photo by @Cleanhabitsllc
Window cleaning business owners know that sometimes, the pressure of their workload is comparable to Atlas holding up the world. Their to-do lists are neverending, and as soon as they’re close to crossing everything off, another fire ignites that they have to put out.
Window cleaners are constantly strategizing and putting forth advertising and marketing plans, setting and keeping service appointments, buying and maintaining equipment, hiring, firing, and training employees, tracking finances, and more. It can even be hard to find time to spend with family. Simply put, there are never enough hours in a day for a window cleaning business owner. To make the list of duties even longer, they have to remind customers of appointments every day, just to make sure their business is solidified on the calendar and the financial quotas are met. It takes a strong-minded person to handle all this, but even the strong can experience burnout, chronic stress, and injury from overworking. Something’s gotta give!
Luckily, there is at least one thing that can be automated to help business owners out there, and that’s appointment reminders. There are many ways to check off reminding customers of appointments from the to-do list with much less effort. Thanks to automated text messages, email reminders, customizable Window Clings, and postcards, business owners can remove this one tedious task from their long to-do lists and focus on more pressing matters. In this week’s Window Cleaner University article, we’ll provide some helpful tips to streamline reminding customers of appointments.
The Info Your Customers Will Need
When reminding customers of their appointment date, whether it’s through text, email, or phone call, you’ll always want to keep the message warm, friendly, and professional. You’ll also want to keep grammar, spelling, and syntax in mind, as having errors can take away from your credibility, regardless of how strong you are in other areas of your business. Utilizing writing assistant apps like Grammarly can help you maintain your professionalism through your email and text reminders, as well as other marketing strategies, such as social media posts and advertisements. When reminding customers of their appointments via email, the message should always include:
-
Your company’s name, phone number, and hours of operation
-
The date and time of the appointment
-
A description of the service being provided
-
The cost of the service
-
Any information on your cancellation policy
Text messages generally have a limited number of characters and are better for simpler reminders for the day before or the day of the appointment. You won’t need all of the above pieces of information; just your company name, date and time of the appointment, and phone number, will suffice. It is best if you send both emails and texts so the customer can receive the detailed email first, and then as the appointment date approaches, a text prompting them to refer to the email.
If you’re unsure how to begin writing an email or text reminder, consider the following templates:
Email Template
Dear [CUSTOMER’S NAME],
[YOUR COMPANY’S NAME] here! Just sending you a friendly reminder about your window cleaning appointment for [DATE] at [TIME]. We will provide [SERVICES] with an estimated bill of [TOTAL AMOUNT].
Please take all of the preparations necessary for our arrival, such as [YOUR REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY].
If you have any questions, comments, or need to reschedule, please give us a call at [PHONE NUMBER]. For rescheduling, please provide a minimum of 48 hours' notice.
We look forward to serving you. Have an awesome day!
[BUSINESS NAME]
[BUSINESS HOURS]
[BUSINESS PHONE NUMBER]
Text Template
Hey, [CUSTOMER]!
This is a reminder from [COMPANY NAME] about your appointment on [DATE & TIME]. If you need to reschedule, please call us at [PHONE NUMBER] with at least 48 hours notice.
See you soon!
Now that you’ve got what to say and how to say it, let’s talk about some of the helpful websites and apps out there that can get you automating!
Automated Texts and Emails
Adding automated texts and emails to your customer service arsenal can help you save time and increase your income by solidifying appointments with greater efficiency. The software out there now allows you to focus on running your business, so you don’t get run down. Using CRMs, or Customer Relationship Managers such as Jobber, HouseCall Pro, and Workiz can help you schedule and plan your messages. These apps are super helpful for online booking, dispatching, scheduling, payments, and invoicing. Not only can they help you automate reminder messages for appointments, but they can help automate invoice reminders as well.
We recommend checking out each one of these apps and seeing which one will be the best for you and your company!
Window Clings
Non-digital, all-physical Window Clings are wonderful tools to set the next date of service with your customer on the same day that you visit them. Window Clings are easy-to-peel 3M vinyl stickers that provide spaces for you to write in the present date of service and the following date of service, with artwork featuring your company’s brand. This way, the next date of service can be located in three places; your customer’s window, email inbox, and text messages. The more reminders they have, the better to solidify the appointment. In addition, since this interaction takes place in person, it is harder to ignore, like a text or email that can go unnoticed.
You can submit your own design to the WCR print team, or if graphics aren’t your game, check in with us at 862-266-0677 or purchase a Custom Design Service, and we can help make one for you. All you need to do is press the cling onto your customer's window in an obvious area of their home or business, and you'll both be ready to go. You can even do this if the customer is not present with a date that would make the most sense for your calendar and their cleaning schedule.
What to Include in Your Design:
-
Your company name
-
Your logo
-
Phone Number
-
Date of Service
-
Next Service
Once you have checked over your files for accuracy, proper spelling, company information, verbiage, and grammar, then send your files on over, and we’ll get them crafted for you!
Postcards
Old-fashioned, tried-and-true, and classically effective, postcards are great for providing broader, seasonal reminders to your customers. If you’ve got a long list of addresses, sending physical postcards can add a nice personal touch from your business to their mailbox and can remind them to schedule an appointment with you on their own time. Although this isn’t an ideal way to remind them of one specific date, it gets your name in their mind again, prompting them to give you a call to set something up. Whatever you’re looking to market, postcards are the perfect way to get to your customers in bulk. They’re also customizable and allow you to have fun with the designs. WCR offers tons of templates to choose from, and if they don’t perfectly match your vibe, you can customize them or even upload your own artwork.
Take Control of Your Taskflow
As a business owner in this day and age, you shouldn’t have to be bogged down by menial tasks, and with all of the new apps and technology available to you, you don’t have to! Having CRMs at your fingertips will help you save time, be more efficient, communicate better with your clients, and, most importantly, give you just a little more time to relax. So, take a deep breath. You deserve it!
Still Have Questions?
Don’t sweat it! If there is anything you’re unsure about, want to learn more about, or need advice for, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Window Cleaning Resource is here for you 24/7, with the help of our super-friendly window cleaning experts.
Having owned their own window cleaning business, too, they have tons of information on window cleaning products, business tips, and more, even if you want to talk shop.
This equipment and HUNDREDS more products can be discovered on our fantastic Window Cleaning Resource platforms!
For product reviews, discussions, information, and more:
