Congratulations, you’ve won the contract, now is the time to start cultivating the long lasting relationship.
The best time to do this is during the first several weeks of service, which is also known as “The Honeymoon” period.
The contract has been signed, the commitments are made, no one has made a mistake and no one’s been fired yet. Now is the time to step up, not step back. Demonstrate how you deliver value.
This is the time when you build on the trust the customer has already shown in you. The have presented you with the keys and security code to their building. This means they trust you to a degree. So far so good!
Now you have to keep earning their trust and build on what you already have by delivering on what you promised. For instance make sure the keys to the building and security code are always in a secure place and treat them like a fine gold watch.
Make sure all the promises you made are followed up on as well. Remember when you said you would perform a weekly quality check, make the bathrooms shine and get the sinks looking like new (or whatever you promised).
You need to make it happen! For this is the time to really shine. Follow up after a few weeks of your start date and ask how happy they are. Ask if there is anything they would like to change now that you are actually doing the job.
Sometimes a customer will realize that what they thought needed to be done every night really doesn’t, but something else may need to be done in it’s place. This means you should be willing to make changes as needed. Just be a little flexible, as this will make all the difference in the world.
If they ask for something extra and it doesn’t take much of your time to accomplish or even if it only takes an extra few minutes do it anyway, this is where you give value to your customer.
Make dealing with your company easy, not complicated. Remember people love getting more than they think they are paying for. The point I am trying to make is don’t let the honeymoon end.
Keep your customers in love with you. Try to keep your employees happy and work hard at making sure things run smoothly. The happier the customer the longer they stay with your company. It’s as simple as that.
Remember it is easier to keep an existing customer than to get a new one. Not to mention existing customers can possibly give you additional work and refer you to others as well. At the end of the day the honeymoon doesn’t have to be exotic, but it does have to be filled with trust and provide value.
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