Ok, I’d like to get everyones opinion on this… I’m talking Residential.
How do you guys feel about trowing in free bees for clients? As a way to show appriciation, I’ve done it in the past to get refferals or maybe get into that neighborhood ect…
Not big stuff! Just like a small walkway or something… But in my opinion I don’t think it’s a very good idea.
Why? Because If I add a small walk way and next year comes around I find my self doing that walk way again as part of the service… Mrs. Johnson will say “hey remember to do the walkway again” oh! “Will you trow this in aswell”? Sure! “And how about you wash this real quck for me too”??? Eventually you end up doing everything over time for the same pay… I think it adds value at first but then it comes back to get you, and the day you say “no” or I have to charge you for the added items, they let you go. I’m gonna be honest, I think I have ruined at least 2 clients this way, clients who where great at paying and I spoiled them over time to the point that I rather not go back.
I DISAGREE VEHEMENTLY! I remember a post that @squidskc made not long after I decided to join where he posted about being most appreciated for the things he DOESN’T charge. I have built my 5 star rating at Home Advisor ALWAYS finding something else to give away, (a surface cleaned walkway often leads to the sale of a matching driveway). I inform my prospect that there are many good people in my line of work who will work for less, but that I am the value-added leader who pays meticulous attention to detail. " Now tell me, would you rather have a Volkswagon or Mercedes? Well today, Mrs. Smith, you can have the Mercedes for just a few dollars more."
Freebies are no good unless you dobationg to charities at silent auctions.
While completing a paying job, a walkway could lead to a driway…
If people shop around for price they are not my type of clients, they can call me if they need it fixed.
I always tell my cleients, if they dont like the outcome they dont have to pay.
Never had an issue
Always give a little they didn’t ask for if you can. Small walkway. Small patio. Vinyl patio furniture. The shed. We do a lot of sheds. They get funky too. Many of our reviews say something about the little extra.
10 minutes on residential days is 10 minutes times 20 houses. That’s almost 4 hours of payroll that is earning no income. We don’t do freebies. We don’t do add ons. If you want your sidewalk or shed done you have to tell me when you call to schedule. If not I don’t allow time for it
On commercial I don’t. We can still knock out 2-3 houses a day with a total loss of 30-40 minutes on the “extra stuff” and if it earns a customer for life or a 5 star review that’ll earn other customers for life I’ll consider the payroll cost marketing.
Happy thanksgiving everyone! Gotta get ready to deep fry this yard bird.
Had a house yesterday that only needed one side of the 2 story vinyl due to HOA complaints.
Charged them $100 min, and did the brick stairs and the Cape Cod style window above the garage. Stairs were awful, hit them with mix while I did everything else. In and out in an hour after chatting for a few… she said thanks for the stairs and they will have whole house done in spring… hopefully she follows through, but not being as big of an operation i think little things help. Whether its a shed, stairs, pavers around a garden, hot tub, deck, etc… 15 min of my time is well worth the possibility of it leading to more work.
Well if Mrs. Smith is smart she will know a Benz isn’t value it will cost more than the car its seld to keep it on the road lol… But I get your point…
It seems like you might have tons of competiton in your area… But for me, It has ruined clients its done more bad than good, It has made them feel my service and time isnt valuable. Totally understand doing demos to get jobs, but doing free stuff usually ends up in the client turning super cheap on me and I loose them…
For 2018 no free bees!!! I neever get free bees at the gas station, Chemical store ect… I will do my very best on what I’m getting paid for ONLY!
Since 1983 I have always done a little extra for free no matter if it is residential or commercial. I just always believed in the under promise and over deliver phylosophie…
By the way how many free Bees do you give. How do you keep them from stinging the customer? Do you include a queen and a hive?
@gbattle, where you been, Dog? I, for one, would like to see more contribution from you. SO, I upsold twice today, once specifically BC of the walkway & steps.
The most important impact my extras have had on my business is the 4.91 rating I have at HA. Today, my jobs are selling themselves BC of my Reviews. People LOVE those extras Ya’ll!
I am sure residential customers appreciate small freebies. My experience on the commercial side of things at least with window cleaning is if the customer is price conscious freebies go unnoticed when contracts renew. Property managers have an obligation to building owners to find the most cost effective solution to their problems whether it be dirty windows, power washing etc. A lot of the decision makers aren’t in the field at buildings to notice the value added by freebies. That being said if something will make our job easier the next year by taking a little more time to go above and beyond we will still do freebies; understanding that it is truly a gamble whether it will benefit us or another contractor the next year.
