Do you give your customers a phone call and try to setup service? It has been something I am not 100% comfortable doing. I tried it last spring with only a few jobs booked. I am open to expanding and improving on it, if it is effective. Any suggestions?
100% you call them. Don’t make them forget you!check when you clean them last season and try to call them about same time this spring.
I prefer to e-mail them using mailchimp.com as a reminder. It is free for something like 2000 sends per month. If I do not have their e-mail I will send them a reminder postcard. I usually start with the VIP customers with two mailchimp send-outs (1 in Feb and 1 in March) The rest of the list gets their postcards right around April 1st. I have actually had to take the day off when the postcards hit just so I can return calls and book clients for that first onslaught of calls. I also have more and more customers who are booking a year in advance. Try asking your customers after you finish their windows this year if they would like to book the next window cleaning date and/or book for next year. The power of suggestion really works and it gives you some sense of security to have booked way ahead.
They all get phone calls. This year I sent greeting card to each of them thanking them for their business and telling them we will be calling for spring appointments in the coming weeks.
Last year calls with out the cards and we did pretty well booking appointments. I hope the card going out first will produce a better booking rate. I use send out cards. My clients get at least 3 cards a year.
This is something you really need to overcome. I was hesitant in the past asking for their email addresses. Someone once told me, “it’s only as big a deal as you make it. Ask them like its the most natural thing in the world.” I really took that to heart and just started asking and he was right. This is something you need to do, and over time you will get better and more comfortable at it.
I was hesitant too. In fact I dread it before I start calling. After a couple calls, I enjoy it. I get to chat with my customers. It helps to strengthen the relationship.
Also on the job when closing out you can let them know you’ll be calling in 6 months to see how the windows are holding up.
Maybe I need to develop a monologue to say when I call. What is your guys success rate when calling? When I tried it last year I got 2 jobs for every 100 calls I made. A lot of those calls went to voicemails.
Wow. That’s low. Are these previous clients? They know you? Not sure my percentage. Better than half of the calls turn into scheduled jobs right then and more book later in the year.
Two out of hundred is better than zero. I too get a lot of voicemails, but that’s just the nature of the beast. I would try to avoid making it too scripted, just be friendly and personable. Remember, you are offering something of value to them. A lot are to busy to seek you out and call you, but appreciate when you call them.
Yes it’s off my customer list. I called during the day last year and only a handful of people answered. Nobody that I left voicemails for called me back.
Now when I send postcards out I get a good return.
Do you follow up on the voicemails you leave?
Do you work the jobs yourself? I suspect companies with owners in the field will get a higher call back/success rate.
I put them back in the rotation to call next quarter.
Yes I do work all the jobs. I think my problem was that I wasn’t comfortable and I didn’t go at it hard last year on the phone. I am trying to revisit the idea of calling because I know so many have success at it
I think persistence is key. Be friendly and personable. You’ll do fine.
You need to tell the customers that you will be calling them. After a job just tell them that "because you love to provide a high level of service to you customers, you typically call your list every spring and fall (or whatever) to help stabilize your scheduling.
We call and frame the conversation like that. “Hi Mrs Smith, as you know all 1,600 of our customers like to call us to schedule every April 1st, so we thought we would call you first to help us smooth out the busy spring scheduling. What typically works best for you, mornings or afternoons?”
You get the idea.
I personally hate calling but it is a necessary thing, I like to choose Bright Sunny days (because they will look at their window while on the phone with you), But i started my call list this past week and already working on filling end of 2nd week of march up! And I havent even begun yet! 
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I would say I am 99.9% successful. Learn to develop personal relationships with all of your customers; talk to them on the job, see how their golf game is, where they’ve been vacationing, politics, business . . . get to know them on a personal level. Do the same with new customers; focus on the inside of the house and let your guys do the outsides and the basement so you can have the opportunity to get to know them. When you get ready to call on them you’ll feel more comfortable and they’ll be more likely to remember how personable you were. Then they’ll go tell all of their golfing buddies how great you are. The winters here are long and a lot of my customers will start returning from down south so I can’t wait to start calling them, they’re like friends to me.
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When pricing the job you should of have explained and asked how often will the job be done all this goes into the calculation of the price ! ie. 3 times yearly 2 times yearly . or a one off … so if they agreed to lets say 3 times yearly you have to contact them to arrange the next appointment
to be very honest you need to call them its very important …if you hate calling a customer employ a secretary for lets say for example part time evenings for a few hours…we have a full time secretary who´s job is to phone our customers… and to be honest without her it would be hard work…
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