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Kansas,
We send these cards to only our existing good customers. We “weed out” the filthy ones and the ones that have trouble paying their bills.Brian that answers my question. The only time that my parents sent our coupons was one time and they found out that they were cleaning for people that should of had their carpet cleaned 5 years ago and not 6 months ago. I have tried a similar thing send them out to repeat customers. I like the idea of the different rates for the 3 months. Keep us informed after March with results that would be great.
this card i am using yearly is now named THE STIMULUS CARD..use only in jan 20%,feb15%,march10%, $100.00 min.applies.why not.
I have a question that I wish to ask the masses of those who gander at this informational website:
Why is it that thru out all the advertising I’ve ever come accross no one says anything about our “exclusive” cleaning solution?
I have seen all kinds of written ads talking about the mechanics of how we complete our work. Seen video’s, heard radio spots, all showing how we are so called “different” then everyone else.
What is the one thing that makes us totally different from the masses? Dare I say our cleaning solution?
I would even direct this question towards our corp office as I have seen nothing different emminating from that advertising source.
Basically we(carpet cleaning companies), are simular. Some of our competitors use HWE (which as we all know is very different from our process). Some of our franchises have competitors who use very simular mechanics in their cleaning process. They all use a cleaning product to clean the carpet. None of them use Heaven’s Best. (or shouldn’t be anyways) I have personally witnessed over the years how much better our “101” solution out cleans everything I’ve ever come accross. Why are we not focusing on this rather than trying to make ourselves equal to all the other guys in the phone book?
Virtually all cleaning companies use ad’s that in some way give the customer discounts, percentages off the “normal” pricing. WE are much better than the other guy (we actually get those spots out left by the other guy) Why lower myself to their standards. Consequently I’m worth the higher price over the other guy, right? (only if I focus on “our” cleaning solution over the other guy’s)
Course, if your as good looking as Sutton or Ferris you have no competition….
Don, I’ll try to answer that.
I have seen many times where the best product doesn’t always win. The most determined almost always wins. If we focus on building a relationship on trust and honesty, with customer satisfaction, we will always eventually win and win big!!!Don, good post. Well, right up to the last part!
Maybe I’m looking at Don’s post differently (I know I’m different!) but I took it as him saying that our 101 product is much better than the product most offer so we should market that advantage. I haven’t looked at the accepted list of items for our ads lately, is there any thing about our “exclusive” product on the list?
The points Gordon mentioned are the foundation of every successful business! And we should work hard to remember to focus on those every day. Thanks for the reminder, Gordon!
Our customer appreciation coupons are generating business and I am very greatful for it! Thanks again to the Iowa bunch for the idea. Not as busy as I would like but we are working, and working on it. The weather is not helping. 60 straight days of below normal temps. (mostly below zero) and today it’s raining like crazy. One big ice cube.
Hope every one is doing well!
Rick
Gordon:
I’m sure that there are carpet cleaners out there that are not ethical, honest or even very good at what they do. Those folks usually don’t last very long anyways and due to their own doing. However there are many, many operators/carpet cleaners that are very honest, wonderful, ethical people. Just like you. They have very clean looking vans, uniformed personel, and very well taken care of machinery but the one thing they don’t have is our cleaning solution. (I’ll expand here)
I’m not saying do away with coupons, or discounts, or what-have-you. I’m suggesting that maybe a little more emphasis should be given to a subject matter that makes us totally and completely different from brand X, and am opening up this suggestion for people to shoot at. (as long as they don’t kill me in the process….)
If all things are equal what makes us just that much better than the other guy? Again… Dare I say our cleaning solution? And, if so… why not give this point more definition in our advertising?
in alot of the advetising done it is stated that DRY IN 1 HOUR. also no sticky residue.that there does seperates us from the competion.you can go into further detail with costomer if given the chance.my opinion is that those two together are bread and butter.works like a charm.i use it everyday,all day long.put it all your adds,highlight it,bold print. i also like the saying,DRY IN 1 HOUR,WE WON’T SOAK YOU!.OUR CARPETS STAY CLEANER LONGER WITH NO STICKY RESIDUE.cold hard facts.not the cheapest ,just the best.these are reasons why.well at least the big ones.now with the best operators anywhere the correlation can’t be beat.
There are a million ways to get us in the door of the customer. The key is to GET IN THE DOOR. Our customers are reactive to any number of advertising points. There are referral customers, price customers, process customers, Dry In One Hour customers, enrironmentally friendly customers, no sticky residue customers, etc. It’s usually not just one advantage that “grabs” a customer. If I can include several items that attract them, that’s what I need. In our ads we spend time and space on several of the above and it seems to work.
All that being said, I think Don’s point is worth pondering. Maybe if I spend less space for price and more on our great process and our exclusive formula, I would not need to give that “400 sq ft special”. I think I may give his idea a shot on my next campaign.
i did send out a 2160 post cards, jan 28th. for feb 20% off,march 15%,and april 10%.i will post totals at the end of each month that are accurate.i will add to the card as a reminder next time out that are carpets are DRY IN 1 HOUR.there is more i want to add but not enough room on this post card.i beleive once you have experienced the best,a life changing experience its hard to forget.but i will remind them on the phone and once i get there they will witness.i love preaching the truth.i wish i could put it all in writing to them on the post card as a refresher so there all guaranteed locks once there sent.most costomers that have had there carpet cleaned with hwe need to realize through us that we should be the last carpet cleaner they should ever use.carpets dry in one hour,not days.there is only so much you can put in an add with out cluttering all up.focus on or major points that seperate us from the rest, that makes us the best .preach it all day,everyday,if by phone,in person ,or in the add.
I want to thank each of you for your comments. All are very valid and they get us thinking. Don, I do like the idea of including something about our exclusive cleaning solution. I want to think this over and see how we can incorporate it in some of the ads.
i will post my totals for the 20% for the month of feruary in two days from my existing costomers only.this is only for three weeks. i left on vacation.if i worked 4 weeks it would have beeen by far my best february.so i did not loose out to much those costomers that wanted the 20% that i colud not fit in the month of february,i honored the 20% in march.that has amounted to 11 jobs .i have not honored anymore .today is the last day for that.
ok,for the first time in four years i sent the post card as described above.i have not advertised since oct of 04 besides the phone book.sent out about 2200 or so.cost almost $1,000.00.with the way things in our nation have been broadcasted,and some have been brainwashed i said well better just in case.in february with 20% off we did $8300.00 just on repeat costomers.that is for about three weeks,just a little less.we took 10 days off.planned vacation,cancun.now we have 11 jobs booked in march that i honored the 20% off because we could not get them in,repeats only.that looks to me of about $2500.00 aprox.first week of march maxed out already.i seriously recomend sending these cards out by the end of december.i sent them out end of january,i was hesitent at first,reading the paper ,listening to the news,well convinced me.but will not brainwash me.so i would say ,that we would have done very close to $12000.00 in february repeat only, if no vacation,still going next year also lol. if anyone out there want to doulble or triple there slow months,PLEASE SEND THEM OUT.THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU! i will post march on the 31st.thank you all
well for march off the stimulus card our total was $9965.00 repeat only.please give it try.i only see profit on discount. now that was 15% off in march. you will profit even with the discount more than i even thought .new costomers anyway was almost $3000 .
Tim, you rock!!!!
Keep smilling, keep scrubbing and keep counting the cash!!!
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