Will your charm last for generations?

[Mikey P]

Continuing in our MB theme of getting by on charm alone, setting up the next generation of your company whether it be your kids or employees, lets discuss how our company will stay afloat and or really grow with out YOU at the doorstep..

Does your current crew have the lady killer charm?
Do they take the time to bond with the client? tell funny stories, talk sit on the fence politics/ current news, hobbies..
Are they requested the next time?
Do they do all the Owner Op tricks when you are not watching? ( pre vacuum w/ edging, runners, corner guards, not leaving foot prints on hard floors)
Will you spend your profits on finding new customers because your kids or crew don't have "it"?


Lets face it, very few human's have what it takes to run a successful business based on trust alone. Take this oportunity to learn from some of the best at virtually no charge.
MB is focusing it's next two webinars on two of the most personable people in the industry Jim Bardwell and Robert Pettyjohn as well as hosting a round table discussion on this very topic at the Atlanta Mikey's Fest featuring Saiger, Lee and Justin Stockwell, Richard Chavez and myself lead by Bill Yeadon.

We'll be delving deeper into how you can bring out the best in your employees...



and your brats.

 

[smastio]

and will they even want a baby boomer inherited client list to build from, or will they want/need, oh let's say millennials to grow with. This should be an interesting topic

 

[Mikey P]

Will these millennials be closetcases that wish for online booking, all email communication, robotic staff and the lowest half off pricing to get their LVT sanitized?


Surely some real humans will live on...



I hope.

 

[smastio]

NO doubt humans will live on , but it's not about that. It's about getting to meet them...

 

[Mikey P]

Steve I know your business is going to rely on the assimilation of the machine but I get the feeling those types of customers are not looking for mom and pop service businesses. Rather a big faceless corporation that offers a false sense of security when it comes to having employees in their homes when no one is home, or they can't get off their conference call or webinar to for long enough to even do a walk through..

 

[billyeadon]

I think it is John Jantsch that has my favorite definition of marketing "getting people who have a need to know, like, and trust you." If they don't like you they will never trust you.

Over the last decade, the emphasis on emotional intelligence has stressed that consumers want to deal with friendly empathetic service providers. In studies of medical malpractice, it is not the doctor who graduated last in his class who gets sued. It is the doctor with poor bedside manner that will end up in court.

Nordstroms department store is famous for hiring associates who have excellent people skills.They will train for sales skills.

It should be the same in our industry. Hire friendly people and teach them not to use pH 13 prespray on that 100-year old Persian rug.

 

[smastio]

Steve I know your business is going to rely on the assimilation of the machine but I get the feeling those types of customers are not looking for mom and pop service businesses. Rather a big faceless corporation that offers a false sense of security when it comes to having employees in their homes when no one is home, or they can't get off their conference call or webinar to for long enough to even do a walk through..

I would suggest that you would be wrong and that's all I am suggesting. (and until Bernie is elected I still have a voice - lol) JK

I respectfully suggest that it is all about "Marketing" and marketing is how to reach people. I'm a HUGE (donny reference believer in Human communications. Hell, I have a B.A, in Speech Communications. I traveled the country and taught one of the largest Insurance companies the power of and how to correctly get personal referrals. I am just raising the dialogue for all to think about how you can effectively reach those people - the way that they want to be reached. They changed the way banking is done, trades are made, and other services are secured. It's a good topic btw.

 

[Mikey P]

I don't know Steve..


Are people who wont even pick up the phone to screen a new service provider, really looking for a trusting one on one relationship?


or just a convenient one?


Maybe I'll all wrong here and these millennials are using review sites to "due their diligence" and find their trustworthy company and THEN finding one that books or quotes online..

In another thread I talk about how Yelpers are now using the site to get price or availability quotes. Getting a thanks or no thanks out of these
millennials is worse than pulling teeth.

 

[smastio]

I don't know Steve..

In another thread I talk about how Yelpers are now using the site to get price or availability quotes. Getting a thanks or no thanks out of these
millennials is worse than pulling teeth.

And there is the answer. They are not their baby boomer parents traditional way of thinking; they are their own GENX, Y and
millennials way of thinking. They are a HUGE force of thinking and they are about to have the most purchasing power of any group of people, which will happen to be your future clients (scratch that, your kids clients).

 

[Shane Deubell]

I'm more in the middle, all this automation is just a tool. At some point we can end up spending more time keeping up with all these different tools and endless options.

 

[Shane Deubell]

With the email/postcard stuff, its important to create good content or people stop opening them real quick.
Especially email.

We end up in the same place, email delivery is dirt cheap but creating content is expensive and time consuming.

 

[WillS]

I haven't spoken to Domino's on the phone in over a year. I just order on the app, its delivered. If there was a drone that delivered the pizza instead of a human, I'd be fine with that to.

 

[Mikey P]

Do you let the Dominos guy under your bed and the back of your closet?

Do you let him in your home when only your teenage daughter is home?

 

[smastio]

As the "late" Davy Jones of the Monkees said in a song - "Here they come.... walkin down the street...." . I saw this and grabbed it about 15 minutes ago. Forget the station, forget the politics - listen to the stat...

 

[smastio]

I haven't spoken to Domino's on the phone in over a year. I just order on the app, its delivered. If there was a drone that delivered the pizza instead of a human, I'd be fine with that to.

Oh man Will, you went and did it now. Some will associate getting a pizza with cleaning carpets. The point is that you have choices, millennials are choosing more and more like Will.

 

[billyeadon]

Unfortunately, there does seem to be a trend towards high tech/low touch. I am all for high tech but we can never lose the human touch. It is what makes us human.

 

[Desk Jockey]

As the "late" Davy Jones of the Monkees said in a song - "Here they come.... walkin down the street...." . I saw this and grabbed it about 15 minutes ago. Forget the station, forget the politics - listen to the stat...

monkey for monkey???

 

[Desk Jockey]

The new Subway's have drive up touch screen ordering. People, fookin people. Now we need robots to make them.

 

[steve_64]

The new Subway's have drive up touch screen ordering. People, fookin people. Now we need robots to make them.

aint no chance in kansas i would use a drive up touch screen! im getting the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

It's not like I scratch my balls and then order...that often.
No, I order then scratch them. I's got some manners.

 

[A.J.]

Unfortunately, there does seem to be a trend towards high tech/low touch. I am all for high tech but we can never lose the human touch. It is what makes us human.

If you can do high tech AND high touch you can really kill it in reviews....

 

[Papa John]

I have done really well with the online booking process... But it is only one tool in my arsenal..it it used mainly buy my existing clients who want book a job in their time and not when our dispatcher is able to return/answer their call.
What matters Most Is If you made the whole process enjoyable for the client. They don't care how much you know until They see how much you care.

 

[smastio]

I have done really well with the online booking process... But it is only one tool in my arsenal..it it used mainly buy my existing clients who want book a job in their time and not when our dispatcher is able to return/answer their call.
What matters Most Is If you made the whole process enjoyable for the client. They don't care how much you know until They see how much you care.

Yes you have done very well and should be applauded for your customer service. Also, I agree that it is one bullet in your holster, but your comment on "used mainly by existing customers" made me do some quick research.
It doesn't matter where they come from as long as they come But - of the last 10 booking online "according to ServiceMonster", 5 have been brand new clients to you, 3 were returning clients and used FittleBug in the past, and 2 were input into the system as Non-FittleBug bookings. Grant it, 10 is not a statistical analysis by any means, but it is a snapshot.

 

[Mikey P]

How many users Fittlebug to price shop only?

 

[smastio]

Really can't tell you that, since the program is not into Vulcan Mind Reading. I can tell you that 100% of the people that order online use it that way.

 

[Papa John]

How many users Fittlebug to price shop only?

I would guess only 3 people have done that. That's the number that went through the system but didn't complete the process by paying the required deposit.

Yes you have done very well and should be applauded for your customer service. Also, I agree that it is one bullet in your holster, but your comment on "used mainly by existing customers" made me do some quick research.
It doesn't matter where they come from as long as they come But - of the last 10 booking online "according to ServiceMonster", 5 have been brand new clients to you, 3 were returning clients and used FittleBug in the past, and 2 were input into the system as Non-FittleBug bookings. Grant it, 10 is not a statistical analysis by any means, but it is a snapshot.

Steve-- thanks for the facts-- I knew you would correct me.. I've had some millennials say they chose my company because of the online booking option.
Oh and Steve-- i dont think you have to worry about Bernie Sanders coming after you-- sorry but I dont think you make enough money to be on his radar-- over $500k-- so you can vote for him.

 

[Jim Bardwell]

He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.
- Sun Tzu
I have spent the last 20 yrs. as an employee in this industry. I have had the pleasure of working for some of the most successful, profitable company's in the country. So my opinion is based on what I found to be common factors that they all shared that contributed to the success and profitably of said company's.
Getting someone to call you one time...Easy!
Getting them to call back for another service/repeat visit...Challenging!
What makes the difference...The Service Experience!
And the emphasis on a great service experience was another commonality of these company's. They understood the importance of the philosophy of teaching a good client experiential system to their employees. Not trying to make little robot copy's of the owner but teaching the individual employees a service system that worked regardless of natural talent or predisposed personality.
This is not some feel good philosophy I read in a book. I see it every day at the company I'm at now and It is the biggest contributing factor to our overall well being as a company.
The same Owner Op tricks that have the customers coming back for more can be done by anyone. Son...daughter...employee...anyone! As long as they are taught the value and importance of performing these "tricks" and not just told to do them because "I said so".
As an employee my goal is to have the client asked that magic question "Are you the owner of this company?" That's how I know I'm doing it right!

 

[Mikey P]

Thanks for chiming in Mr Bardwell.

Jim's MBWebinar next week is going to expand on this very subject.
His class in Nashville will as well.

And if you win the trip to Nashville at the Atlanta Experience, you'll get a one to two hour one on one with Jim to analize your company and its staff..

 

[Papa John]

People sometimes ask me if carpet cleaning is a good business or if I like this Job. I respond, It depends on the people I meet during my day. And they laugh and smile..

Today I had the pleasure of serving a very pleasant older couple and We talked alot, got to know one another. I wasn't in a rush and didn't have to worry about getting to the next job. I did extra things I don't normally do.
Anyway when it came time to leave the wife thanked me so much-- because her husband really enjoys "talking with the boys" and I made his day.. he had to rest because of health issues. And I let her talk about how she was concerned for him... I told tell it made her feel good to share her worries with someone else..

Yep-- carpet cleaning can get robotic-- but its those sincere human connection moments that make it special.

 

[Mikey P]

Those are my absolute faves..

And I bet they didn't schedule online either...lol