Top 4 Cleaning Industry Tips to Get More Jobs and Repeat Customers

We love to feature blogs from our amazing partners. For this week's partner highlight blog we teamed up with Michael Madison, Marketing Coordinator at ServiceMonster. 

The cleaning industry - residential and commercial - has boomed in the last few years. Job growth is expected to increase 6% in 2020 from 2014 levels, and revenues will likely reach nearly $50 billion this year.

But with great opportunity comes great risk.

The average cleaning company loses 55% of their customers due to poor service. Competition is fiercer than ever, and it doesn’t take much for a cleaning business to get up and running. All it takes is one bad job for your customer to take their money elsewhere.

So how do you stand apart from the competition? How can you get more jobs and more repeat customers?

Hatch and ServiceMonster analyzed what works - and doesn’t - across their cleaning customer base to give you the Top 4 Cleaning Industry Tips to Get More Jobs and Repeat Customers.

Put these tips to work and you’ll get results...fast.

Tip 1: Add personal and relevant details to your CRM

When you’re first working with a customer, put information in your CRM that can add that personal touch later on, like:

• Pet names - They’re a carpet’s worst nightmare.
• Allergies - The products you use matter.
• Number of Rooms - Makes your price quotes more transparent.
• Room Names - Some call it a living room, others call it a den.
• Referral Opportunities - Does landscaping need work? What about the roof? Build out your referral engine and be a trusted advisor to your customers at the same time.

The good news is CRMs like ServiceMonster make it easy for you to create these custom fields. Now you can develop deeper relationships with your customers over text, email, and phone as well as on-the-job, resulting in more repeat customers.

Tip 2: Incorporate text messaging

Emailing and calling worked well 10 years ago, but today your customers are less likely to pick up their phone (thanks, robocallers) or sift through their spam-filled inbox. You have to incorporate texting, too.

Hatch has found that cleaning companies see a 64% average response rate over text. Compare that to 4.5% over email and you see why layering in texting is helping reps crush their close rates.

Here’s a great example of how texting, emailing, and calling can work well together.

Notice how I:

1. Texted the lead asking for a quick call
2. Called the lead to get more details and schedule the estimate
3. Texted the lead to confirm the estimate
4. Emailed the estimate after the appointment

Tip 3: Re-engage just before the holidays

This one’s a no-brainer. Who doesn’t want a clean house before the family comes into town?

Consider running a special to your existing customers just before the holidays. Below is an effective text and email campaign that encourages a 1-to-1 conversation. Feel free to use it for yourself!

Day 1 - Text first, let the conversation dictate the offer

Hi [First Name]! [Rep First Name] from [Cleaning Company] here. With the holidays approaching, we have a few specials on [Service Last Purchased] and I thought of you. Have a minute to chat?

...if no response

Day 2 - Try email

Subject Line: Specials on [Service Last Purchased]

Hi [First Name],

Sent you a text yesterday about some holiday specials we are running on [Service Last Purchased] but I didn’t hear back from you. Is your number still [Phone Number]? Give me a call or text me at [Rep Phone Number]. Would love to walk you through the specials.

Thanks!
[Rep First Name] from [Cleaning Company]

...if no response

Day 4 - Expose the offer

Text

[Cleaning Company] is running a 30% off special on [Service Last Purchased]. Would you like to schedule it now?

Email (response to Day 2 email)

Hi [First Name],

Thank you for purchasing [Service Last Purchased] on [Date of Last Service]. With the holidays approaching, we are running a 30% off special on [Service Last Purchased].
Book it now.

Happy Holidays!
[Rep First Name] from [Cleaning Company]

Here’s what that campaign looks like in Hatch:

Tip 4: Wait to ask for a customer review

According to Brightlocal, positive reviews influence 68% of consumers to use a local business. But nearly every local business is asking for reviews the wrong way.

Do not ask for a customer review right after you complete a job.

Instead, wait a couple days for the customer to appreciate the work you did. Then ask them if they are happy.

If the customer is happy, request that they write an online review for you. If they’re unhappy, make it right.

Follow these tips when you ask for a customer review:

• Send a direct link to write a review, not your business page. Here’s how to get your personalized review URL for Google and Angie’s List. On Yelp, just go to your business page, click “Write a Review”, then copy that link.
• Rotate the review links you send out (Google, Angie’s List, Yelp) so you get full coverage.

TL;DR

Tip 1: Add personal and relevant details to your CRM

Use details like pet names, allergies, and number of rooms to give your customers a personal touch over text, email, and phone, as well as on-the-job. Use custom fields in your CRM to log this information.

Tip 2: Incorporate text messaging

Cleaning companies see a 64% average response rate over text. Compare that to 4.5% over email and you see why layering in texting is helping reps crush their close rates.

Tip 3: Re-engage just before the holidays

Consider running a special to your existing customers just before the holidays. Scroll up to see an effective text and email sequence that encourages a 1-to-1 conversation.

Tip 4: Wait to ask for a customer review

A couple days after the job is completed, ask your customer if they are happy. If they are, request that they write an online review for you. If they aren’t, make it right. That’ll increase your 5-star reviews.