[Tom White]

but they have a choice when it comes to paying me a tenner as others will do it for less.

There's one major difference and that's called 'emotional attachment'.

I want to change gyms from the meat-head gym I use to a more modern one, closer to me, and which may work out cheaper.

But Wor Lass (who also uses the gym) doesn't want to.  She likes the auld guy who owns and runs the meat head gym.  He's helpful, talkative, and he has a very dry sense of humour.

She kinda feels - if we changed gyms - that she would be somehow letting this guy down.

What the gym owner has with us is 'emotional attachment'.

Get it with your customers - just a brief chat each time - and you'll hardly lose any of them, for any reason.

[SeanK]

but they have a choice when it comes to paying me a tenner as others will do it for less.

There's one major difference and that's called 'emotional attachment'.

I want to change gyms from the meat-head gym I use to a more modern one, closer to me, and which may work out cheaper.

But Wor Lass (who also uses the gym) doesn't want to.  She likes the auld guy who owns and runs the meat head gym.  He's helpful, talkative, and he has a very dry sense of humour.

She kinda feels - if we changed gyms - that she would be somehow letting this guy down.

What the gym owner has with us is 'emotional attachment'.

Get it with your customers - just a brief chat each time - and you'll hardly lose any of them, for any reason.

Yes but by removing that clip from the rest of the post you miss the point which is I cant get them to become customers in the first place.
I suppose you could go in at a cheaper price and then try and up it once you gain the emotional attachment but then that
would mean taking on lower or even under priced work with the hope of being able to get better prices once they get attached.
Risky but certainly worth thinking about if working in an area where its hard to get decent prices.

[chris turner]

but they have a choice when it comes to paying me a tenner as others will do it for less.

There's one major difference and that's called 'emotional attachment'.

I want to change gyms from the meat-head gym I use to a more modern one, closer to me, and which may work out cheaper.

But Wor Lass (who also uses the gym) doesn't want to.  She likes the auld guy who owns and runs the meat head gym.  He's helpful, talkative, and he has a very dry sense of humour.

She kinda feels - if we changed gyms - that she would be somehow letting this guy down.

What the gym owner has with us is 'emotional attachment'.

Get it with your customers - just a brief chat each time - and you'll hardly lose any of them, for any reason.

Excellent post👍.

It's why I very rarely lose customers unless they are moving, either house or to the afterlife

The trick is when you get a new customer take the time to chat to them and build the trust. The first 4 or 5 cleans are crucial, not just in doing a good job but in building trust.
Once you cement the trust of the customer and they are happy with your level of workmanship I find they almost certainly stick with you, no matter how cheap the next guy or the lure of promotions from the millions of Pryor's leaflets dropping through the letterbox.