We all know the importance of surveys. We survey people on this site all the time so that we can see what other window cleaners use, how they market their services, How they price their services, how they handle situations.
We take that information and use it to improve our business. We wouldn’t imagine working without knowing how other window cleaners do things, and learn from them.
Likewise big business constantly hire companies to survey their customers. They want their advertising to meet the actual needs of the customers, not what they thihnk those needs are. They learn what their customers want, and what is most important to them, so that they effectively market and deliver their product or service.
So is their any differece in window cleaning? No. We need to know how to satisfy our customers needs, and especially before wasting a lot of money on advertising, we want to advertise what the customer is looking for. We want to know what part of our business is essential and what the customer doesn’t really care about.
With this in mind, I have been surveying my commercial route customers. So many people, including myself are prone to thinking that the number one consideration of these customers is price. We think we will lose our accounts for just $1. While that is sometimes the case, often customers worry more about consistency, quality, communication, and friendliness. I want to get an accurate picture of what my customers want so I can target effective advertsiing, and so I can emphazises the advantages of my product to them when canvassing.
Have you surveyed your customers. Please tell me the results.
I have so far surveyed just 3 of my customers, but when I survey a great amount of my customers I will post the results for all.
So far, price is not the number one consideration.
How are you doing the surveys, are they verbal? Do you leave cards or something behind? I have been wanting to do this for some time. I’m sure the results of what really matters to a customer will surprise us.
I’m glad you asked, it is verbal. I simply say that I’m planning some marketing, and I would like to know what prospective customers think so I that I can effectively market to them.
Then I ask. What is most important to you in a window cleaner? I might follow up with, what do you like most about our service.
It’s unscientific, but customers are generally honest and straightforward.
Do you tally the results somewhere? What is the market size you have surveyed? IE # of customers surveyed VS actual # of customers Sorry if this is intrusive I am just real interested in statistics.
don’t worry, I like the questions, it shows people read what I write, and give thoughts on my suggestions.
So far I wrote the results on the back of my quote sheet. I might write it down on my computer later.
Since I do all storefront, I’m only asking storefront managers. I hope to shed new light on what is really important to the storefront manager. If price is not the main concern, perhaps we have to rethink our fear of raising prices, or charging decent prices, and focus on being reliable and higher quality and telling and showing the customers that we are. Not just that, providing references or testemonials if needed.
I would love to see the results of this… Currently we only survey residential customers on how they thought there service went by phone and by postcard. I would like to do
something for commercial… I was planning on it this year unfortunately I never got to it. I would like to do it with some demographics added in.
I think everyone should do it. We have to understand who we are serving, and what their unique needs are. I know that residential and commercial likely have different perspectives on how their window cleaner should serve them.
My survey is very ruidmentary. At the moment, I just want to know what their priorities are. Is price the main priority? Would they drop me for price alone? That’s what I want to know. If my survey shows that it’s not the main concern it would have a dramatic effect on my marketing, and hopefully the marketing and pricing of those on this site. But each window cleaner should at least once survey their customers.
Are your storefront mamagers indepentent stores, or are they franchises, it would be interesting to know if there is a difference in priorities between them.
I have a mostly residential business in Cali and I’ve been surveying my customers with an actual survey page. I give it to them to fill out right before I start packing up my equipment (so as to give them time and so as to see what they thought of the job after its just been finished).
I find that many customers will be more candid in written comments than in a verbal ones, thus you can catch a slipping customer back into being interested in your company if they didnt like your current work. This results from the most personal marketing that you can do: customer troubleshooting. Surveys improve performance and your relationship with the customer.
I’ve aslo found that many of my clients charish professionalism over price.
