The carpet cleaning industry in Australia today is a very competitive place.
In the previous lessons, you have already learned several ways to stand out from the competition, win more clients and increase your profits.
However, finding new clients using solid marketing is only one way to grow a business.
In today’s lesson I want to tell you about another method that very few carpet cleaners understand.
Turning Clients into Advocates
Some clients of your business can become advocates.
An advocate is a fan – someone who loves your services, recommends you to friends, and defends you when someone complains behind your back. They are very valuable.
Not only because of the money they spend on your services, but also because of the positive word of mouth and referrals. Â
They can be worth tens of thousands of dollars in increased income.
Of course, you won’t be able to turn every single client into an advocate. Some people will only make a single purchase and leave. Some will become regulars, but never spread a good word.
Only a handful have the potential… and even they won’t become raving fans unless you take proactive steps to develop the relationship.
Here are some ways to do just that:
- Make them feel important
It’s vital that you try to make every one of your clients feel like they are the most important. Even if a client hires you for a small job, treat her like No. 1. You never know whether her husband owns a big business that has lots of work. A client who feels important will always call you first. They will rarely complain and even if you mess up, they will give you a second chance.
- Offer amazing customer service
Offering great service is one of the most effective ways to turn clients into advocates. Try to respond to questions and queries as quickly as possible. Always attempt to fix problems even if it is something they should do themselves. Do everything possible to go above and beyond what people expect. Make your service exceptional because clients will never rave about an adequate experience.
- Ask for feedback
Asking for feedback and then taking action on the response demonstrates to clients that you actually care about what they think. It also shows that you are dedicated to doing a better job by gaining insights about your business.
TODAY’S TASK: Creating Advocates
Turning clients into advocates is a long-term process, but you can get started right now. Here’s how…
- Choose 10 of your best clients: Send them a short email to ask for feedback about your services. Take action based on the responses. If you’re concerned you might not receive honest feedback from clients who don’t want to offend, try using online survey builders, like https://freeonlinesurveys.com or https://surveyplanet.com/, which allow anonymous responses.  Â
- Highlight “service” on your website: Add text to your website explaining that client service is your No.1 priority and that you will respond to most queries within 24 hours, if not sooner. If you’re super confident about your response time, add a guarantee: “If you don’t receive a response within 24 hours, we’ll give you 10% off your entire clean!”
- Say thanks for referrals: If a client recommends your service to friends, call them on the phone to say thank you. You may even want to offer a discount on their next clean to show your appreciation.