How can I reach out to my “straying” carpet cleaning clients?

carpet-cleaning-sales-slow-season-phone-scriptQuestion: How can I get “back on the radar” of my past clients and get them to use me again?

Steve’s Solution: Use an “excuse-to-call” based on their Free Lifetime Spotter!

Steve,

My phone has stopped ringing so how can I “reach out” to my past customers? (I don’t want to appear “desperate” even though I am!) 🙂

Semi-Desperate in Wisconsin

Dear Semi,

Yes, you are smart to reach out to your customers, especially ones that are lagging on their “calling in frequency”.  I remember one year in my business when a Colorado winter was stubbornly refusing to turn into “Spring cleaning time”.  My phone was dead!

So to help us through this unusually desperate time we came up with a great excuse to contact our “tardy customers”! We made a friendly, no-pressure “warm call” to see if they needed any more of our Lifetime Free Spot Out for their carpets!

NOTE: Don’t just use this tactic in winter. I suggest tracking all customers and reach out to them with this “excuse-to-call” eighteen months after their cleaning.

Our Spot Out call script went something like this:

Us: Good morning, is this Mrs. Smith?

Client: Yes, this is Mrs. Smith.

Us: Mrs. Smith, this is Susan Brown from Jon-Don Cleaning.  We call all of our past clients every so often to see if they need any more of our free Spot-Out carpet spotter.  Am I calling at a good time? (Response)

Mrs. Smith, you’ll remember as a Jon-Don Cleaning customer you get “free carpet spotter for life” and with no obligation.  So has everyone in your home been super careful on not spilling on the carpets (general laughing here!) or may we send you another bottle at no charge?

Client: Well … you know.  I may have misplaced that bottle those nice young men gave me …

Us: (Chuckle)  We can’t have that, Mrs. Smith!   I mean, after all, the spotter bottle has our phone number on it and how will you know who to call without your Spot-Out?

Client: You know, I must admit I have been thinking about having the carpets cleaned anyway …

BINGO! Now of course not everyone is going to book so instead you can carry on like this …

Client: Well, yes, it would be nice to have some more of that product.  I really liked it.

Us: Great.  Let me double check your information.  Now are you still at this address? (Response)

Oh, and by the way we like to send special offers out once every three months to our regular clients by e-mail.  Do you have an e-mail address I can up-date my records with? (Response)

OK, we’ll either drop off or mail you a new free bottle of Spot-Out in the next seven days.  If we stop by and you aren’t home may we put the bottle inconspicuously by the front door? (Response)

Oh, and by the way, don’t forget that any time you run out you don’t need to wait for us to call you! (chuckle)  You just call me any time you need more Spot-Out.  We’re delighted to take care of our Jon-Don customers.  And give me a call when you need your carpets cleaned!  Bye!

You know, Semi, this script works really well IF you put a vivacious, interesting person on the phone.  I promise you’ll book more than enough jobs to pay for the phone calls plus you will create a positive Moment of Truth with everyone you call!

Let me know how the Spot Out works for you and don’t forget to stock up on your custom labeled Spot Out from Jon-Don before you start your phone calls!

Steve

P.S.  We gave the customer a one week window on getting them their new Spot Out bottle which allowed us many times to personally deliver the bottle when a truck was in her neighborhood anyway.  (Which resulted in more work booked.)  Or if not we would just mail her the bottle in a padded envelope.  Either way works!

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