My approach:
“Hi, I’m Gordon with Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning! I presume you have a professional carpet cleaner? (Yes) Are you happy with them? What do you like best about them? Great, we do…” “Can you put us second on the list? As a back-up, just in case for whatever reason they can’t come sometime.”
Note: Things happen with truckmounts. Sometimes it takes a week to get parts and repairs completed. When you know what they like or don’t like about your competitors service it becomes very helpful. I have secured an account for more than 20 years because I asked to be a back-up.
If not happy: At this point you don’t usually have to ask why, because they will tell you. This is the important information you need to proceed forward. They are telling you their “why they need you.” For example: If they say “The owner likes them because they’re the cheapest, but they do a crappy job.” Help them explain to the owner, that “the payment comes out of the renters deposit most of the time. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have the best quality cleaning at a fair price, seeing how the renter’s deposit is the one paying the bill?”
Leave with property manager/owner a copy of your before and after pictures, letters of recommendations, and anything else you feel would be beneficial.
Property management is a great place to secure year round consistent work.
Input?