[nathankaye]

On a facebook forum, a chap has mentioned about a welcome pack for his new customers, that hes started to do about six months back or so.  Others have said that they have been doing this for a short while.

It sounds a great idea and ive never thought about it before now. But is sounds quite simple and effective. One of my goals is also to change my customers or potential customers view point of window cleaners and how we do operate legitimate businesses etc. So it kinda outlines the company and brief description of who you/company is and method used.  It also highlights the payment options and gives account details needed for BACS etc and how its requested within seven days of the clean.  A list of your services and perhaps a 10% discount voucher against a fascia clean etc.

Has anyone on here tried this method or still doing this?  It sounds a great idea for establishing your busines name etc

[Stoots]

Been doing this since I started.

Intro letter outlining how I work and payment methods etc. 24 hour guarantee in there, business card, copy of windows  cleaned today slip....I also put list of add on services, the fact I work in rain and that i work 4 weekly by default and if they want 8 weekly they need to let me know.

I made them for work that I had canvassed for me as obviously hadn't spoken to a lot of them myself so it sets the stall out from the start.

With customers that I pick up via other methods i dont use the letters as I explain it all in person, over the phone on via email/FB etc.

[Walter Mitty]

I used to do something like this shortly after switching to WFP, but it seemed like overkill.
However, I may start doing it again when I start my canvassing soon.  This time I will simplify it.
When I first did this, I overcomplicated things.  Now I will use a greatly trimmed-down version.

[Stoots]

I don't think I mention wfp in there as I think it's irrelevant nowadays.

I don't tell any new customers how I clean windows I have forgotten it's even an issue to be honest and am always surprised when someone say anything.

I had a funny old bugger last month though. I cleaned his windows in chucking down rain and obviously left them wet.. first clean.  He rang me a couple of hours later going mad. I explained everything and he agreed his windows were now dry and spot free. He apologized and sounded like he understood it all and was very happy.

Next clean rolls around and i text him.

The reply I got was "no bloody chance you left them wet last time" .

So some people still just don't get it.

[dazmond]

all i do is give a new customer a business card,agree a frequency and price, payment methods,get their phone number/email address (if needed)for notification/access/BACS payments.thats it....

[Cookie]

I can perhaps understand the need for a Welcome Pack if you've got several employees/vans on the road. However as a sole trader I think it's too "corporate", it's less personal and it over-complicates things.

[paul alan]

I wouldn't call it complicated, not as complicated as having to explain your self when working in the rain etc. Some people need telling every time, that's complicated.

[nathankaye]

I can perhaps understand the need for a Welcome Pack if you've got several employees/vans on the road. However as a sole trader I think it's too "corporate", it's less personal and it over-complicates things.

I would argue that its less complicated. Print some letters out etc and place in envelope and have a stash ready to hand out or post. Goes towards admin cost as well 
Most customers who are not in when I clean mostly pay via BACS or GoCardless and therefore you perhaps dont actually see a huge percentage of your client base anyway. So having a slight "corporate" feel about your business I feel is a good thing as it impounds that you are a professional window cleaner with a legitimate business and not to be fobbed off as a window ckeaner getting his beer/drug money in etc.
It just gives that extra touch that stands out.
My customers have all commented how they like  my business cards/window cleaned cards and not scraps of paper with one line saying windows cleaned. 

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

I have more of an issue turning them away than welcoming them!!

[Cookie]

I can perhaps understand the need for a Welcome Pack if you've got several employees/vans on the road. However as a sole trader I think it's too "corporate", it's less personal and it over-complicates things.

I would argue that its less complicated. Print some letters out etc and place in envelope and have a stash ready to hand out or post. Goes towards admin cost as well 
Most customers who are not in when I clean mostly pay via BACS or GoCardless and therefore you perhaps dont actually see a huge percentage of your client base anyway. So having a slight "corporate" feel about your business I feel is a good thing as it impounds that you are a professional window cleaner with a legitimate business and not to be fobbed off as a window ckeaner getting his beer/drug money in etc.
It just gives that extra touch that stands out.
My customers have all commented how they like  my business cards/window cleaned cards and not scraps of paper with one line saying windows cleaned.

OK fair point - if you don't get to see or don't know your customers that well I guess it could help. I'm in the position however where I know 99% of my customers either well or very well - I also know about their grandkids, pets, medical ailments, neighbour problems etc... - so I can explain how things work or upsell (if I need to) verbally. If I started handing out Welcome Packs it would probably have a negative rather then positive effect.

[Johnny B]

As said already, if you want your business to be 'corporate' it may be a good idea, but I want my customers to know me personally, and vice versa.

A welcome pack from me would be a complete waste of time, effort and money.

John

[nathankaye]

Yep understand where your coming from. Apart from my relatively new customers from last 4-5 months I know them all quite well. The vast majority have been with me since day one.
But unless your collecting and spending a good five mins or so chatting per customer when collecting I find it hard to believe you know all your customers.
Especially since my new customers are early 30's and younger they pay electronically as they are mostly never in and when they are they have no money. Plus they rarely want to talk, give you the money n shut door and back to their electronic gadgets or goggle box  .       

[robbo333]

I don't think a 'welcome pack' is for me, but fair play to you Nathan for thinking of ways to improve your business.
My leaflet pretty much explains everything in bullet points and I talk new customers through payment methods etc.

As for credibility and changing customers' attitudes, I think that comes from yourself, not a welcome pack.
A nice sign written van, logo polo shirt, polite and professional attitude and doing a good job, all helps to improve a customer's perception of window cleaners.

The one thing I ALWAYS do with a new customer is show them how a window dries. I'll start wherever the sun is and by the time i've finished one window, somewhere, will be drying. It may not be totally dry but there will be dry areas. I'll show the custy how clean that 'area' is (and get them to acknowledge the system works) and say to them that all the windows will dry like this.
Not teaching you to 'suck eggs' but I think this the single, most important, thing with new custies. Then I can tell them how I clean in light rain (without going into too much detail).

Another thing I do is:
Offer them FREE deionised water. I say to them 'get yourself a spray bottle' and each time I clean, I will top up your bottle for free, so you can clean your inside windows more effectively and for free. I have quite a few custies who like this. AND it saves me doing them 

If I thought about it, I could buy 100 spray bottles (a quid each) and give them to new custies, but I can't be arsed.

Hope that's helpful.

[nathankaye]

Yep I agree with you that a signed van, uniform and professionalism accounts for alot in changing people's perceptions.  I also get them to look around after I have done the first clean as I do charge more for their initial clean and I dont go into detail about purified water this n purified water that...... I just simply tell them that I work in the rain as it doesnt effect the clean.

In my pack (still thinking at this stage), im thinking of a brief description of myself, a reminder that I work in the rain and again an explanation of how GoCardless works (as first clean I will accept cash if they are in, but I get them to sign up before their next clean. Which hasnt back fired yet).
Im also going to include a magnatised business card which bullet points the services I offer.  Why? I get alot of work via recommendations and this way they keep my details to pass on.
Finally I'll recommend if they use facebook to follow my page as periodically I run promotions on pressure washing or my other add on services which they can take advantage off.

[robbo333]

Nathan it all sounds good, but at the end of the day, what you want is a GOOD CUSTOMER.

If you have a good customer, your welcome pack won't be of any benefit. If you do a good job, act professional and do what you say you will, they will keep you, and respect that you do a good job for a fair price.

If you have a crap customer, all the welcome packs in the world, won't make any difference, they will just p155 you around.

I don't think you can use a welcome pack to 're-educate' a customer.

Sorry if i'm being sceptical and good luck to you, if you give it a go.

[Klean07]

all i do is give a new customer a business card,agree a frequency and price, payment methods,get their phone number/email address (if needed)for notification/access/BACS payments.thats it....

Plus 1!

[nathankaye]

Decided to run with the idea of a Welcome pack and so im going to do a trial run with my next lot of new customers. This is what I have decided to go with, a welcome letter and a magnetised business style card with my services on and contact details.

[Splash & dash]

I think it would be good for some customers we send an information pack to all our commercial and management company’s that we do work for outlining all the jobs we can do for them —- pressure washing , softwashing , gutter vaccing , UPVC cleaning , window cleaning  etc  , but for domestic customers I feel it would go straight in the bin in the majority of cases I do however explaine the extra jobs we do when quoting for the windows , or if I see something that needs doing I will mention it to them with a price : something that works really well is if the gfs are dirty we clean a two meter length free say nothing to them , most phone up saying how good it looks I hadn’t realised how dirty it was how much to clean the lot Works a treat