How Memorable Are You to Your Customers?

[Jim Pemberton]

The following happens often here at my company:

Consumers call looking for a cleaner in their area for a variety of services. I do know "the good guys" (Mike's 2%rs) and enjoy referring them.

But here is the problem:

A year or two later I get this call:

"Hi this is (name of consumer) you referred a cleaner to me last year and he did a great job. Can you tell me who that was? He did such a great job, but I don't remember his name and don't have his number"

Since I don't know the guy at all and it might be one of a few people, I ask him what he can tell me about the fellow. He was able to tell me what color the truck was, what the guy looked like, even what they talked about. But company name, even personal name? Nada...

Fortunately, his description of the guy and the market area he is in narrowed it down easily for me, and I gave the number to him.

Lesson?

Don't think a great job is what get's you called back. No matter how much they praise your job, share pictures of dogs with you on your phones, laugh at your jokes or stories, people just don't rank the carpet cleaner up there with their doctor, lawyer, and accountant.

My customer will be getting a call from me today to discuss his follow up program for sure, but this happens so often I thought it might start a good discussion today.

 

[Mikey P]

" Connoisseur" helped...

We couldn't remember your name but we just looked for the listing that we couldn't pronounce..

 

[hogjowl]

And leaving refrigerator magnets and periodic postcards didn’t seem to help much.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

It is interesting that when I get complaints about carpet cleaners, the consumer knows everything about the company.

(That wasn't directed at you Marty....and Mikey, don't use that as a reason to pick on him either)

I happen to be a Marty fan; my Dad liked him, and that says a lot.

 

[Cleanworks]

The following happens often here at my company:

Consumers call looking for a cleaner in their area for a variety of services. I do know "the good guys" (Mike's 2%rs) and enjoy referring them.

But here is the problem:

A year or two later I get this call:

"Hi this is (name of consumer) you referred a cleaner to me last year and he did a great job. Can you tell me who that was? He did such a great job, but I don't remember his name and don't have his number"

Since I don't know the guy at all and it might be one of a few people, I ask him what he can tell me about the fellow. He was able to tell me what color the truck was, what the guy looked like, even what they talked about. But company name, even personal name? Nada...

Fortunately, his description of the guy and the market area he is in narrowed it down easily for me, and I gave the number to him.

Lesson?

Don't think a great job is what get's you called back. No matter how much they praise your job, share pictures of dogs with you on your phones, laugh at your jokes or stories, people just don't rank the carpet cleaner up there with their doctor, lawyer, and accountant.

My customer will be getting a call from me today to discuss his follow up program for sure, but this happens so often I thought it might start a good discussion today.

Also a reason to leave behind business cards, fridge magnets, pens or spotting bottles with your name on it.

 

[Cleanworks]

I had an interesting job today. Just a easy sofa/loveseat/chair but they got my name from chat gpt or whatever it's called. I don't know how that works but I'm there.

 

[sassyotto]

Spotting bottles do the trick. they actually KEEP them!

 

[hogjowl]

The only thing I can say is the more they see your name, the more likely it seems to be that they’ll remember you, but where that tipping point is seems to be allusive. My FIL advertises everywhere and on everything. He calls it the “shotgun advertising machine”. That takes more money than I’m willing to spend. The only thing I know for certain is the money I’ve been willing to spend hasn’t been enough.

 

[Bryce C]

" Connoisseur" helped...

We couldn't remember your name but we just looked for the listing that we couldn't pronounce..

I am sure that our name "Thread Logic" helps in this regard too...

As long as we remain fairly visible on Google searches, the genuine distinctiveness of our name goes a long way. After this I think that fridge magnets and seasonal email blasts will help. We need to make some magnets asap.

 

[Bryce C]

Spotting bottles do the trick. they actually KEEP them!

This makes sense! Expensive, but seemingly guaranteed..

 

[Zee]

This makes sense! Expensive, but seemingly guaranteed..

Yeah...


And then you learn.

Where a year later or two years later you show up to do the job, and they ask for another spotting bottle. They will present you with the old bottle that is now filled with a mixture of all kinds of chemicals that they figured will do the job (after your spotter ran empty 18 months ago).

And then they start mentioning how "the stuff you gave us" actually bleached out some of their carpets and or upholstery because they mixed everything under the kitchen sink.

Yikes.

Once you hand out any chemicals - you are in a way, open yourself up for future problems. Who knows what they mix it with? Who knows what they spray it on?
Are you going to be responsible for stuff that's out of your hands?

Safe to say, I never leave chemicals/spotters with customers.

 

[Mikey P]

Yeah...


And then you learn.

Where a year later or two years later you show up to do the job, and they ask for another spotting bottle. They will present you with the old bottle that is now filled with a mixture of all kinds of chemicals that they figured will do the job (after your spotter ran empty 18 months ago).

And then they start mentioning how "the stuff you gave us" actually bleached out some of their carpets and or upholstery because they mixed everything under the kitchen sink.

Yikes.

Once you hand out any chemicals - you are in a way, open yourself up for future problems. Who knows what they mix it with? Who knows what they spray it on?
Are you going to be responsible for stuff that's out of your hands?

Safe to say, I never leave chemicals/spotters with customers.

I've left 1000's of bottles behind, never had that happen

 

[Zee]

I've left 1000's of bottles behind, never had that happen

I'm not saying it will happen...but it could very well happen.
I've handed out 100s and 100s of them until I realized there should be better ways to do things to retain customers in this litigation obsessed country, where nobody has personal responsibility for ANY reason.
I faced down some bottles with my info on it that smelled like chlorine bleach mixed with dishsoap and sulfur straight out of Gehenna's lower levels.