Reminder notices

[deckrock]

It's our 3rd year of business in the city we presently live in. We're considering sending a letter to our previous customers reminding them that their deck should be washed / sealed again.

Anyone out there send out reminder letters or make phone calls to previous customers? Is it worth the time and postage?

 

[DrWhipIt]

I recently sent out reminders to a small number of previous customers (50 or so) and got one response. I feel its worth it for the exposure and professionalism.

I converted my customer list into mailing labels using MS Word and made 1/4 page cardstock post cards and the postage is only 23 cents.

 

[Aplus]

Absolutely worth it to remind customers it's time to perform maintanence.

If a person only gets one response out of 50, then it suggests the customers may not have been impressed with the work quality.

 

[psi-pressure]

I email every year

 

[PressureForce]

without a doubt. Not keeping in touch with your customers is one of the biggest mistakes service business like ours make.

We use Act! - its a contact management application and it allows us to pretty easily schedule and automate follow-ups, reminders, etc.

 

[deckrock]

A success

I did send out about 30 letters last week and had 6 responses so far. Went to one guys place that i didn't mail a letter out last year (it's 3 years from the time I was out there). He swore that he didn't have his deck done last year. When I went out there, this guy had someone else do the deck (or he did it himself) and looked terrible. Kind of regret not sending out letters last year. May try postcards in the middle of summer. July is our slow month. 6 out of 30 letters is a great response for us.

 

[Aplus]

You'll probably get a few more, yet to call. I've had calls a month after I sent the letters. They'll say how they meant to call earlier, but have been too busy....yada yada.

 

[reedsterstl]

You'll probably get a few more, yet to call. I've had calls a month after I sent the letters. They'll say how they meant to call earlier, but have been too busy....yada yada.

There are always the straglers. I get the same thing. And I send them out in the middle of March. Some call in June and wonder why I can't get to them for 4 weeks, especially when I urge them to respond quickly as appointments fill fast in the spring.

I send my maintenance letters out on the two year anniversary of a new client and to clients that have opted for the two year wash/seal before. When clients don't respond I drop them.

Reed

 

[DrWhipIt]

Absolutely worth it to remind customers it's time to perform maintanence.

If a person only gets one response out of 50, then it suggests the customers may not have been impressed with the work quality.

I must defend the quality of my work because quality is why I'm in business and why I thrive on referrels.

That one response came two days after mailing reminders. I've since had two more. These are also customers for whom I've done work in the last 12 months. (I've been in business a year) I agree with what deckrock and reedsterstl say, straglers.

 

[Aplus]

I must defend the quality of my work because quality is why I'm in business and why I thrive on referrels.

That one response came two days after mailing reminders. I've since had two more. These are also customers for whom I've done work in the last 12 months. (I've been in business a year) I agree with what deckrock and reedsterstl say, straglers.

Nobody attacked the quality of your work. Based on the information provided, nobody had anyway to know that the one reply was two days after mailing. Besides, many power washing services are not required every year, and the people you sent letters to just don't need your services right at this time. Hopefully their memory stays jogged for when they do.

Your original post gave the impression that you may have been disappointed with the results of your mailing. There are many reasons why people are not responding as you would hope.

Truthfully, I think many people are a little cautious about spending money now. With fuel prices going absurd, unemployment rates still high, health insurance costs going thru the roof, it should come as no surprise that discretionary income is being watched closer than other years.

 

[deckrock]

PressureForce-

What does ACT stand for, where did you get it?