I was just thinking about this and would love your opinions. I’m sure many of you know how churches give you gift bags for being a first time guest. Is that possible in the pressure washing industry?
For example. When scheduling the first service for the new clientele we collect there favorite restaurant, shirt size, birthday, and maybe favorite coffee restaurant. The very first visit we give them a branded reusable bag like you would get at Aldi. In that bag include a nice high quality branded shirt, a pen, a 25% off for the next service, and a $10 gift card. Also you could award them at year 3, 5, 10, 15, etc.
It seems the issue is creating a model and reason to be at their home more frequently. That could be by upselling lawn care. It could be as simple as, “While we are here today we got you a quote on lawn care. That includes 10% off as a loyal power washing customer.”
What are your thoughts?
Careful with your marketing plans, you’ll be branded as a stalker by this lot… 
That said, I think you’re going to do just fine in the marketing dept. Cross-marketing of services is a huge thing if you want to be more of a CEO sort of role. If you want to wash things full-time, then you’re going to overload yourself doing those sorts of things. Some guys do anything they can to get the phone to quit ringing…lol. If you’re looking to build an empire, then you keep coming up with related services that sell to the ame market, and you use your list to kickstart each new one, then new customers of the newer business can feed more growth to the existing one(s)…
Good point lol! I definitely would love to be a CEO. Before really rolling in this business I’m trying to do as much research as I can into common problems, concerns, and setbacks. Do you use any cross marketing to other businesses you may own?
I personally wouldn’t use a company that could afford to give me 25% off plus $20 in a goodie bag. The customer is paying for that with inflated prices.
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Very few understand this.
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Well of course they are…but some of them still love it. People still buy Rolex’s and stay at the Ritz…I wouldn’t, but people do. lol
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We have an exterior lighting/Christmas light arm that cross-markets (and cross-staffs) very well, and also started a professional garage floor coating company last month that is doing well. When our client list got the bulk email about the same ownership starting the garage flooring company with the same great service, we got calls from several folks who didn’t need that, but remembered they needed to book a wash. So it’s worked well. Anything that makes sense to you for your market and client base. Landscaping, maid services…there’s a variety of options. You just have to find what works for you, not get ahead of yourself, but not be afraid to act either…
It’s funny to me how things are so different in other areas. In my area I mainly serve elderly people, most don’t have email. The ones that do can’t seem to open either a PDF or a google doc, and I have to walk them through it or print it out and deliver it. Just funny. They all have landlines, many have cell phones, but some can’t/won’t text on them.
We get a few of those…“mail me my invoice/receipt”, etc. For the most part, we’re doing the proposal over the phone, texting them a link (emailing it if we have to), and working towards getting them to digitally sign it and schedule them during the initial call. It definitely depends on clientele though. Most of those folks we run into don’t want to spend more than $200 to do anything though, so it’s OK if they don’t like the system
so you are mainly just using phones for the entirety of your transactions? That must be so nice, and efficient. If it wasn’t for the elderly, I would have closed up shop the first year. It is really hard to try and balance a part time business, if I advertise too much I get too much work, then it becomes a feast and famine situation. I went through a lull, which seems to be normal for me after the intital rush of spring, now I am getting the lets get this done 7/4 timeframe calls. Then it will be the weather is changing and we didn’t get this done, let’s see if this guy can squeeze us in before winter- september calls. Without discussing demographics, do you get and ebb and flow of calls even with a larger area?
Yep, 100% over the phone. Folks around here like it quick and simple, and don’t want to be bothered with it at all. A lot of people we never see at all. They call in, get a quote, agree and get booked. They are at work when we come to clean it, and they pay with a card on the link we send them after the job is done.
I think there’s always a measure of ebb & flow. It’s a seasonal business in these parts, and if you’re primarily residential, homeowners tend to thinnk about things by season. For the most part, calls are relative to marketing being done. Every marketing channel has a higher ROI in the springtime, but like you said, marketing makes the phone ring. When those lulls hit you either turn up the most efficient marketing channel for that time period, or you do some annual follow-up or post-service/ask for referral calls. As a part-timer, I’m sure that is a bit different than your model though.
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Thanks, appreciate the perspective. I have to be careful as a solo guy that I don’t bite off more than I can chew, so to speak. And still be part time.
That was the hard part about the idea is realizing they are paying for it but it makes them feel good. Maybe no giftcard but at least a shirt and a few hats.
Oh nice that is a good idea! I hope it works well for you guys.
