You want and need your customers e-mails. After all, easily sending reminders and follow-up Quality Check forms for FREE is an irresistible combination! BUT many home owners are increasingly reluctant to give out their e-mail address.
Bypass this road block by including a Valid Business Reason (VBR) when asking for your customer’s e-mail. For example, use this “Columbo Close” incorporating a VBR as you finish the booking conversation:
“OK, Mrs. Jones, so I have you down for this Friday at 10:00 in the morning. (Pause here just like Columbo used to do!) Oh, by the way- I’d like to e-mail you a check-list of how to prepare your home for our crew right now. What e-mail address should I send the check list to?” (Adding the “right now” to your VBR will appeal to the customer’s desire for Immediate Gratification. After all, she is focused on this carpet cleaning topic right now and wants to tie everything up- including receiving your “Getting Ready” Check List.)
Once you include this Valid Business Reason (sending her a check-list) as an “excuse” for requesting a customer’s e-mail address almost everyone will comply. If you hit the occasional reluctant customer you can quickly say, “That fine, Mrs. Jones, however last year we went to a paperless office. We absolutely promise to never, ever spam you or to share your e-mail address. Most of our clients find they save a lot of time by communicating with us online instead of tying up their phone line. But if the phone works better for you that is great too.” Pause again here and usually they’ll cave in. If not, send the “Getting Ready for the Big Day” check list by snail-mail and that works too!
Steve
P.S. So how are you getting your customer’s e-mail addresses and what are you sending them? Post your comments below!
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Right after getting name, address and call back number we simply ask, “And what is your email?” We have a very high success rate, maybe 90%. I think perhaps because Southern folks are just friendlier and more open than their Northern brethren. Or maybe just because we strive to instill trust in our clients from the first hello. Regardless, your suggestions sound very good and I am going to incorporate them. Thanks!
It is great that you have this level of trust and confidence with your customers, Tom. Many don’t.
However, even so the “Getting Ready for US” Checklist is not only a good “excuse” to get the customer’s email- it also pre-orients your customer with a great Moment of Truth. The result? The job runs smoother and your customer is much more likely to become a delighted Cheerleader!
Thanks for contributing,
Steve
PS Maybe we need to come up with a good sample “Getting Ready” check List.
Steve,
This year we are going paperless and so far our customers love it. Last year I was fortunate enough to get an Ipad for our cleaning business. The ability to present to a customer with multimedia, send the almighty checklist via email and present them with an electronic invoice at the end of the job is priceless.
With so many tablet computer choices out there and the options continuing to grow, it would well worth a cleaners time to investigate this route.
Besides having a cool gadget to impress the customer, our trials last year showed that customers have no problem giving an email in person, especially for invoices/receipts. Our next step will be to try the electronic credit card applications like Square. But until then, we are happy to take their card over the phone or in person at our store.
There are many “positive opportunities to get a clients email.” Keep up the great work Steve!
Thank you, David. Many of our SFS members are using an I-Pad for their pre-inspections with great success. (Even though I will say I doubt any of us will ever be totally “paperless”!) I love the “electronic invoice” idea and my guess is your customers do too.
Keep the ideas and suggestions coming in.
Steve
PS Be sure to check out the recent post we put up re: mobile processing of credit cards.
http://sfs.jondon.com/8029/blog/mobile-credit-card-processing-for-a-carpet-cleaner
We use a different twist. At the end of the job booking call we ask “May we send you a confirmation email? This confirms your appointment and makes sure we have entered the right time and date for you.”
Works for me, Brent. If you aren’t getting turned down go for it. However, I know when I book a motel room and they want to send me a “confirmation e-mail” I always turn it down. But maybe I am just a suspicious old coot!
What works for many is the “VBR” of the “Getting Ready For US” checklist. I would suggest everyone try both Brent’s way and my suggestion and see which works for your market.
Steve
PS Thanks, Brent, for contributing. As I always say, “We are all in this together!”
I have searched everywhere on and through all your info but I cannot find a copy of the email you send to clients to prepare them for your arrival. Plaese tell me how to locate that, thanks,richard
Thanks for writing, Richard. I’m just impressed someone took the time to actually SEARCH for something I’ve written!
You know, Richard, given that everyone’s operation is so different most of our members just develop their own requirements/requests of the customer. For example, some cleaners want the customer to move the furniture- others don’t. Some want the home owner to pre-vacuum, others … well, you get the idea!
Maybe some of our members would like to send in their “Getting Ready for Us” letters. If so, I’ll post them and give you credit! If not, Richard, I’ll throw your request into the hopper. Stay tuned!
Steve