Post Cards & Campaigns - Send Out Cards vs Service Monster

[tmdry]

How do the postcards from SM compare to Send Out Cards's? We have an account with SOC and wondering if i can do it all with one shot @ SM instead?

Haven't been happy with the quality of SOC. Their postcards are imo tiny from a regular postcard that you'd buy at halmark/local grocer. Also when they print out color images on their cards some of the printer paint looks faded in some areas. The image viewer on the site is a PITA to work with not as plug n play as they make it seem to be. Can you do the picture viewer on SM like you can on SOC? This is the option which you upload a picture to the site and edited it out to be sent as postcard, etc.

Trying to see what the difference is as far as the marketing goes with both programs.

 

[Brian R]

How do the postcards from SM compare to Send Out Cards's? We have an account with SOC and wondering if i can do it all with one shot @ SM instead?

Haven't been happy with the quality of SOC. Their postcards are imo tiny from a regular postcard that you'd buy at halmark/local grocer. Also when they print out color images on their cards some of the printer paint looks faded in some areas. The image viewer on the site is a PITA to work with not as plug n play as they make it seem to be. Can you do the picture viewer on SM like you can on SOC? This is the option which you upload a picture to the site and edited it out to be sent as postcard, etc.

Trying to see what the difference is as far as the marketing goes with both programs.

Similar cards but with carpet cleaning in mind.
SM is not a Multi Level Marketing company either.

 

[Able 1]

I just wish they(sm) would design the cards for me... Do they have templates or anything? I am going to sign up soon, the only thing that is really holding me up is the whole design thing.

 

[Brian R]

I just wish they(sm) would design the cards for me... Do they have templates or anything? I am going to sign up soon, the only thing that is really holding me up is the whole design thing.

They have a stock design and template for all the cards.
When you sign up they (Joe) talk to you over the phone and ask questions and set it up for you.
It's easy.

They train you over the phone how to use it and can answer any question later through email or over the phone.

Trust me, I bugged the hell right out of them my first month.

They are cool and know most of us ccers are idiots when it comes to computer...speaking for myself of course.


Sign up, do it now! don't piss me off!!!! :wink:

 

[tmdry]

Brian,

That has not answered any of my questions.

I've seen the postcard you sent us with your logo on the front and was not impressed(not with your logo but with the design itself). The size was the exact same size as SOC's. I couldn't tell a difference as far as "with a carpet cleaner in mind". I'm not concerned with the templates SOC has over 15k templates.

My questions are above is concerning the quality of the cards.

Also regarding the MLM remark. We've had them for several months now and the mlm is an OPTION for you, you don't have to do it, we never did nor we signed up for that option in mind. They never tried to get us to get clients or any pyramid schemes. However some people do sign up for it w/ that in mind to make an extra $100 bucks, we wanted SOC to help us with our business not make extra $ on signing up accounts.

Thanks

 

[Brian R]

I am not as impressed with the design as much as my customers have been. Nothing but rave reviews.
I think like a carpet cleaner therefore I think another design is better but I have learned to listen to my demographic.
What I do works so I am happy with it.

The cards from Service Monster are classy in my opinion and I think any kind of card sent to a regular customer with some typical carpet cleaning type ad on the front would be nothing less than an advertisement and not a reminder as it is intended. Not saying that is what you want to do.

 

[Ron Werner]

having a SOC account myself, I can think of the biggest difference is that SM will send out the cards for you, automatically, as I understand it. Just design your cards and let them do it for you.
WIth SOC I have to sort my list, upload it, choose or make up a card, then send it. I do that myself. When I have to do it, a lot of times it gets "delayed".

Does SM do things as automatically as I interpreted it?

 

[Brian R]

Yes,
Every Friday there will be a list waiting for me...thank you cards for the jobs of that week.
I click approve and they take the money out of my account.
Love it.

Every once in a while I will get an order for the 3 to 24 month reminders (Like the one Mikey showed on touch my monkey thread viewtopic.php?f=35&t=29801 ) and I do the same thing.

Easy and my customers love it.

 

[Ron Werner]

How big is your client list and about how much does it cost you a month?

 

[Brian R]

How big is your client list and about how much does it cost you a month?

Cost for Service Monster Subscription? $50.00/month
My customer list is just under 1000 ( Last time I checked) after I weeded out any customer that hasn't used me in the last two years...and I fired a 100 or so skank jobs...and not including commercial accounts.
It costs a pretty penny on the reminders but the weekly thank you's aren't that bad.
$1.50 each with 3 products (business cards, magnets etc) placed in the card.
If you go to
www.Principalfocus.com
You can demo it.

 

[Ron Werner]

So if you left busn cards and a magnet at the job, you'd eliminate a substantial expence

 

[Brian R]

So if you left busn cards and a magnet at the job, you'd eliminate a substantial expence

It works hand in hand.
Thanks yous are just that. Letting the customer know that you are still thinking of them a week later.
Magnets are the things that let them find the phone number months or years later.
Business cards are for referrals ...for the most part.

The 3 -24 month reminders serve their own obvious purpose.

 

[tmdry]

having a SOC account myself, I can think of the biggest difference is that SM will send out the cards for you, automatically, as I understand it. Just design your cards and let them do it for you.
WIth SOC I have to sort my list, upload it, choose or make up a card, then send it. I do that myself. When I have to do it, a lot of times it gets "delayed".

Does SM do things as automatically as I interpreted it?

I have my client list uploaded in campaigns with SOC, it's the same exact reminders and any other campaign i want on there which gets sent out automatically, for new clients i would have to upload the names/list, than hit send or move to the campaign that i want just like SM as far as the reminders goes.

"My customers love it" - Okay Brian we heard you the first time.


My customers love it too, but that's not the point i made this thread. I'm looking at the quality and size of cards and so far they look pretty much the same, if that's all there is than i guess i'm stuck with it. SOC's fees are more affordable as far as the postcards goes, but the option of sending your business cards is not their yet, i'd have to check.

 

[tmdry]

"The image viewer on the site is a PITA to work with not as plug n play as they make it seem to be. Can you do the picture viewer on SM like you can on SOC? This is the option which you upload a picture to the site and edited it out to be sent as postcard, etc."

Yes or No?

 

[Brian R]

"The image viewer on the site is a PITA to work with not as plug n play as they make it seem to be. Can you do the picture viewer on SM like you can on SOC? This is the option which you upload a picture to the site and edited it out to be sent as postcard, etc."

Yes or No?

I am pretty sure, no.
Unlesss I am missing it.