Customer Service TIPS! (please contribute)

I'd like to share some of the techniques I've been successful with. Much advice I got from reading the forums so I know a lot of you guys are more experienced and know about a lot of these things already but I am counting on you guys to add to the topic and discuss ways to improve! For the new guys to this industry this is GOOD ADVICE!

#1. Don't put out coupons and don't price cheap! (Got it from this website actually). I've noticed that my client base is much higher quality and my repeat and referral rate has dramatically increased doing this! Don't be the cheapest but definitely don't be the most expensive. My rule is never advertise next to the $6.95/room guys (with the fine print of heavy traffic additional charge haha). First, it's a waste of money because they will get the calls (only to get ripped off) and second you don't want to be anywhere near them (you don't even see them as competitors). I stay away from valuepack and greensheet and stuff like that.

#2. Educate the customer especially when closing a call! The more knowledgeable you sound on the phone the more likely the customer will book with you. Call some of your competitors and find out how they are answering the phone. If you're listed next to people who have random girls answering the phones who don't know anything you've got it made!

#3. Don't bore the customer or talk above them! This goes especially when booking a job. Talk in lamens terms, throwing in a technical word or two in but be sure to explain what you mean!

#4. Never slam a competitor or tell the customer the last person didn't know what they were doing! You don't want the customer to have any negative feelings or feel like they wasted their money on the last company. Instead say something like

"well, I've done it all. Bonnet cleaning, portable units and truck mounts. I can achieve great results with each but the first two take quite a bit longer than the method I use. It's the number one recommended cleaning by manufactures for a reason, not only does it deep clean the carpets with no extra effort or charge to you but the job time is usually cut in half with outstanding results!"

Then maybe you can add "but you know, our machines are $30,000 compared to  $1000 for the other methods so there is a reason why some people to choose use those methods" (wink).

You just communicated two things to the customer without being negative. A> you are much more professional than the last guy and B> you care enough about their carpets and your work to invest heavily in doing the job right!

#5. Don't apologize too much! If you are running late, make sure to call the customer, apologize once and that's it! Maybe say "sorry to keep you waiting" (when you walk in the door) and say "for being so patient I'm going to make sure you get the best service you've ever had!" Too much apologizing and some customers will think they have you by the balls. Remember, you are a professional and you have a lot of houses to clean that day. You are willing to go the extra mile for Mrs. Smith who was waiting so patiently for you just as you went the extra mile for Mrs. Jones whose house you were at just before. Don't ever come out and say this.. just show it!

#6. Do a little extra! If you see bathroom rugs, run your wand over it! If you see a spot in a room that is not on the ticket, hit the spot! Then at the end of the job say "oh, by the way, I went ahead and hit the rugs in your bathrooms real quick so they'll take a bit to dry. I didn't want you to have a clean master bath and dirty rugs!" Customer LOVE this kind of stuff. Of course, be tactful, don't go hit an oriental rug and wind up shooting yourself in the foot!

#7. TAKE YOUR TIME! My helper and I can zoom in and out of a job in about an hour, an hour and a half if we do the whole house but when it's necessary we go back over whatever we have to! Sometimes I've even loaded all of the hoses and during the walk through I'll notice an area that I didn't notice before that I think may come up a bit better. Even if the customer is happy I'll unload everything and hit that area! Customers are just AMAZED with this, even if it doesn't make a difference then look them in the eye and say "ma'am, I'm very meticulous with my work, I just had to be sure this was the best it would come out. Now I'm satisfied with the job!"

Also, don't be afraid to take an extra 20 minutes re-unloading and loading if during the final walk through the customer isn't too thrilled about a certain area. That extra 20 minutes will save you one to two hours of having to go back and make you a life long customer!

#8. FINAL WALK THROUGH! If you're not walking through with the customer after every job then you're not doing it right! Walk through, address any spots that are permanent, acknowledge that you saw them, worked on them etc. etc. make sure everything is good. I tell every customer after the walk through (before I hand them the bill) "does everything look good and smell good because I won't accept payment until you say it does!"

#9. Be HONEST! Don't BS a customer because they know! And if they don't know they'll find out! And if I go behind you then I'll be completely truthful with the customer and make you look that much worse!

#10. BE HAPPY! Even if you are having a bad day! Smile! Don't talk about negative things! Don't talk about negative things in the customer lives (like let's say the family pet just died and they are having their carpets cleaned because it was sick in it's old age).

If the customer is talking about something negative that is going on, LISTEN! (sometimes these lonely housewives just want someone who will LISTEN!) 
Sympathize a bit (for instance: Oh, I know what it's like. I had a ____ growing up and I loved him so much and I went through the same experience of having to put him to sleep. It was such a tough decision to make but he was suffering so much, I understand it is the only thing to do sometimes. I'm sure he's thanking you right now. (look in the eye and smile) and say

"wow, I love how you've decorated the place! The carpets are a perfect color, how old are they? Oh really? They look great for 5 years old, how often do you have them professionally cleaned?"

Or

"wow, I love how you've decorated the place! The carpets are a perfect color! We'll have them back to normal in no time!" Big smile!

But most importantly be sincere! If you can't be sincere then you should probably just skip this piece of advice all together because of #9!


Hope to see some of you guys contributing and commenting!

Re Bathroom... sometimes not using it is not an option, especially if you have a job that's gonna take 4-6hrs and 2hrs into the job your call of nature is already becoming a scream!!!

FuzzSucker wrote: Dont use the bathroom?!!  I save a little bit of poop for each house!

one guy forced me to drink his Polish booze LOL I left there pissed and had to call a taxi

MR. STEAMER wrote: using the customer bathroom to take a dump shows no class...

Right in the customers toilet....

Bummer.. What did ya do? Suck it up with your machine?