It’s tough running a house cleaning business and when you’re the sole owner, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the responsibilities you have. I remember some weeks when it was all I could do just to make sure we met all our scheduled appointments. Sometimes things tend to hit all at once; interviews, training, bids, cancellations, workers that don’t show up.
After getting through those types of weeks, you’re ready for a rest! Unfortunately, this is exactly when you should be checking in with your clients to make sure the work was done correctly. You certainly don’t want to lose good clients due to one bad week. Make sure you send out those survey cards you’ve been hanging onto. You may get responses that you have already anticipated, but the goodwill these cards leave with your clients is worth the effort. Even if they don’t respond, they will remember you took the time to ask.
Taking Your Survey to the Next Level
Stop and think about your business on a good week. After all the time and effort you’ve put into your business, if things have run smoothly for a while, the last thing you want to do is ask your clients what you’re doing wrong, but that’s exactly what you need to do.
This doesn’t have to be a bad experience – it’s actually a great way to identify and resolve issues before you lose clients. You can do this via phone, eMail or response card.
We all know it’s better to start with a positive, so begin by asking your client, “What’s a great experience you’ve had with [Your Company Name]?” Then ask your most important question, “And what’s a not so great experience you can share with me so we can improve?” These are simple questions that usually elicit a quick, direct response.
Most customer surveys ask multiple pin-pointed questions on different topics within a business. By keeping your inquiry simple and fast, you can expect many of your clients to tell you they can’t think of anything. That’s the answer you want, but a few of your clients will provide you with the insights you need to make the improvements that will keep them as clients.
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