A skunk was nesting under my backyard shed (after an exterminator chased it out from under my neighbour’s shed the fall before). I logged in to HomeStars to find someone to get rid of it, partly because the neighbour who accidentally shared her skunk with me couldn’t remember the name of the excellent company that got rid of the skunk for her.
No more than five minutes after inputting my job details and my postal code into HomeStars, I received a call from a pest control company that asked me a few questions and gave me a quote over the phone. The same day an employee came over, installed a heavy-gauge screen around the perimeter of the shed, up-charged me to secure the backyard deck as well, set up a one-way trap door to allow the skunk and its litter out and was on his way. He came back a few times to make sure the skunk and its litter were gone. When he was satisfied they were, he handed me a bill which I was more than happy to pay.
The quality of the service, the price I paid and the experience in general were all very, very good and I was prepared to be a loyal customer. The pest control company did everything right.
Or did they?
Homeowners don’t always think of the future in the moments or weeks after their emergency. When they have a small problem, it is catastrophic and must be dealt with immediately, and when the issue is fixed, they’re convinced it will never happen again. They completely forget that, 1. It happened, and 2. The contact information of that pro.
The pest control company did half its job where “loyalty-based business” is concerned. Yes, the employee was excellent in his response to my call, he was perfect in execution, and he was reasonably priced. I was ready to be loyal. But when it comes time for me to recommend the company to the next neighbour who needs to get rid of that skunk, I have no EASY way of remembering his contact info. I didn’t keep the invoice or the business card.
Ensure your company isn’t forgotten and that customers stay loyal to your business with these 3 simple tips.
1. Leave Behind Promotional Items
The HVAC service industry has figured this one out. Almost every furnace I have ever inspected has a sticker on it placed there by the company that serviced it. Easy. Another option is to leave a branded pen or pencil, anything that the customer is likely to use. Include your HomeStars logo on the item to help influence profile visits and drive customer reviews.
2. Start a Newsletter
Collecting customer’s emails at the end of a job is key to remarketing (and it’s information you need when sending a review request!). Once you’ve allocated a good amount of emails, you can create a newsletter for your business.
Don’t publish it too often, mainly because they take a lot of (non-billable) time to create. Once every other or three months would be enough. Include things like previous reviews of happy customers, preventative measures, or home renovation inspiration ideas depending on your industry. Overall, newsletters help your business stay top of mind for the homeowner.
3. Provide a Warranty for Your Work
A warranty can give homeowners peace of mind and gives you an excuse to follow up in three, six or twelve months. No homeowner will mind you calling to ask if everything is okay. When you call and if the customer is satisfied, request a review if you haven’t already. When they go through the motions of writing a review for your business, your name becomes a lot stickier in their brain.
These three effective loyalty driven actions will help leave an imprint in a homeowner’s memory and increase their likelihood of hiring you again or referring you to a friend in need.
