29 Nov Chemstractor Journal: Was it as good for you as it was for me?
Since my last article, (The Article of Doom) the decision to cross over to the “dark side” and rinse carpets in addition to scrubbing them, the response from my father, after reading my last article, was that he still does not want “all that water splashed onto his carpets” (regardless of what I thought it needed). His response has proven to be a real eye-opener.
I fooled you because I am about to go in a direction you weren’t expecting. My eye opening experience has nothing to do with wet or dry, but everything to do with the success of our businesses and the customer (the most important part of the equation – the guy or gal who pays our bills).
So, I am the guy who comes into the home with two machines now, instead of just one. All the while, singing to you the virtues of my process and the fact that my combination of methods and superior detergents will give you, the customer, “the best darn cleaning you have ever had!”.
I clean. I collect. I go.
Was it as good for you as it was for me, Mr. Customer? You have clean carpets, but was it good? Did it feel good? Was there something you could taste and chew on? Like a great glass of wine and the perfect steak, the knife cuts through the meat and the juices flow. The mouth waters in anticipation of that first bite. The experience… the taste of that first chew as the flavor explodes in your mouth… You tell yourself, “I am going to buy that cut of meat again because it was outstanding!”. The whole experience was memorable.
So, I ask you. What kind of experience are you creating for your customers? Is it something to remember, or something to forget? Are you just a little bit different than the other guy? Are you actually sincere, caring, and kind? Or, are you just there to get done so you can collect your dough and go? Are you a one-night-stand, or are you committed to a long term love affair?
Connect with your customers! Care about your customers! Make sure they “feel you”, give yourself some texture! Be different. It’s that simple. Quit being like all of the other cleaners you compete against.
I have one simple rule that seems to work well for me: Don’t follow the competition! Create an experience worth paying for and your customers will not forget that cleaner who brings fresh donuts and wears a Kilt when he cleans! :o)
“Yeah, that’s the guy we want, the one with the Kilt! Man, he was great, and the carpets were clean too! Remember, he was the guy that called to ask how our daughter was recovering from hip replacement surgery. He also wrote that letter thanking us for the two referrals we gave him. Gee honey, let’s call him again and get the carpets cleaned!”
John Merritt Copyright 2002 John Merritt. All rights reserved. Used here by permission of John Merritt.