Elaine Daher from Bluebell Conveyancing explains how word-of-mouth can work for professional services...
“When someone first told me there were customers rating my services online – I panicked and raced to the nearest computer! What if I’d done something wrong, what would they be saying? I need not have worried though, as the ratings were very positive and now play a big part in driving my business forward. In fact, we’re consistently getting several new clients a week because of our ratings on WOMOW.”
“It’s made me realise that when you’re genuine about providing a good service, customers are more than happy to let others know about their experience – it seems to be their way of thanking you. The flyers are an easy way to encourage them to do this on WOMOW and the system works really well. But the best part is that these reviews are helping my business get found online and are bringing in lots of new clients. My customers have effectively become my salesforce!”
“I’ve been really surprised to find how many people search online for recommendations when they need a new business. We’ve always had a lot of new clients from traditional word-of-mouth, but I never imagined that putting that feedback online would generate so many more enquiries. When people buy or sell property, they often don’t have a preferred conveyancer, so it seems that a lot of them go hunting on the web. With so many ratings, I’m lucky because often their searches will lead to my WOMOW listing and I’ll get a call.”
“The clients that come to us this way are impressed from the outset and feel confident in choosing us. I think we’ve represented almost every WOMOW enquiry we’ve had.”
Bluebell Conveyancing's listing on WOMOW can be seen here - www.womow.com.au/biz/Bluebell-Conveyancing-Williamstown/
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Want to be trusted? Use consumer reviews...
People buy from businesses they trust. Whether it's an expensive B2B purchase or a simple dinner out, there are risks involved in every transaction and consumers choose to deal with businesses they believe minimise their risk. If they feel that a particular restaurant has less chance of disappointing them and embarrassing them in front of their friends, that's the one they'll choose. And if it makes sense for this type of transaction, think about situations where there's more money involved, more permanent repercussions of the purchase, or more personal services being selected. Trust me, trust is the holy grail...
So, if you're a business owner or marketer, how do you build trust? Well, there are 3 pieces of research that show how online consumer reviews can go a long way towards building a reputation people trust...
Some of the businesses on WOMOW have experienced this heightened trust first-hand with Greg Mulroy from Body and Scents Perfumery saying "when people read our reviews online it gives them confidence that they'll get exactly what they expect and not a fake copy". Similarly, Nicole Seagren from Vision Finance encourages prospective clients to check their reputation on WOMOW "it gives them a positive mindset so they come to us expecting a good result and we get off to a good start".
But are consumer reviews a short-term phenomenon that will go away sometime soon? Well, Trendwatching.com has labelled this the "Transparency Triumph" and predicts that even though review sites have been around for some time now, "we ain't seen nothing yet". They note that the trend is empowering consumers as never seen before - something that people aren't likely to give up without good reason. They also see the trend helping savvy businesses build inspiring brands and say that those that embrace consumer reviews are set to benefit as (in their words)...
"Reviewing is the new advertising".
Click here for more information on using WOMOW to build a bank of online reviews.
So, if you're a business owner or marketer, how do you build trust? Well, there are 3 pieces of research that show how online consumer reviews can go a long way towards building a reputation people trust...
1) Almost two-thirds of people read consumer-written reviews on the internet (Deloitte & Touche)Yes we all know that the world has gone online but did you know that all kinds of people are looking online for all kinds of businesses? We don't just research our electronic purchases online, these days people use the web to search for and scrutinise all types of businesses. One case in point is ADM Motors - a mechanic that joined WOMOW a couple of months ago. It's owner Adam says that he "never thought so many people would be looking online for a mechanic - boy was I wrong!" Since joining he knows of at least 10-12 new customers that have come to him after reading reviews about his business online - some driving all across town just to use a mechanic they feel they can trust (without ever having met Adam or used his services previously).
2) 78% of people trust other consumers' recommendations above all other types of advertising and marketing (Nielsen)So, given that people are looking at online reviews, how much impact do they have? Well according to a recent Nielsen Golbal Online Survey of over 25,000 consumers from 50 different countries, people trust online reviews more than any other form of marketing or advertising. That's right, people don't need to know who has written the reviews, they believe what they read. The only source of advice found to be more trusted was a personal recommendation from someone they know.
Some of the businesses on WOMOW have experienced this heightened trust first-hand with Greg Mulroy from Body and Scents Perfumery saying "when people read our reviews online it gives them confidence that they'll get exactly what they expect and not a fake copy". Similarly, Nicole Seagren from Vision Finance encourages prospective clients to check their reputation on WOMOW "it gives them a positive mindset so they come to us expecting a good result and we get off to a good start".
3) People that read reviews are 30% more likely to purchase (Coremetrics)So how does trust relate to sales? Well, studies by Coremetrics show that when businesses make online reviews easily acccessible, sales jump by an average of 30 per cent! Again, plenty of businesses on WOMOW are finding a fairly direct relationship between the number of positive reviews they have and the new clients they get from WOMOW. Misty's Diner has lots of positive ratings on WOMOW as they've been encouraging customers to enter reviews for almost 2 years now. This effort is paying off as Misty now attributes around one third of her revenue to customers that read her reviews online.
But are consumer reviews a short-term phenomenon that will go away sometime soon? Well, Trendwatching.com has labelled this the "Transparency Triumph" and predicts that even though review sites have been around for some time now, "we ain't seen nothing yet". They note that the trend is empowering consumers as never seen before - something that people aren't likely to give up without good reason. They also see the trend helping savvy businesses build inspiring brands and say that those that embrace consumer reviews are set to benefit as (in their words)...
"Reviewing is the new advertising".
Click here for more information on using WOMOW to build a bank of online reviews.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Word-of-Mouth: the Marketing Heavyweight in a Downturn
While many businesses are suffering in the current economic climate, our research shows that businesses that use online word-of-mouth are coming out stronger than ever.
When times are tough, consumers seem to be placing even more weight on word-of-mouth referrals. WOMOW's usage trends, coupled with the findings of qualitative research carried out on a sample of the businesses on the site, revealed that;
The trend towards more reliance on word of mouth is having an amazing impact on the businesses that have several positive ratings, with many attributing a good part of their recent success to the site.
For example, Albert Square dentist Joanne Flaessas said that her business had “boomed” during this recession due to word-of-mouth referrals, many found on WOMOW. “In December we were doing about two teeth whitenings a week and now we’re doing five times that amount,” she said.
Vision Finance director Nicole Seagren said the firm relied purely on word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied customers, often through the WOMOW site, for new business. “We’ve just had our best year in quite a few years – probably up about 15 percent.”
Christina Stamatopoulos from Body & Bronze said that “since we joined in February, we've had at least 25 new clients that have found us through WOMOW. Customer service is a huge part of our business - and now it's paying off! We've had a bigger year this year than any other year! I don't think we've been affected by the downturn at all.”
Adam from ADM Motors said that “WOMOW has been really great for us. In the last few months, we've had 10-12 new customers from it - and they're just the ones that mention it to us! We've got people travelling more than 20kms - just to get a roadworthy done! I guess they see our reviews and they know that we won't rip them off.”
To help people recognise the businesses that take customer satisfaction seriously, WOMOW has recently introduced stickers which are free to all businesses that repeatedly get great customer reviews. “With people now taking word-of-mouth recommendations so seriously, we want consumers to know when they’re entering a ‘dodgy–free’ service zone - and we also want the businesses that provide good service to get the recognition they deserve.”
If your business is on WOMOW with 3 or more ratings and an overall rating of 4or 5 (out of 5), please contact us for your free "WOMOW Badge of Approval" stickers.
When times are tough, consumers seem to be placing even more weight on word-of-mouth referrals. WOMOW's usage trends, coupled with the findings of qualitative research carried out on a sample of the businesses on the site, revealed that;
- Consumers are now much more likely to rely on word-of-mouth referrals before parting with their money, and
- Businesses listed on WOMOW with several positive ratings had seen an upward surge in business, instead of the plateau or decline economists predicted.
The trend towards more reliance on word of mouth is having an amazing impact on the businesses that have several positive ratings, with many attributing a good part of their recent success to the site.
For example, Albert Square dentist Joanne Flaessas said that her business had “boomed” during this recession due to word-of-mouth referrals, many found on WOMOW. “In December we were doing about two teeth whitenings a week and now we’re doing five times that amount,” she said.
Vision Finance director Nicole Seagren said the firm relied purely on word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied customers, often through the WOMOW site, for new business. “We’ve just had our best year in quite a few years – probably up about 15 percent.”
Christina Stamatopoulos from Body & Bronze said that “since we joined in February, we've had at least 25 new clients that have found us through WOMOW. Customer service is a huge part of our business - and now it's paying off! We've had a bigger year this year than any other year! I don't think we've been affected by the downturn at all.”
Adam from ADM Motors said that “WOMOW has been really great for us. In the last few months, we've had 10-12 new customers from it - and they're just the ones that mention it to us! We've got people travelling more than 20kms - just to get a roadworthy done! I guess they see our reviews and they know that we won't rip them off.”
To help people recognise the businesses that take customer satisfaction seriously, WOMOW has recently introduced stickers which are free to all businesses that repeatedly get great customer reviews. “With people now taking word-of-mouth recommendations so seriously, we want consumers to know when they’re entering a ‘dodgy–free’ service zone - and we also want the businesses that provide good service to get the recognition they deserve.”
If your business is on WOMOW with 3 or more ratings and an overall rating of 4or 5 (out of 5), please contact us for your free "WOMOW Badge of Approval" stickers.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
How small businesses can boom with word-of-mouth: here's one example
While lots of businesses are announcing massive staff cuts, Lee Davies, the proprietor of Salon Lavan, is looking to put on more staff because her business is growing at a phenomenal rate. The small hairdressing salon is fielding calls and acquiring new customers from all over Melbourne - simply because people have heard that she provides a brilliant service. How do they find out? Word of mouth on the web – otherwise known as womow.com.au. Based in Elsternwick, Salon Lavan is getting calls from Essendon, Emerald, Keilor, Croydon and even further afield. Who’d have thought that people would travel 40km and more just for a haircut! But this business demonstrates just how powerful word-of-mouth - and the promise of a good haircut - can be.
Davies first heard about WOMOW when a customer mentioned that they’d rated her business after having a haircut. Soon enough, new enquiries started coming in, leading Davies to take a proactive role and begin encouraging customer ratings.
Davies says; “The best advertising comes from my customers – they write what they think of my services and suddenly I’m getting enquiries from all over town! I’ve built this business on word-of-mouth with WOMOW. ” Having customer ratings at an independent source is extremely convincing for people that value good service. These days she says the salon is averaging 12 new clients a week that find them on www.womow.com.au.
So how does she get such great feedback? Davies runs her business with a simple but effective philosophy – “treat people well and do a good job”. It’s an old-fashioned approach, but combined with an easy way for her customers to spread the word around, it works. She started the business four years ago but has “seen a lot more growth in the last year since being part of WOMOW’s Happy Customers Program”. Salon Lavan currently has over 20 customer ratings and they encourage more by giving customers flyers which explain the importance of their feedback. “Our customers are happy with us, so they usually don’t mind spending a couple of minutes letting others know about their experience.” Davies knows that the more favourable ratings they have, the more exposure they get on the web (both on WOMOW.com. au and on Google).
There’s also plenty of research to back up Salon Lavan’s experience with word-of-mouth marketing. One study showed that almost two-thirds (62%) of consumers read consumer-written reviews on the internet to make purchase decisions (Deloitte & Touche, 2007). While another showed that 78% of people trust other consumers’ recommendations above all other types of advertising and marketing (Nielsen, 2007). That’s pretty powerful stuff – especially when you consider that the cost is almost nothing. What business can afford not to be implementing an online word-of-mouth strategy?
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Got a story about how word-of-mouth or WOMOW is helping your business? We’d love to hear – please email support@womow.com.au or call us on 1300 496 669.
Davies first heard about WOMOW when a customer mentioned that they’d rated her business after having a haircut. Soon enough, new enquiries started coming in, leading Davies to take a proactive role and begin encouraging customer ratings.
Davies says; “The best advertising comes from my customers – they write what they think of my services and suddenly I’m getting enquiries from all over town! I’ve built this business on word-of-mouth with WOMOW. ” Having customer ratings at an independent source is extremely convincing for people that value good service. These days she says the salon is averaging 12 new clients a week that find them on www.womow.com.au.
So how does she get such great feedback? Davies runs her business with a simple but effective philosophy – “treat people well and do a good job”. It’s an old-fashioned approach, but combined with an easy way for her customers to spread the word around, it works. She started the business four years ago but has “seen a lot more growth in the last year since being part of WOMOW’s Happy Customers Program”. Salon Lavan currently has over 20 customer ratings and they encourage more by giving customers flyers which explain the importance of their feedback. “Our customers are happy with us, so they usually don’t mind spending a couple of minutes letting others know about their experience.” Davies knows that the more favourable ratings they have, the more exposure they get on the web (both on WOMOW.com. au and on Google).
There’s also plenty of research to back up Salon Lavan’s experience with word-of-mouth marketing. One study showed that almost two-thirds (62%) of consumers read consumer-written reviews on the internet to make purchase decisions (Deloitte & Touche, 2007). While another showed that 78% of people trust other consumers’ recommendations above all other types of advertising and marketing (Nielsen, 2007). That’s pretty powerful stuff – especially when you consider that the cost is almost nothing. What business can afford not to be implementing an online word-of-mouth strategy?
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Got a story about how word-of-mouth or WOMOW is helping your business? We’d love to hear – please email support@womow.com.au or call us on 1300 496 669.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Could this be the easiest way to be found in Google?
Getting your business listed near the top of a Google search is a very tricky task indeed. Big businesses find it hard enough, but for small businesses that don't have the time or money to put into SEO (search engine optimisation), it can be almost impossible.
There are lots of factors that determine how websites are sorted - and Google doesn't let us in on all their secrets. However, some businesses are finding that there is a relatively easy (and legitimate) way to get found on Google.
In general, Google favours the most relevant content from the most credible websites. So you need your business on websites that are well optimised for search engines, alongside words that people are searching for. One easy way to achieve this is by getting people talking (writing) about your business on a popular website. In case you haven't guessed, one good example of this is http://www.womow.com.au/.
Why are ratings so effective?
There are a couple of reasons. One is that on a review website like WOMOW, it's easy for your business name to be mentioned several times. Another is that the developers behind WOMOW have structured the web pages so that the content is easily spidered by Google. But it's also true that you could achieve these benefits from other types of websites.
The real reason that a site like WOMOW helps you get found on Google is because it's real people describing your business, in real people's language.
When people search for businesses, they use terms that you're unlikely to find on most business websites. But these are the exact same words that your customers use to describe your business. For example, the website for Mike's Sports Physiotherapy might say something like "We provide professional physiotherapy services and treat all kinds of sports problems. We offer thorough assessment and treatment which can include stretching and strengthening programs." On the other hand, one of his customers might write "I hurt my shoulder playing tennis and decided to see a physio. Turns out my injury was quite easy to treat and only took 2 sessions. I was nervous at first but Mike was extremely gentle - I'd recommend him to anyone in the Eastern suburbs."
If a potential customer was searching on Google, they might type "gentle physio for tennis injury in eastern suburbs". Mike's website would fail dismally but his listing on WOMOW would have a great chance of being one of the top results. This is an extremely powerful (and free) way to substantially improve your positioning on Google.
Surprisingly, it can be extremely difficult for a business owner to know just how their potential customers are searching on the web. One case in point was a dog trainer. He had a great website but when one of his customers rated him on WOMOW and referred to him as the "dog whisperer", his web traffic soared.
So how do you make the most of this rating phenomenon?
There are lots of factors that determine how websites are sorted - and Google doesn't let us in on all their secrets. However, some businesses are finding that there is a relatively easy (and legitimate) way to get found on Google.
In general, Google favours the most relevant content from the most credible websites. So you need your business on websites that are well optimised for search engines, alongside words that people are searching for. One easy way to achieve this is by getting people talking (writing) about your business on a popular website. In case you haven't guessed, one good example of this is http://www.womow.com.au/.
Why are ratings so effective?
There are a couple of reasons. One is that on a review website like WOMOW, it's easy for your business name to be mentioned several times. Another is that the developers behind WOMOW have structured the web pages so that the content is easily spidered by Google. But it's also true that you could achieve these benefits from other types of websites.
The real reason that a site like WOMOW helps you get found on Google is because it's real people describing your business, in real people's language.
When people search for businesses, they use terms that you're unlikely to find on most business websites. But these are the exact same words that your customers use to describe your business. For example, the website for Mike's Sports Physiotherapy might say something like "We provide professional physiotherapy services and treat all kinds of sports problems. We offer thorough assessment and treatment which can include stretching and strengthening programs." On the other hand, one of his customers might write "I hurt my shoulder playing tennis and decided to see a physio. Turns out my injury was quite easy to treat and only took 2 sessions. I was nervous at first but Mike was extremely gentle - I'd recommend him to anyone in the Eastern suburbs."
If a potential customer was searching on Google, they might type "gentle physio for tennis injury in eastern suburbs". Mike's website would fail dismally but his listing on WOMOW would have a great chance of being one of the top results. This is an extremely powerful (and free) way to substantially improve your positioning on Google.
Surprisingly, it can be extremely difficult for a business owner to know just how their potential customers are searching on the web. One case in point was a dog trainer. He had a great website but when one of his customers rated him on WOMOW and referred to him as the "dog whisperer", his web traffic soared.
So how do you make the most of this rating phenomenon?
- Get lots of customers to rate you on WOMOW.com.au
Literally all you need to do is get into the habit of asking every customer to rate you. Not everyone will, but if your customers are happy with your service, they're usually more than happy to do this for you. (By joining WOMOW's Happy Customers Program, you can get flyers which you can give to customers make it easy for you to tell them how to rate your business). - Make sure your business is listed correctly
Check that your address, phone number and especially website and email address details are included an accurate. To do this, you just claim your business listing (there's no cost). - Include extra information about your business
Upgrade to an Optimised Listing and you can include a description for your business that helps you get found on Google. Here you can list the brands you supply, the areas you service, the products or services you provide, whatever it is you think people will be searching for on Google. - Keep the ratings coming
Because Google values fresh information, it gives priority to pages that are frequently updated with new content so it's important to develop a way of requesting ratings from customers systematically. Aside from handing out flyers, you could also enclose a request (or flyers) with invoices, send recent customers an email asking them to rate you, or display a sign that explains how you rely on customer referrals and ask them to rate you that way.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Use Business Awards to Generate Word-of-Mouth
A great way to get people knowing and talking about your business is to enter (and preferably win) business awards. When you start looking, there are quite a few of these around - some general, others more industry specific.
As I see it, the main benefits are;
- Media Attention - Businesses that win awards have something to tell the press. Often the award organisers have their own highly polished PR department that will help promote their award, as well as the businesses that achieve some success. The best thing about this is that media coverage leads tends to lead to more media coverage.
- Exposure to Key Influencers - In my experience, the businesses and people entering awards are often decision-makers and important influencers in their industry and community. While it might not seem like a huge number of people you're physically getting in front of, they're the 'movers and shakers' of our society. (In a previous business we owned, winning an award put us on the radar of the company that ended up acquiring us several years later.)
- More Web Links - I'm no Search Engine Optimisation expert (I leave this aspect to others I work with), but I know that when you have more links pointing to your website your Page Rank increases and you'll be more likely to show up higher in Google's search results. The more popular the website that links to you, the more impact this has. By entering awards, you're business will often be listed on the awards organiser's website (hopefully with a link to your site). And if you get media attention from the awards, this can also give you more links.
- Birds-Eye View - Probably the most important benefit of all is that the process of entering awards causes you to reflect and think deeply about the current state of your business. The entry requirements are usually all-encompassing and force you to address every aspect of your business - including the more strategic elements (like your vision, culture, exit strategies, etc) that are easy to neglect on a day-to-day basis. Yes, we all intend to devote some time to long-term thinking, but for most of us, this only happens when we have an awards deadline to work towards!
On the downside, entering awards can be fairly involved and really needs dedicated chunks of time to be done properly. We think it's worth it though and have entered several awards with WOMOW.com.au and our previous business (Invizage Technology).
One business award currently seeking entries is Anthill's Cool Company Awards. We've got our entry in so why not give it a go? In their words...
Is your company a step ahead of the rest? An organisation of rule-making and rule-breaking leaders? To put it simply, is your company 'cool' in 2008? Applications are now open!
Click here to nominate.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
10 Ways to get Customers Referring Your Business
Most businesses know that the best way to get new customers is through word-of-mouth recommendations. Most of us base a lot of decisions on recommendations because we tend to believe someone who is not trying to sell to us. (Think about the last few purchasing decisions you made – whether it’s choosing a restaurant, a tradesperson, or a hairdresser, most of us rely on word-of-mouth to some extent.)
But the tricky part about word-of-mouth, is that it’s largely out of your hands. However, there are several things you can do to encourage your customers to recommend you to others.
- Make sure customers are happy with your service
This is literally as simple as asking them what they thought of your service. For some businesses it might mean making it policy to ask how the customer’s meal was, or calling a few days after a service has been completed to make sure everything is ok. If there was any problem, this gives you the opportunity to find out about it. - Ask them to rate you on the web
For some businesses this sounds scary but if your customers are happy with you, all you need to do is ask if they’d mind posting a rating on the web for your business. Most people love to feel needed and if they’re happy with your service and you’ve developed some level of rapport with them, they’ll be more than happy to help you out. Misty’s Diner has been doing this for several months and at the time of writing has 120 customer ratings in WOMOW.
Obviously we suggest you use WOMOW.com.au but the key is to have your customer ratings in a public forum run by an objective third party. That’s what makes them believable! - Ask for personal referrals
At first glance this can look desperate, but all it means is letting your customers know that your business is built on word-of-mouth and if they know anyone that would be interested in your product/service, to point them in your direction. Later, when they’re having dinner with friends, hopefully they’ll remember this simple prompt and it’s amazing how often a referral will come about. - Let them know some inside secrets
Give customers something interesting to say to other people. It doesn’t have to be particularly ground-breaking stuff either. It could be something about yourself and why you got into this business, the types of clients you deal with, something about a major project you’re working on, really anything that gives them the opportunity to tell someone else something they don’t already know.
Imagine the difference between saying:-
“I know a great plumber who might be able to help you out with that”
and:-
“I know a great plumber who specialises in grey water solutions. He was just telling me about a job he just finished where…” - Keep in contact
Your customers could be in a position to give you a recommendation at any time, but if they haven’t heard from you in years its not likely they’ll remember you. The key is to stay in touch through personal phone calls, mailouts, newsletters, emails, lunches, whatever it takes to make sure that when the opportunity arises and a friend asks “do you know a good accountant around here?”, your name will be the first they mention.
One way to achieve this and combine with point 2 above is to email your clients saying that you’d like their feedback. Let them know that you’re using a website to collect feedback and would really appreciate it if they could rate you (if you want to use WOMOW just include a link to your WOMOW page). - Dare to be different
Another way to ensure your customers remember you is to be different in some way. There’s any number of ways you could do this but some businesses I’ve come across that do this use things like bright uniforms, posting a quote of the day, asking customers to pay what they think is a fair price instead of using a price list, use dramatic packaging, provide a mobile service (instead of in an office), or serve each customer a fresh muffin on arrival. Really this is marketing 101 in terms of setting yourself apart from your competitors, but think of it not just as a way of being better, but as a way of being remembered and talked about. - Let everyone know about your ratings
When people are checking out your website or in the midst of the sales process, let them know what your other customers say about you by showing them customer ratings or testimonials. These could be printed out in your office, a link to you WOMOW listing from your website, or included in your written quotes (eg “See what customers are saying about us here www.womow.com.au/biz/xxxx”) - Thank people for their recommendations
When you do get a recommendation, make sure you thank the person and let them know how much it means to you. This could mean phoning the customer that just sent their colleague to visit you, sending a box of chocolates or bottle of wine. When you get ratings on WOMOW, you can post a comment on their rating thanking them for their rating and for using your service – they’ll be more inclined to give you more recommendations, plus for everyone else reading, it looks like you really care. And unless the rating is anonymous, you can send them a private email too with a personalised thank-you. - Above all, provide great service
This underpins everything else, but I can’t let it go unmentioned. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the mechanics of the business and forget about the customer experience. Be a customer for a day and put yourself in their shoes. What’s it like to phone your company, walk into the waiting room, email you, visit your website for the first time? Is there anything you could be doing better? Are there any basics that you’re missing? Once you get a few ratings, you’ll soon know what aspects of your business customers value the most. - Go one step extra
If it’s at all possible, make it a policy to do something extra that customers wouldn’t expect. Call the next day to see how everything is working out, remember their order from their last visit (or set up a system that does), give them a coffee / wine / mineral water / chocolate on arrival, set up a TV with relevant DVD’s in your waiting room, offer a free fitting service, write to them and offer a free maintenance check, give them a free air-fragrance with your service, or allow them to keep something else associated with your business.
I know of one car dealership that provides a lifetime of free carwashing to anyone that buys a car from them. Not only does this provide a great talking point, it ensures the customer remembers them next time they’re looking to buy a new car.
If there’s something you can do to really wow your customers, they’ll be so grateful, they’ll look for opportunities to even the score. As they say, the difference between extraordinary and ordinary is the “extra”!
Once you start regularly implementing just some of these ideas, the referrals will start flooding in. It’s a great way to do business!
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