Last fall we conducted a survey of more than 300 buyers of green industry services. What we found is that the newer a customer, the lower they rated their service provider.
Which, when you think about it, isn’t unusual. New customers don’t have a strong relationship with their provider. They don’t have a track record with a business that would enable them to rate it highly.
Which also means your newest customers are likely your most at-risk customers. So how do you ensure they become long-term, satisfied customers?
Here are four tips to help you wow your newest customers:
Be Punctual
I bet everyone has had that cable guy experience. They tell you they’ll be there between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and despite that wide time range, they still manage to show up late. It’s one reason everyone hates their cable company.
Don’t be the cable guy. Show up to your appointment with new customers on time. Want an easy tip on how to do that? Reserve your first appointment of the day for new customers. It may make your route less efficient sometimes, but do you really want your first impression to be “Where are they?" New customers aren't as forgiving as long-term customers.
Communicate Effectively
In any service business, communication is the key to success. That’s not only the internal communication between sales, management, your office and your field teams, but also for your communication to your customer.
One of the first impressions you make with a customer is when you schedule the work to be performed. Even if you’re performing commercial landscape maintenance and the customer doesn’t care when you’re coming, tell them when you’re coming. Why? Because it provides an opportunity for a customer communication touchpoint.
We’re biased, but we prefer to use our service business marketing add-on, HindSite Connect, to automate communications. With Connect, you can send an email with appointment information immediately after you’ve scheduled the appointment, as well as send a reminder a day or two before the appointment.
Even better, once you’ve completed your service appointment, you can automatically send another email informing your customer what you do, when you did it, and add any additional information like field notes or the results of an assessment that was performed.
By communicating every step of the way, you can ensure your new customers always know when and what occurred.
Ask for Feedback
When we first rolled out HindSite Connect Pro, which includes post-service satisfaction surveys, the first objection we heard was “People hate taking surveys. We won’t get any results” Heck, we even agreed with them. I rarely take surveys, unless it’s a business that has made me happy or angered me.
We thought that until we started seeing the results our customers were getting from their surveys. Some received more than 100 responses in a month! And you know what? They loved getting those responses. They received very few negative responses (but when they did, they were able to immediately rectify the situation), and so many positive ones that it was a morale boost.
So ask for feedback from your new customers. Ask them to rate every aspect of your business - from the office, to the field and everything in between. Your new customers are experiencing you for the first time and may give you unique feedback that helps you improve your business.
Send Timely and Accurate Invoices
I once hired a roofer after a hailstorm damaged my roof. It took him forever to do the work, and even longer to send me an invoice. When he did, it was wrong. Needless to say, I haven’t recommended him to anyone.
Punctuality not only applies to your work, but also to your invoice. Send it as soon as possible after the service. Not only does it help your cash flow, but it will also show the new customer the professionalism of your business.
Want more insights about your buyers? Then check out our Green Industry Buyer Report, a comprehensive report based on a survey of more than 300 buyers of green industry services.
