Well, I’ll entirely disagree on one thing…I’m not signing up to wash someone’s house for money. We’re happy to make money, but we provide service, that’s how I train the new team members, and that is the expectation. We are developing relationships to be of service (although we shouldn’t have to apologize for needing to stay in business to do so, but we’re more “service first, business by necessity”), and their reviews open the door to allow us to serve others as well. I think it’s “in poor taste” to view clients as merely a transaction. I slip into that mode at times, but our leadership team keeps each other in check when we do. That was a bit of a snark, I have no problem with folks using the do a job get cash business model, it’s just not ours, nor the model for most of the larger scale service companies I’ve seen. I do agree, if that is the business model, reviews are far less valuable.
That’s a lot of words, I’ll grant you, but a lot of hooey.
Agreed, if you don’t do it, it definitely is 
In reality, whatever works for you as a business owner…that’s why you start a business, right? If it works for you and your family, then it’s the right move for you. God bless!
@Innocentbystander First off William, I love that you used hooey. Haven’t seen that word in years.
Second, I would have to agree with the tone of other posts. You don’t want more work, and with good reason, but asking for reviews is quite common. I cap it at 2 requests, the inital at the clean and one follow up.
I’ve seen thousands flow in after I got past 10 reviews, and now that I have a better website and over 20 reviews (the website was a key part) I’m getting a lot more business. I ignored getting reviews for years, and I shouldn’t have. My business would be so much further along!
Also, getting a large flatbed truck has helped with legitimacy over pulling a trailer with a crap vehicle. People complement it and stopped asking about my price so much. In the next month or two I hope to have it wrapped and post it up here. You’d like it, it’s a 2001 International 4700 with a dt466e.
Research the upgrade for the maxi fuse on the DT 466
I mean… I’m not out to be of service to others. I do it so I can put food on the table, and so that I can afford a table. Pressure washing is just a tool to do that.
I went 18 months or so without ever asking for a review and did fine. They help but they’re not that important. I think I have 30 or so 5 start reviews and that’s enough. I still send the link but I never even mention it anymore. I’ve also spent exactly $0 on advertising this year and had my best season yet. So don’t get all caught up in the BS. The old school techniques still work just fine.
I haven’t been doing this for long but we have 2x5 star reviews in the last three months out of two total reviews and it hasn’t had any effect on our business yet. Everything has been word of mouth for us and we’ve been able to upgrade from a custom cart I built to a full trailer with soft wash system with what we got. My wife does send a link in the follow up email and we leave it at that. Maybe one day it will matter, but right now we are doing great without pushing reviews and having a lot of them.
Reviews are great, I remember when I had non customers where a bit more Leary and would ask more questions and show more concern.
Now that we have a bit more and we are established a bit better, the attitude is different… “do what you gotta do, and give me the total” type
But, I will circle back to not hounding your customers into leaving reviews. We send the invite and we let it be.
Is that just a good idea for all years? I could only find where people said to so it for the vt365 04’ and some of the newer years.
Diesel shop I worked at for awhile did about 600 for a couple of surrounding counties Thomas school busses. They ranged from 2000 to 2004. They had a few fires, but biggest issue was A/C going out and starting issues. Thomas paid to have all of them done. That was a long time ago and I only worked there a day or so a week when I wasn’t at the fire station or washing. I stayed in the shop but I know a couple of guys stayed in the shop truck for a month or so going around and doing upgrades.
I like everything you wrote above about reviews and more. I agree 100%. This comment (above) is from a guy still new to the business. I was the same way when I started out. I was and still grateful for every job but now I know I that getting more jobs and making more money is the most important thing. That’s why I do it.
If you mean me being new to the business, I most definitely am, but I’m nowhere near new to business in general; which is why I’ll happily weigh in on business topics, but I’m way less useful in technical ones (those I’m mostly asking questions or reading for info). Our company was built before me by a good friend, I just came on to run it (and hopefully take it to the next level). If our clients are happy, our techs make good money, and I can build the next skid/buy the next truck…I’m happy.
And if you were referring to IBS, I’m pretty certain he is most definitely NOT new to the business. His technical knowledge seems to make that much very clear. I think different people run their business with differing goals.
I was just playing, didn’t mean a thing by it. I replied to you because you seem to have a sense of humor. THere are some on here who think that replies are attacks.
No harm no foul.
Heck I thought if dirtyboys after me I’ve really gone and butchered it lol. 
Yeah, it seems to start slow. The starter was shot so I just replaced it, but it still seems somewhat slow. Thanks for passing this on! I’ll have to replace it sooner than later. It’s definitely original, and it looks a bit like a rats nest. Thankfully my Dad was an electrical engineer down at the space center, so I’ll be making a phone call for help.
