Little things to keep customers happy

Mijola

I was reading a post started by Ron Jr. about a new Burnham install (by the way which was really nice work), and the topic of the thread went to doing little things that customer’s appreciate. It made me thing of what I used to do when I still worked in the field, (retired from full time field work now). Just thought that I’d pass it along, and would like to hear from anyone who does something similar.

After we did and install for a customer, I always went to the home (normally after work hours) and completely I went over the operation of the system in detail but in “how it works people talk” for them, so they understood their system and were not afraid of it.

About a month later, when the boiler install was only a faint memory, I sent a tin of home made cookies to their home, with a thank you note inside. I had an arrangement with a local family bakery that did fund raiser type promotions. They did all the work, all I did is provide the name and address. I cost me about $12.00 per customer.

The cookies were sent by UPS, not just mail, so someone actually hand delivered the cookies to them. Inside there was a card that was preprinted with our logo and with “our thanks to you” printed on the top of the card, but I signed it by hand, and hand wrote a short note was on the card. It read similar to this:


Dear Mr. & Mrs. Jones,

Thank you for placing your trust in us, to let us install your new boiler. Please accept these cookies as a token of our thanks for allowing us to work for you. Your comfort and safety are important to us, and we just want to let you know that we will always be there to serve you and keep you warm.

Warmest Regards
(Company Name)


We didn’t do boiler installs, we did works of art, and we were proud of it. But when I got referrals from the neighbors, I didn’t hear “are you the guy who installed that high efficiency flame retention oil boiler with the OSV, and the single zone system now converted to three zones in a pump away configuration”???

I heard, are you the guy who sent Bob and Martha Jones those nice cookies????

After the memory of the boiler install faded away I just wanted to help Bob & Martha remember us in a little different way. I was paid to do a great job on that boiler install for them, but sending them the cookies had nothing to do with anything, except caring about those customers as people. It really meant a lot to them.

Just a thought and
Warm Regards,
Ed Carey

Mijola

Little things to keep customers happy

I was reading a post started by Ron Jr. about a new Burnham install (by the way which was really nice work), and the topic of the thread went to doing little things that customer’s appreciate. It made me thing of what I used to do when I still worked in the field, (retired from full time field work now). Just thought that I’d pass it along, and would like to hear from anyone who does something similar.

After we did and install for a customer, I always went to the home (normally after work hours) and completely I went over the operation of the system in detail but in “how it works people talk” for them, so they understood their system and were not afraid of it.

About a month later, when the boiler install was only a faint memory, I sent a tin of home made cookies to their home, with a thank you note inside. I had an arrangement with a local family bakery that did fund raiser type promotions. They did all the work, all I did is provide the name and address. I cost me about $12.00 per customer, including the shipping.

The cookies were sent by UPS, not just mail, so someone actually hand delivered the cookies to them. Inside there was a card that was preprinted with our logo and with “our thanks to you” printed on the top of the card, but I signed it by hand, and hand wrote a short note was on the card. It read similar to this:


Dear Mr. & Mrs. Jones,

Thank you for placing your trust in us, to let us install your new boiler. Please accept these cookies as a token of our thanks for allowing us to work for you. Your comfort and safety are important to us, and we just want to let you know that we will always be there to serve you and keep you warm.

Warmest Regards
(Company Name)


We didn’t do boiler installs, we did works of art, and we were proud of it. But when I got referrals from the neighbors, I didn’t hear “are you the guy who installed that high efficiency flame retention oil boiler with the OSV, and the single zone system now converted to three zones in a pump away configuration”???

I heard, are you the guy who sent Bob and Martha Jones those nice cookies????

After the memory of the boiler install faded away I just wanted to help Bob & Martha remember us in a little different way. I was paid to do a great job on that boiler install for them, but sending them the cookies had nothing to do with anything, except caring about those customers as people. It really meant a lot to them.

Just a thought and
Warm Regards,
Ed Carey

Mijola

Little things to keep customers happy

I was reading a post started by Ron Jr. about a new Burnham install (by the way which was really nice work), and the topic of the thread went to doing little things that customer’s appreciate. It made me thing of what I used to do when I still worked in the field, (retired from full time field work now). Just thought that I’d pass it along, and would like to hear from anyone who does something similar.

After we did and install for a customer, I always went to the home (normally after work hours) and completely I went over the operation of the system in detail but in “how it works people talk” for them, so they understood their system and were not afraid of it.

About a month later, when the boiler install was only a faint memory, I sent a tin of home made cookies to their home, with a thank you note inside. I had an arrangement with a local family bakery that did fund raiser type promotions. They did all the work, all I did is provide the name and address. I cost me about $12.00 per customer, including the shipping.

The cookies were sent by UPS, not just mail, so someone actually hand delivered the cookies to them. Inside there was a card that was preprinted with our logo and with “our thanks to you” printed on the top of the card, but I signed it by hand, and hand wrote a short note was on the card. It read similar to this:


Dear Mr. & Mrs. Jones,

Thank you for placing your trust in us, to let us install your new boiler. Please accept these cookies as a token of our thanks for allowing us to work for you. Your comfort and safety are important to us, and we just want to let you know that we will always be there to serve you and keep you warm.

Warmest Regards
(Company Name)


We didn’t do boiler installs, we did works of art, and we were proud of it. But when I got referrals from the neighbors, I didn’t hear “are you the guy who installed that high efficiency flame retention oil boiler with the OSV, and the single zone system now converted to three zones in a pump away configuration”???

I heard, are you the guy who sent Bob and Martha Jones those nice cookies????

After the memory of the boiler install faded away I just wanted to help Bob & Martha remember us in a little different way. I was paid to do a great job on that boiler install for them, but sending them the cookies had nothing to do with anything, except caring about those customers as people. It really meant a lot to them.

Just a thought and
Warm Regards,
Ed Carey

Mijola

Little things to keep customers happy

I was reading a post started by Ron Jr. about a new Burnham install (by the way which was really nice work), and the topic of the thread went to doing little things that customer’s appreciate. It made me thing of what I used to do when I still worked in the field, (retired from full time field work now). Just thought that I’d pass it along, and would like to hear from anyone who does something similar.

After we did and install for a customer, I always went to the home (normally after work hours) and completely I went over the operation of the system in detail but in “how it works people talk” for them, so they understood their system and were not afraid of it.

About a month later, when the boiler install was only a faint memory, I sent a tin of home made cookies to their home, with a thank you note inside. I had an arrangement with a local family bakery that did fund raiser type promotions. They did all the work, all I did is provide the name and address. I cost me about $12.00 per customer, including the shipping.

The cookies were sent by UPS, not just mail, so someone actually hand delivered the cookies to them. Inside there was a card that was preprinted with our logo and with “our thanks to you” printed on the top of the card, but I signed it by hand, and hand wrote a short note was on the card. It read similar to this:


Dear Mr. & Mrs. Jones,

Thank you for placing your trust in us, to let us install your new boiler. Please accept these cookies as a token of our thanks for allowing us to work for you. Your comfort and safety are important to us, and we just want to let you know that we will always be there to serve you and keep you warm.

Warmest Regards
(Company Name)



We didn’t do boiler installs, we did works of art, and we were proud of it. But when I got referrals from the neighbors, I didn’t hear “are you the guy who installed that high efficiency flame retention oil boiler with the OSV, and the single zone system now converted to three zones in a pump away configuration”???

I heard, are you the guy who sent Bob and Martha Jones those nice cookies????

After the memory of the boiler install faded away I just wanted to help the Bob & Marthas in my workd remember us in a little different way. I was paid to do a great job on that boiler install for them, but sending them the cookies had nothing to do with anything, except caring about those customers as people. It really meant a lot to them.

Just a thought and
Warm Regards,
Ed Carey

Mijola

Little things to keep customers happy

I was reading a post started by Ron Jr. about a new Burnham install (by the way which was really nice work), and the topic of the thread went to doing little things that customer’s appreciate. It made me think of what I used to do when I still worked in the field, (retired from full time field work now). Just thought that I’d pass it along, and would like to hear from anyone who does something similar.

After we did and install for a customer, I always went to the home (normally after work hours) and completely I went over the operation of the system in detail but in “how it works people talk” for them, so they understood their system and were not afraid of it.

About a month later, when the boiler install was only a faint memory, I sent a tin of home made cookies to their home, with a thank you note inside. I had an arrangement with a local family bakery that did fund raiser type promotions. They did all the work, all I did is provide the name and address. I cost me about $12.00 per customer, including the shipping.

The cookies were sent by UPS, not just mail, so someone actually hand delivered the cookies to them. Inside there was a card that was preprinted with our logo and with “our thanks to you” printed on the top of the card, but I signed it by hand, and hand wrote a short note was on the card. It read similar to this:


Dear Mr. & Mrs. Jones,

Thank you for placing your trust in us, to let us install your new boiler. Please accept these cookies as a token of our thanks for allowing us to work for you. Your comfort and safety are important to us, and we just want to let you know that we will always be there to serve you and keep you warm.

Warmest Regards
(Company Name)



We didn’t do boiler installs, we did works of art, and we were proud of it. But when I got referrals from the neighbors, I didn’t hear “are you the guy who installed that high efficiency flame retention oil boiler with the OSV, and the single zone system now converted to three zones in a pump away configuration”???

I heard, are you the guy who sent Bob and Martha Jones those nice cookies????

After the memory of the boiler install faded away I just wanted to help the Bob & Marthas in my world remember us in a little different way. I was paid to do a great job on that boiler install for them, but sending them the cookies had nothing to do with anything, except caring about those customers as people. It really meant a lot to them.

Just a thought and

Warmest Regards,

Ed Carey

Mark Hunt

Excellent post!


I must admit that I have been terribly lax in this area.

Thanks for the kick in the butt Ed. I needed it!

Mark H

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

lchmb

Although

Not going to that level I do after every install sit down for a coffee (if they like) and discuss the in's and out's of the system. I then walk them through the install explaining everything I have done. I then give them my personal phone call and tell them they can call anytime (during the day) if they have a question. I also like to check back a week to two after to see how everything is going and if they have any question's or concern's...:) Cookies, now that's an awsome idea. I can imagion that would catch the attention of alot of customer's....

Mark Hunt

How about


"Folks, your system is going to be down a while. Dinner is on us tonight".

24 cut pizza, wings, drinks.

Mark H

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

S Davis

Customer Service

We send our customers a gift Basket after the end of the job, I usually try to find something out about the customer whether they like coffee,tea or wine and then do a custom made gift basket as a thank you for their business,
it all comes down to customer service, doing good quality work, being on time or if you are not making a simple phone call, doing what you say you are going to do and treating your customers with respect, I think there is a real lack of customer service today and not just in the trades.JMHO

S Davis


Apex Radiant Heating

.

Our realtor gave us a bottle of champagne and a $100 gift certificate. Our conclusion: she made a huge profit from us. (Not that this wasn't obvious anyway.)

I don't know how I would feel about cookies from the boiler contractor.

Guy_5

perks

I am engaged to a realtor, so I am aware of their commissions, however things aren't always as they appear. Most realtors are not paid salary; they are independant business people. Even if they have an affiliation with a company, they don't get a weekly paycheck or benefits, so every hour that they spend with a client is invested in the hope that the client will buy a home through them so that they will get paid. If they don't sell the property, all of the time spent is wasted. When they do get paid at closing,the total commission is split between the listing and selling COMPANIES, then the individual realtors get their percentage of that split.
So your realtor got a decent commission, but if you figure the hours invested in showings, phone calls, etc, the hourly rate can be sub standard at times.

Plumbob

Sorry, my point was not to attack realtors out of the blue, but to give an example illustrating that if someone gets gifts from a person doing a job for them, their reaction tends to be, "I paid too much for what I got". Any time you see a service that comes with irrelevant extras ("Buy a refrigerator, and salesman will give you a foot massage!") the purpose of those extras is to DISTRACT the buyer from the quality of the product or service provided and from the price paid.

In a business transaction, all parts of it have a business agenda. When your company gives freebies to contractors, it's not just out of the goodness of HTP's heart...right?

Unknown

yeah, I don't think a $12 box of cookies is gonna make anyone wonder if they got ripped off though.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

George_10

I landed a TV station by this idea

In another life I owned a printing company. A new TV station entered our market area. I figured they would be doing a lot of printing.

I had my lady saleperson call on them and she was able to get thru the gate keepers to the President's secretary. A dead end? I thought about it when she told me and put this idea into play.

I called a florist acct. who had several stores and talked with the owner personally. (I wanted him to know that I thought of him when I bought roses) I sent the secretary 2 dozen roses with the following note. "Welcome to our airways"
If we can help you with your printing needs, just give us a call.

About an hour after the roses arrived, the President called me and told me we were the only company in town that welcomed them to the area. He said, "You can have all of our printing business. Over the years, they became one of my biggest clients. Total investment, some sales time and 2 dozen roses. I have used the roses idea many times since and it is amazing the responses I have gotten.

The jist of all of these ideas is to make your company stand out in the customer's eyes. Small things do make a big difference. Your "caring" is what makes it happen.

Mijola

Cookies,

> Sorry, my point was not to attack realtors out of

> the blue, but to give an example illustrating

> that if someone gets gifts from a person doing a

> job for them, their reaction tends to be, "I paid

> too much for what I got". Any time you see a

> service that comes with irrelevant extras ("Buy a

> refrigerator, and salesman will give you a foot

> massage!") the purpose of those extras is to

> DISTRACT the buyer from the quality of the

> product or service provided and from the price

> paid.

>

> In a business transaction, all parts of

> it have a business agenda. When your company

> gives freebies to contractors, it's not just out

> of the goodness of HTP's heart...right?

Mijola

Cookies,

Chuckles,

Rob hit the nail right on the head. I thought a lot about it beforehand. I sent the cookies because I did not want them to get something too expensive like a $100.00 bottle of something.

I wanted it to be inexpensive, very basic, and something kind of personal. I do agree that an expensive gift would not only be inappropriate, but it could actually have an adverse effect.

Also, I picked cookies because it was something that was as far away from the trade as possible, (not like a clock thermostat or anything mechanical) but something kids and adults both like.

They were really good cookies, and I tested them THOROUGHLY before sending them out to my customer, (I gained about 5 pounds during the R&D process) smile...

Regards,

Ed Carey

ScottMP

Ed

I think its a great idea. Any time I have received this type of gift, I have been apprecative not concerned that I spent to much.


Scott


To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Plumbob

OK. Let me know if you want a second opinion on the taste.