[Adam P]

often we are asked for reccomendations from previous clients, now i don't mind giving these but i a never sure of best way. previously we have kept rough contact details (full address etc is stored in brain in case the info got into the wrong hands) of customers that have mentioned i could use them before. I then give the details to the custoer and say they are allowed to contact them. To me this seems the most truthful way as the customer then gets to speak with a real person and not see a writte reccomedation which anyone could have written.

however me issue is that i'd feel aweful if i was to give the details to someone, then find out my previous customer didn't want me to, so i'm having to check with everyone before i give the details out.

how do people deal with this? seems a little silly imo as i could easily give the numbers of friends/family, plus i'd only ever chose custoers who are happy, so what's achieved from it?

[Phild]

I think you need to be clear what you are after here. I would differenciate between referees giving a reference and obtaining positive quotes from customers which you can use in your marketing materials which then give prospects confidence in you providing the answers to their current cleaning problem.

With references (whether work or financial!), it is worth asking a few key clients who you have historically cherished and whom you know get a fantastic service from you if they would be willing to provide third party references. The operative word is ask first!  (If it's financial have a couple of accounts that you pay dead on the nail every month to use as references)

Some might not agree with the following but if you are using a contact regularly as a referee I would also show your appreciation by offering them a freebie every now and then. A free domestic carpet clean once a year goes a long way to say thankyou without any appearance of "graft and corruption" as long as it's only offered after they have given the reference.

Getting positive quotes and compliments you can use in your marketing materials is a far harder proposition. We all get stacks of verbal comments onsite which gives you are warm fuzzy feeling but are useless from a marketing point of view unless you can use them.

What we say to our staff (and reward them for) is that if a customer gives them a compliment or positive comment they should say to the customer " would you mind if I write that down as our business is built on happy customers" , they then immediately write down exactly what the customer has just said on whatever scrap of paper is to hand then ask them to sign it.

I'm not saying it works all the time. Funnily enough that's not because the customer won't do it but more often than not because the cleaner feels embarassed to ask!  (Hence the reward element)