What Works For You???

[westcoastplumber]

Do you use:

Envelope Openers
Business Card Magnetics
Flyers
Jar Openers

How do you keep your company fresh in your customers mind?

Not being listed in the phone book, I always worry about my customers not having my phone number, or not remembering who to call if they have a plumbing emergency.

Pretty much interested in what do you guy's feel is the best way to get the most out of your advertising dollars?

Rick, no need to post in this thread buddy, we know all about you already;)

[garager]

Business Card Magnetics and X-Mas cards

That and sometimes I call them to see how they are doing , or take a drive through the neighbor hood, if I see someone outside, I'll stop and chat with them.

[yasudaplumbing]

I usually give customers 2 each of my business cards and business card magnets, being that they are so inexpensive.

Other than that, the most important is giving them prompt, courteous, quality service. They usually will find a way to contact you.

Tracy

[Bob D.]

Get yourself some nice, metalized labels and put your business name and contact info on there. If you have a different number for off hours make sure that is on there. When you install a new WH, boiler, AC unit what have you put your sticker on there so that it is easy to find. When the WH quits and they come out to look at it they will see you name and number and know who to call. Of course if you screwed them over (or to their way of thinking you did) then this might backfire, but if you're doing the quality work that I expect you all talk about doing then you should have no problem with this.

[westcoastplumber]

Yeah, I do the 2 card thing and the magnet.

I recently sent out christmas cards, in those cards were a company pen.

Well, to my dismay, I found out some of the cards did not make it, the USPS mail machine broke open the envelopes and they were either sent back to me in an plastic bag, from the post office, saying sorry, or greg got his in the plastic bag.

I am not sure how many actually were delivered successfully. I am confused on my next course of action cause christmas was such a great idea and I blew it:mad::mad::mad::mad:

At the same time, I do not want to be an annoyance. Just trying to keep my company in my customers mind, and be there for them.

[Evil Gopher]

We put DAYGLOW orange stickers with company name and a $10 off next service call coupon on the water heater and airhandler (we do HVAC and plumbing).....on every call...ok us techs are sapose too put them on every call...usaly do. Also give customer busn cards before we leave.

[Bob D.]

"At the same time, I do not want to be an annoyance. Just trying to keep my company in my customers mind, and be there for them."

I would not consider a card from a contractor I did business with recently to be an annoyance, but I guess there are some who would. Still, I think the pluses would outweigh the negatives and a card thanking them for the opportunity to be of service and reminding them you are ready to be of service in the future if needed would be a good move.

[DuckButter]

100% with Tracy/Yasuda.
I do all I can to make customers feel comfortable around me, this might sound silly, but when they're comfortable they are much more at ease in asking questions or expressing concerns they may have avoided if they are concerned you might be bothered by them.
I like to act like they're my neighbor and I have to see them daily, gets me loads of return business...make an impression and they remember you.

[HVAC HAWK]

all we do is commercial and we put a company sticker an all the equipment and on the breaker panel
but most is our vans and how nice we are to them ,our appearance [ clean cut hair ,clean uniform ,clean truck ,no piercings ]and doing the job right the first time

[Drain Medic]

Get yourself some nice, metalized labels and put your business name and contact info on there. If you have a different number for off hours make sure that is on there. When you install a new WH, boiler, AC unit what have you put your sticker on there so that it is easy to find. When the WH quits and they come out to look at it they will see you name and number and know who to call. Of course if you screwed them over (or to their way of thinking you did) then this might backfire, but if you're doing the quality work that I expect you all talk about doing then you should have no problem with this.


Those stickers work for me too. I use NEBS for those stickers. Simple and to the point

It has a picture of a van, under it, it says Drain Medic
my phone number in bold black letters, and 24 HR Emergency Service.

I stick them on Garbage disposals, pipes, stacks, cleanouts (indoors)

I also give a card and magnet..another thing you might want to do that i did when i worked for the plumbing co. Get yourself some made up Tag valve cards with certain shut off information....Main shutoff, gas shut off...and when your done your service call, do this as a free service. Make sure you get your logo and phone number on it, and tag the valves thats important in the house. Everytime they have to shut something off for the winter or whatever other reason, there is your name and number...Oops, i have a leaking shutoff valve, guess i better call West Coast Plumbing and Sewer ;)

[HVAC HAWK]

good idea on the valve tags greg

[DUNBAR]

Stickers on:


Ball valve levers

Water heaters

Power Vent heaters: the vent itself

Expansion tanks

Garbage Disposals

Stacks (depending if they stick or not)


I have business cards that look just like it was stamped with copper. Black and copper chrome-coat. I attach heavy magnets to the cards, buy those poly sleeves that baseball card users use and seal it with a flourescent round sticker. A small mailing address label gets affixed to the back side of the magnet, letting the customer know there's coupons on the site.

Always remember that the heaviest magnet gets the most use on the fridge, holds the most pieces of paper so that will be the one people keeping grabbing for when the kids come home with construction paper art or a coupon clip-out that is cardboard or folded over piece of paper.


The only paper cards I produce are for people just casually talking to me. That and the ones I hand out to the CSA's at Home Depot to distribute to anyone needing a plumber.

On my second business, my cards are going to be holograms. Always make a card that when you look at it, that's not something you'd throw away. If it is neat looking, it won't.

Every paper card given to me ends up getting found in my wallet months/years later.

I can't afford to give the nice ones out at HD; only those who spent money with me get the nice one.

I "used" to do follow-ups right after I did the work for them. Now, along with not having time I try to purposely wait to send them out. Couple 3 months is a good window to follow with that.

Other than that......I'm on the phone and I'll come up with some more....

[Drain Medic]

good idea on the valve tags greg


They do work. As soon as we started using them, we were either doing more work after noticing bad valves when putting the tags on, or repeat business.

Was a very good idea

[PLUMBER RICK]

100% with Tracy/Yasuda.
I do all I can to make customers feel comfortable around me, this might sound silly, but when they're comfortable they are much more at ease in asking questions or expressing concerns they may have avoided if they are concerned you might be bothered by them.
I like to act like they're my neighbor and I have to see them daily, gets me loads of return business...make an impression and they remember you.


now that everyone has answered. i too follow the same motto as duck:D

in fact there were some of my customers that asked to come to our wedding.

the funny part was when they ran into my buddy steve who use to service them:eek: he knew them from years past and i was referred to them from other customers. took a while till i knew it was an old customer of steve's. the sticker on the heaters were a dead give away:D

good news now is i share them with steve and the customer uses us both now;)

a happy customer will treat you like their doctor.

they really don't want to see you too often, but they know you're there for them when they need you.

happy customers are your best form of advertising. make them happy and ask them to spread your name. there's nothing wrong with free advertising.

rick.

Rick, no need to post in this thread buddy, we know all about you already;)


not what you expected is it robert:D

[stxrus]

i give out cards all the time. in the small market i live in my BIG newspaper ad, 2 collums x 2 inches, has a dotted border that says "clip & save" with a pair of scissors. about 30 - 40% of all my business comes from folks cutting the ad out and either taping it to the fridge or putting it somewhere they can get to it. not a bad $32.00 per week investment.

an "after the fact" could be magnets, but in my case the clip & save works well.

i also try to educate my customers. this goes a long way to getting referalls.

steve

[smorris]

From a consumer point of view, the *only* thing we ever keep from anyone (service people, mail order, unwanted junk mail, etc) is magnetic business cards. One whole side of the 'fridge is covered in them!

[plumberscrack]

Heavy magnets do keep your name up on the fridge. I don't believe I have used business because of a magnet though.

Steve is right. Take a few extra minutes to educate the customer on the work that you have done or any future problems you may see in the future. Planting a bug in their ear about the age of the water heater or a noisey pump will get you a phone call when it does fail.

Spend a few thousand with us and get free T shirts for your kids :joyful:

[DuckButter]

happy customers are your best form of advertising. make them happy and ask them to spread your name. there's nothing wrong with free advertising.

rick.

Rick, no need to post in this thread buddy, we know all about you already;)


not what you expected is it robert:D
Uh oh Robert...he gotcha!
Rick, thats why I stated the "you might think I'm silly" part of my post.
I've had guys crack at me with comments like : "Do you hug them before you leave too?", ironically these guys work for someone else and don't understand the concept at all.
In the end, what matters is I get return calls from people not because I have a bright shiney uniform, or a fleet of colorful trucks.
They call because in a pinch, they know I have their best interest in mind.
Rick, your a hard one to interpret online, but I think I'm feeling you...you might be nuts, but nuts in the right ways.