[Brendan B]

Do you offer any incentive for your customer to recommend you to her friends adn family? 

I see there are CC's that do 10% discount for them or £10 of next clean, i dont rally like eaither of them to be honest and was just wondering what do any of you offer

Cheers
Ben

[Simon@arenaclean]

10% of their next clean, and same for the recommended client. It has to be an incentive of some sort and a free room always seems a bit too much. I also offer the same to customers who book a follow up appointment for 6 months/year.

Cheers
Simon

[derek west]

simon
this is just my thoughts so don't have a cow, but to me it seems that your saying to your client, if you recommend a friend, i will clean there carpets for 10%less than i cleaned yours but don't worry, next time you have a clean i'll give you 10% off, or have i read it wrong.
seems a tad unfair to the original client.

derek

[Simon@arenaclean]

See your point but I see it as an encouragement to have me back to take advantage. Though on consideration i'd never seen your way, and i've never had anyone comment. I might review it now!

[Les]

I have to say that I offer no financial incentives, I just stick to a well tried & tested formula..

I turn up on time, I do a job that I hope exceeds the customers expectations, I take time out to put the world to rights with them, maybe even have a laugh, charge a fair price, leave a couple of spare cards and ask them to mention me to their friends and family if they're happy with the results.

Probably brings me 80% of my work. I've always known 'word of mouth' to be the best form of advertising.

Les

[clinton]

Most time they are just glad to get someone who does a great job and can trust in there house

[Ricky M]

Derek , thats the way it came across to me 2

Clinton , couldn agree more

Ricky

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Goron had a really good idea

£5 in cash if you recommend a friend and £5 off for the customer they recommend when they have cleaning done.

I have a discount idea from Jim but never got round to it and to be honest it seems long winded.

Shaun

[clinton]

Shaun

What do you give  as an incentive

[cleaningmaster]

I have thought about giving a £5 voucher (m&s, etc.. but not zavvi) if their friends/family book in a job

Daryl

[ian dermondy]

  we do a recomond service
they recomend or introduce 3 others when pepole call they menion the person reco them and they get 10% off the next clean with us
there is a condition the pepole they reco must use the service and spend over £50 with us
it works for us

[Mike Osbourne]

Quality work.

[Jim Gibbard]

Ian,
I have used a similar system.  But I prefer to give them £notes.  £10 up to £50 and £20 over £100.

I'll take £80 rather than nothing anyday.  If you get 4 a week that's £320. 

Don't forget you are dealing with human nature here!! Expecting people to do something for nothing rarely works, they have to be motivated into action with a sharp stick.    Recommends are in my mind the best source of business. 
They don't cost you anything, they are pre-qualified and they already have an idea of your pricing.  If you can't close a recco, you are in the wrong job. 

Jim G

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Mike you are talking Balls everyone says that but customers expect it as standard!

Shaun

[Mike Osbourne]

Would you get them without doing quality work?

Of course you are right Shaun, the previous post. For the sake of a tenner you could have a customer for life who won't flinch at a price that easily covers the referral.

Research into motivation suggests we are all different in how we respond to being rewarded for doing something especially £££. You can put rats in boxes and see how they respond, but humans are a little more complicated than that.

On the whole though financial rewards are a safe bet.

Here's another cunning idea I have cooked up though that uses a more powerful urge.

Never accept a thank you, actually say you can't accept it.  Then ask them for something else instead that's of value.

[Jim Gibbard]

Mike,
A referral costs nothing, it's something you would not have had it's +£40 not -£10.

Jim G

[Shaun_Ashmore]

The problem with offering money is that you look like a salesman or a desperate.

I used to offer M&S vouchers but I got people saying that they had recommended me but not filled in the card I gave them, how could you say no?

I think the best way forward is to build relationships by offering FREE SEX no I mean giving away spotting bottles.

Shaun

[Jim Gibbard]

Shaun,

"The problem with offering money is that you look like a salesman or are desperate".

Is this not a pre- requisite in the carpet cleaning industry?

Jim G

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Depends on how you view it and what response you get, I don't think this is a straight forward yes or no, if it gets regular work and you are happy then it is a good scheme, please don't think that I am knocking it but I have used such a scheme and didn't like it.

Shaun

[clinton]

Shaun

Do you give a voucher nowadays

I never went down that road but i know someone that even sent a small bunch of flowers to the housewife after a decent paying job :