my personal theory on most (not all) REGULAR commercial accounts was to "blend into the woodwork". Do quality "unobtrusive" good work but don't be noticed that much. Every time I got "noticed" was one more chance for them to say, "Hey, how long has it been since we put that Toburen guy's contract out to bid?" (Obviously this is not a "one size fits all rule".)

Makes no sense to me..
Go through a 25 step cleaning process for a $125 customer but "blend in woodwork" for a $5k customer?

We do opposite and even bought dozen fans to leave overnight at those picky customers worried about drying times, yeah even for encap LOL.
Its a commercial MOT... along with wet floor signs.

and BTW most of are contacts/influences are women nowadays, look at college graduate numbers and you see the future.

 

[Royal Man]

any worries about telemarketing (illegal ain't it?) complaints?

or is it not considered telemarketing if they are already your client?

The Do Not Call laws do not apply if they are a CURRENT CLIENT. A CURRENT CLIENT is a client that you have serviced with-in the last 1.5 YEARS. If it has been longer the 1.5 YEARS since your date of service. You business could be subject to fine up to $10,000.00 PER CLIENT !!

 

[Doug Cox]

We don't call ANY customers. We tell at time of service to call if they have any issues. All commercial customers come through residential cleaning. We are pretty much a residential cleaning company and commercial is just extra revenue added on to the end of a days work.

 

[Royal Man]

Do you stay in contact with them in other ways? I mail promotions several time a year per client and meet others at membership events.

 

[Doug Cox]

Nope. Only when I work for them . No marketing other than 1 YP ad.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Like i said shocking cleaners want to spend $1.50 for a newsletter (nobody reads) but not .02 for a email or phone call...

 

[Royal Man]

I used to have a phone room. So I'm very experienced with calling. But, calling resi now can be really tough. No one has landline phones. With caller ID, they don't answer the phone or you can catch then when they are out from home and busy shopping or at a meeting etc....

 

[Becker]

Never!!

Mail and email work for me.

I hate telemarketing! And I don't care if it is a company I've done business with before or not.

I value my clients time, and I'm pretty sure them watching the latest idol, up dating their status on fb or taking advantage of initiative 502 is more important than being reminded I cleaned their carper 6 months ago and I'm on my last box of Mac and cheese with not butter or milk.

Just my thoughts.

 

[BLewis]

For those of you that clean restaurants let me give you some "inside" advice from a man that ran them for years. Call them the first time and maybe the second but do not call them everytime. Try to talk with gm during one of those 2 follow up calls and simply state, I wanted to do this follow up to make sure you were very happy with our service, I understand how valuable your time is so I will not call anymore but please do not hesitate to call me if your ever have an issue. Thank you so much for your business!

You would be amazed at how many phone calls you get in a day as a restaurant manager. Don't add to their stress.

 

[AshleyMckendree]

For those of you that clean restaurants let me give you some "inside" advice from a man that ran them for years. Call them the first time and maybe the second but do not call them everytime. Try to talk with gm during one of those 2 follow up calls and simply state, I wanted to do this follow up to make sure you were very happy with our service, I understand how valuable your time is so I will not call anymore but please do not hesitate to call me if your ever have an issue. Thank you so much for your business!

You would be amazed at how many phone calls you get in a day as a restaurant manager. Don't add to their stress.

Billy hit the nail on the head, Also, don't call at 5:30 on a Friday.

 

[BLewis]

Well to be more specific, don't call from 11-1:30 (lunch hour) or 5-8:00 (dinner hour) and NEVER on a weekend PERIOD or you might drive the first nail in your own coffin

 

[Steve Toburen]

For those of you that clean restaurants let me give you some "inside" advice from a man that ran them for years... Call them the first time and maybe the second but do not call them every time...
You would be amazed at how many phone calls you get in a day as a restaurant manager. Don't add to their stress.

Exactly. "Blend into the woodwork."

I use the analogy of the waste management business. For those of you who have a dumpster when was the last time the waste people called you up and asked, "So how was our dump last night?"

Steve

PS To be fair I would say this "blending into the woodwork" concept is more for routine contract carpet cleaning accounts. (Such as cleaning the restaurant's carpets monthly.) For a janitorial/Building Service Contractor relationship you are much more of a partnership which requires regular communication and feedback.

 

[Shane Deubell]

That is just weird, sorry.

Tunnel vision if you ask me.