Hi Steve,
I just got a very good and yet extremely annoying phone call at the same time! A very nice lady called and said she wanted to have me clean her carpets again. She said it had been about 10 or 15 years since I was last there to clean and she had used “someone else” in the meantime. She even mentioned what a nice job I had done and even remembered having a nice conversation with me.
Forgive me, Steve, but I couldn’t help but ask her what I had done to her to call someone else. She said it was my price and she now has learned “you get what you pay for”.
Steve, my concern goes waaaaaaay beyond this call. Apparently, it’s not enough to just do a good job and be friendly. Somehow I’m not communicating enough VALUE or something to the customers and I think this is probably a very big deal.
I sure would appreciate any thoughts you might have on this.
Thank You,
Puzzled in California
SFS member
Dear Puzzled,
Calm down, buddy. Remember the SFS mantra, “Run your business based on the emotions of your customers BUT never make business decisions emotionally!” YES, I would agree that 10 or 15 years ago you very probably were NOT giving VALUE ADDED SERVICE. After all, when you attended your SFS seminar (What, was it two years ago?) you stated this was all new to you!
So here is what you do:
1. Never again put the customer on the spot by asking why they came back! It just doesn’t matter and makes them feel defensive and/or guilty!
2. Dig out your SFS workbook and go step by step through Day Four and re-read your “On the Job” Value Added Service step-by-step script. Focus on what more you can do in the home to build your relationship with the customer AND dramatically exceed their expectations.
3. Get out there and start doing these things in a ROUTINE. (Even more importantly, if you add employees you must give them the same routine!)
4. Even so, Puzzled, you will never keep every single customer. That is why you must continue to obsess over two things:
a. Making a Cheerleader out of every single client you can so they will find you new customers.
b. Keep up a modest marketing campaign to dig up new non-referred customers.
Good to hear from you and get back down in the VAS trenches!
Steve
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