No one likes to do business with companies that take their business for granted. We all want to be appreciated. It’s human nature to want to be appreciated, so show your customers the appreciation they desire. Here are ten ways.
1. Say Thank You
Say thank you… a lot. Train your team to say thank you. Thank people for calling you. Thank them at the door. Thank them when the work is completed. When you are saying thank you after work is performed, remind them that your business is built on referrals from nice people like them and you would appreciate it if they would tell their friends and neighbors about you.
2. Mail Thank You Notes
Use old fashioned, snail mail to send out thank you notes after jobs. These can be as simple as post cards. Have your technicians and plumbers sign a stack during service meetings and have the office mail them on their behalf.
3. Send Thanksgiving Cards
Thanksgiving occurs every November. Take this as an opportunity to mail cards to your customers, thanking them for their business.
4. Call One Customer Per Day
The late, great Ron Smith used to advise contractors to call one customer a day to see how they were doing and to thank them for past business. Ask them how you could be better. In today’s impersonal world, this personal touch goes a long way.
5. Take Lots of Notes for Your CRM
Almost every company has some type of customer relationship management (CRM) function with their field service software. Encourage call takers to make personal notes about customers in their CRM databases and encourage field personnel to supply similar information during debriefs after a service call. This should be entered as well. The CRM record should be referenced on or before every interaction.
6. Offer a Loyalty Program
A good loyalty program rewards people for patronage. No one does this better than airlines and hotel chains. The reason is they work. Tie yours into annual maintenance programs. Give people in your loyalty program preferential treatment, discounts, and special offers available only to your most loyal customers.
7. Leave Good Leave-Behinds
Too many contractors go cheap in the leave-behind department. Leave more than a refrigerator magnet and an invoice or work order after a service call. Find useful items that can be branded. Since women tend to be the decision makers for home services and are often the people who not only call, but wait for your people to arrive, target them. Give away jar openers, plastic pot scrapers, coffee cups, note pads, and so on.
8. Give Good Customers Apparel
When a customer spends a fair amount of money with you, replacing a water heater or other major work, leave behind a nice t-shirt, sweatshirt, or polo shirt. Not only does this show appreciation, but it helps market your company when customers wear them washing the car, doing yard work, running errands, and so on.
9. Give Loyal Customers Camp Chairs
Give your most loyal customers camp chairs with your company brand. They are surprisingly affordable and are used at community events taking place outside, backyard barbecues with neighbors, and kids outdoor sporting events. Again, gifts like camp chairs are not only thank you statements and reminders, they market your company.
10. Execute
Above all, the best way to thank your customers is by doing what you say you’re going to do. Execute. Perform. Fix the problems right the first time. Act like invited guests when in their homes. Be excellent.
For more information on growing your contracting business, visit www.ServiceRoundtable.com. For easy to read, inspirational stories about contracting, buy Matt Michel’s book, Contractor Stories on Amazon.
