Create Value with a Diagnostic Report
p class="style1" In many repair situations, your people do a lot that the customer never knows about. The customer doesn't know how thorough you are....
When To Say NO
p class="style1" Sometimes you meet unscrupulous people in life. Sometimes they're your customers. From time to time every service company encounters...
Here Comes Gen Y' the Hell Should I?
img src="/images/archive/66742herecomesm_00000042912.jpg" width="105" height="183" align="right"Get ready. Here they come. Gen Y is entering the labor...
Have You Calculated The Cost of a Customer?
p class="style4"It's fundamental, but surprising how few business owners know what it costs to acquire and what it costs to retain a customer. To know...
Get Slick or Get Electric
p class="style1" While newsletters are one means of customer retention, they must be read to be effective. I've mentioned the "letter" form of a newsletter...
Could It Really Be This Simple?
There are two words that are potentially the most moving, significant words you can ever utter. The three biggies are, of course, "I love you." The greatest...
Newsletters A Powerful Marketing Tool
p class="style1"The newsletter can be one of the most powerful tools in your kit for keeping your name in front of the customer. Yet, few businesses provide...
Newsletters Write Well
p class="style1"Business owners offer numerous excuses for avoiding the publication of a newsletter. One of the most common is a lack of confidence in...
Newsletters In A Box
p class="style1" Newsletters are great retention tools if designed and written well. With today's software it's easier than ever to create a well designed...
Liar, Liar!
The contractor is a good friend, a pillar in his community, and as honest as the day is long. He would never treat anyone unfairly. His word is his bond....
Sticking With The Tried and True
p class="style1"One of the best methods for keeping the customer out of the competition pages is the tried and true refrigerator magnet. Consumers love...
Make Your Guarantees Unusual
p class="style1" Though it's not necessarily a customer retention device, many businesses have gained a lot of mileage with unusual guarantees. What's...
There's Gold in the Data
p class="style1"Whenever possible, capture customer data. How much? As much as possible. What kind of data? The most important is contact information,...
It's All In Your Number
p class="style1"Few things cause me to let out a primal scream like an ad that ends with look for us in the yellow pages. Aaaaiiieee!!! Why in the world...
Follow Up First
p class="style1"A rule of thumb says it costs five to seven times as much to get a new customer as it does to keep an existing one. I've seen several...
What Are You Worth?
What is it about the service trades that drives people to take pride in their poverty? Why do so many contractors think they're nobler than their peers...
The Names the Game
Selecting the right name for your company is a crucial element in the future success of your company. Unfortunately, many budding entrepreneurs are especially...
Make Your Trucks Mobile Billboards, Not Bulletin Boards
Many service providers treat their trucks like mobile bulletin boards, not billboards. They clutter them up with an excess of decals, phone numbers, manufacturer...
Bigger Billboards Mean Better Visibility
Some service companies are demons about keeping costs down. While theres a lot to be said for running lean, efficient operations, there are times when...
If You've Got A Weak Name, You Need A Great Slogan
What do you do if youve been dealt with an oatmeal name (i.e., bland and meaningless), but feel that its too expensive or risky to change it? Well, when...
When Clutter Makes Dollars, it Makes Sense
If there is one spot on the truck where clutter makes sense, its the back of the truck. Yet, the clutter should be reasoned, focused. The objective is...
Hire A Professional Graphic Artist It's Money Well Spent
Unless you have a real flair, youre better off hiring a professional graphic artist to design your logo. Its money well spent. When Paul Robinson, a Dallas...
The Service Agreement Subscription
One of the strongest customer retention programs is a service agreement. Essentially, the customer pays a subscription and receives benefits all out of...
Service Agreement Customers Are Special, Treat Them That Way
When a customer enrolls in your service agreement program, they are making a commitment to you. You should make some commitments back to them. You should...
Don't Envy, Emulate: A Lesson From Russell, Kansas
Russell, Kansas claims less than 5,000 people. It's not a big town. Yet, it's one of those obscure places that every now and then gives birth to someone...
