It's Good to Stay in Touch

It's Good to Stay in Touch
Building customer relationships leads to repeat business

By Claude Harris

Customer follow up is an important part of the detailing business. It allows an operator to build relationships with repeat customers, lower expenses and lessen the time spent on vehicles. It also allows him the opportunity to sell customers additional services they might not have otherwise known were offered.

A solid customer base allows detailers to become more service-oriented. Staying in touch with customers on a regular basis will lead to loyal customers and increase referrals. As an operator gets to know customers' vehicles, he can better satisfy their needs. For example, a customer with children will sometimes need more attention paid to the interior. An operator can set up a maintenance program to help the customer keep the interior maintained. Or there may be customers who store their vehicles outdoors. This presents an opportunity to upsell them on a polymer protection package or other services.

Maintaining continued communication with customers is vital to the success of any business. For the detailer, this becomes important due to the stiff competition. Detailers who are servicing customers for the first time always hear about the guys who went before them. Comments range from "They didn't show up all the time" and "They never called" to "They just stopped coming." These complaints are evidence that there are a lot of unprofessional and unreliable people out there who make it hard on those who really want to provide customers with excellent service.

Good follow up will increase referrals. When people are satisfied with the work done and have come to trust the business, they will gladly tell their friends and family about it. But quality service is not the only reason customers come back. They appreciate it when an operator treats them with respect. They want to feel they are getting the best their money can buy and that the operator is not just trying take advantage of them. Customers will choose operators who are honest and upfront over those with lower prices because in the detailing business, you get what you pay for.

How the business presents itself is also important. Whether it is a mobile service or a fixed location, people will not continue to come to a dirty, unorganized shop or mobile unit. Employees and operators should be uniformed and well groomed. It works every time. Being knowledgeable about your craft allows customers to feel good about the work that will be performed on their second biggest investment and, in many cases, their pride and joy.

One of the first things an operator must do is create a customer profile that includes all vital information such as: Customer's complete name, mailing address with zip code, telephone number, e-mail address, vehicle make, model and color, type of finish and condition, the vehicle's detailing history, where the vehicle is stored and how often the vehicle is washed.

Once an operator obtains this information, he has to keep it organized. The best way to keep track of this information is by using a computer. If a computer is not readily available, start a file on index cards or in an address notebook.

Direct mail

Another way to stay in touch with customers is by mail. I send a thank you card to new customers and to those who send referrals and a postcard-sized reminder card two months after their last service. This is about the time the vehicle will need service again. Some of my clients say they look forward to receiving their reminders by mail.

During the holidays or at the change of a season, I will send a letter of appreciation and include a coupon for a service that they may not have received. This will introduce them to other available services they would not know about otherwise. After receiving the service once, it will usually become a regular service for them. Over the years, the number of gift certificates sold during holidays or for birthdays has increased as a result of our direct mail campaign.

Phone calls

Customers like to know an operator cares about them. A courtesy phone call is a great way to make contact with customers. Always make good conversation with customers when calling. Find out how they are doing first. Then let them know it is a courtesy reminder for upcoming service. Most of them are ready to make an appointment for a future date. Some customers are reluctant to get anything done at the time of the call. Remind them of the importance of following through with their car's maintenance program, especially if it has been a harsh winter. Often they will change their minds when the benefits, such as saving time and money and keeping their vehicle in showroom condition, are explained.

Some clients may want service once a month. These customers should be contacted by phone, setting an appointment a week prior to the end of the month. If an operator stays in front of someone and makes an impression on him, he'll get the business.

There will also be customers who don't realize they need service. With most people leading such busy lives, they need a courtesy reminder. If you want the repeat business, you've got to keep yourself on their minds. Remember that a lot of people think of car detailing as a luxury not a necessity. If an operator doesn't send reminders or follow up with a phone call, customers won't think about getting their car detailed at the business again. A lot of times a customer will wait until their car is far gone before calling, leaving the operator with a big detail job. The repeat business is what an operator should really aim for because the vehicle stays in good condition making detailing a lot easier. This saves both the operator and the customer time and money in the long run.

E-mail

Another type of follow-up is e-mailing. Operators can send reminders via e-mail as well as create special promotional offers. If I send a courtesy reminder by mail or e-mail, I will follow up by phone within a few days to see if they've received my mailing. Nine times out of 10 an operator can get a detailing appointment from them for that day or a day in the near future. Once again their car will be cleaned to perfection and the detailer will have a satisfied client.

A large percentage of detailers don't follow up with their customers. Some of the people who come into the detailing business come with a "bucket and sponge" mentality, lacking proper training, tools or the drive it takes to work for themselves. They will jump in and out of the business or only detail cars when they need to make some extra money. Others may be serious but lack the organizational skills to create a plan of action without becoming lost. Then there are those who take on more work than their business has the capacity to handle. All of these factors affect the quality of service and the detailer's ability to follow up effectively.

An operator must always analyze business growth to see where to cut back or expand. This will enable him to provide quality service with a personal touch. The customer wants his vehicle to look just as it did when he drove it off the showroom floor. That's one of the main reasons he comes to the professional detailer.

Some of the consequences detailers face in failing to follow up with their customers are low repeat business, low referrals and loss of customers, which in turn leads to loss of profits. What will usually happen is the customer who didn't receive a follow up will begin to think the detailer doesn't need the business and will look to the competition for service.

If operators follow up with customers, they will know about any dissatisfaction and can take steps to correct the problem, building a strong customer relationship. One of the other benefits of following up is the customer will see that the operator is concerned about the quality of the service he provides and is interested in having him as a customer. The customer will eagerly point out ways of improving that service. When customers have a part in the success of the business, they become loyal, repeat customers and will send quality referrals. In an industry that offers so many competitive choices, operators should do all they can to make potential customers choose them over the competition.

If a detailer is not following up with customers, he is probably missing out on business growth opportunities. Follow up is a way of meeting new people and gaining loyal, repeat customers. If you keep those cards, flyers, postcards, e-mails and phone calls going out, life as a professional detailer will be sweet.

Claude Harris is a reconditioning specialist and the owner/operator of Final Appearance Auto Detailing in Long Beach, Calif. He can be reached at finalappearclaud@aol.com.