“Value Added Service” is much more than just consistently creating delighted home owners. You must also track down your unhappy customers. And you can’t smugly sit and wait for them to call you. In fact, SFS teaches you that 96% of your unhappy customers never let you know- they just call your competitor next time!
So don’t wait (hope?) for unhappy customers to complain. Most won’t. Instead, reach out to all your clients by leaving a stamped Comment Card at each job. Now you can analyze any “job that went bad” and then change your systems to avoid a repeat problem! The challenge? Too many dissatisfied home owners complain anonymously by not filling out the “return address” part of the Comment Card …
Eliminate the “anonymous response” card by writing a “code number” in an inconspicuous place on the card. (You should still include a place for the customer to write their name on the card if they wish.)
This is a great idea. (Thirty years later someone is still upset with me for “marking up their baseboards with that big black machine”! But since they didn’t fill in their name I didn’t know who they were. Forgive me please, Anonymous Client!)
Two suggestions: You don’t need to have a separate code number for the client. If your work orders are sequentially numbered (and they should be) then just write that number on the card. Or look into bar-coding your invoices and comment cards in tandem.
Steve Toburen
PS I’m typing one-handed this week. Find out why (and just why YOU need a “Personal Disaster Plan”) by clicking HERE.
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This week’s FOCUS: Motivating your Employees
Carpet cleaning technician pay- commission vs. hourly? What to do?
Employees blossom in a family oriented environment
The two BIG responsibilities of a good leader …
Boost your carpet cleaning technician’s morale
Encourage teamwork with “a day on the truck”
Feeding your carpet cleaning troops …
The best (and cheapest) employee motivation? Recognition!
How can you motivate your carpet cleaning or restoration employees?
Download: Adding “Employee Accountability” To Your Company
Download: The Customer Comes Second
Also new this week:
Anyone have samples of their comment cards that they can post here for others to see?