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Why You Need to Follow Up with Your Customers This Spring
The snow season of 2017-18 is winding down. It’s time to start thinking about doing end of season maintenance on your trucks and have one last team meeting.
But wait … what about your customers?
Yes, if you want repeat business, you need to touch base with your customers one last time. Whether surveys or actual site visits, now is the time to settle accounts and to hear from your clients about your snow services this past winter.
End of Season Customer Surveys
At the end of the season, you need to touch base with your customers to get feedback on your services. If you can’t visit or call each of your clients, at least email them a survey for feedback purposes.
Snow business experts recommend that you frequently communicate with your customers throughout the year, not just at the very beginning or the very end of the season.
And if your customers complain about any damage on site, make sure you do a post season visit to take note of the damage and compare it with the pictures you took in the fall.
If your crews did hit and brake something, you must make it right for this customer to keep coming back.
Staying in touch with your clients throughout the year—even during the spring and summer months—keeps your competitors away too.
Here are some questions to ask in your survey or face-to-face meeting:
- How did we do performing our snow removal services?
- Are there additional services you wish that we provided for you?
- When you called us, did we respond quickly?
- If you left messages for us, did we call or email you back promptly?
- Did we pay attention to detail as we cleared off your parking lots and sidewalks?
- Do you have any remarks about any of our snow removal crews?
- Do you feel you get a return on investment for the snow removal services we provide for you?
- Would you refer our company to other property managers for snow removal services?
Read this blog to get more post season tips for your snow removal company.
Catch Up on Invoices
At the end of the season, make sure you check up on late paying customers. Then do some follow-up like sending reminder notices.
If that doesn’t work, you can let them know that you’ll be stopping by on a specific day to pick up the check.
Even though it’s frustrating when you’re not paid on time, still keep your cool. Many times a client is late paying because they forgot, or your invoice got lost in the shuffle.
And yet, if you have a chronically late-paying customer, make sure you follow through with any penalties, such as adding a late fee, to their invoices.
You may not want to keep a consistent late payer during the next snow season. It’s hard to let go of clients, but if they’re not paying you on time, it may be worth the risk.
If the spring thaw seems a long time coming, then read this blog to keep your crews busy between storms.
End of Season Letter
Perhaps the best thing you can do at the end of the season is to write a thank you note to each of your customers. Everyone loves to get a letter of appreciation.
In addition to showing your gratitude, you’re also fostering good will. You can use this letter as a follow up to any survey you sent earlier too.
Remind your loyal customer base that you appreciate their time and take these surveys seriously to improve your services. Tell them their opinion counts!
After you thanked your clients and asked for their feedback, make sure you add a line or two for the next snow season.
Remind them to be on the lookout for another letter in July and August to talk about pre-season site visits.
Just as post season maintenance is vital to your fleet and snow removal equipment, connecting with your customers ensure that some of them will want to contract with you the following season.
Remember: Your customers like when you reach out to them with appreciation.
You may not get all of your customers responding to your survey, though. But some will—and their answers will help you grow as a snow removal company.
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