[RO-Sheen]

I was thinking of doing this for a while......... If one of my current customers recommends me to a friend I would then clean free of charge my customers windows but only after I have cleaned their friends windows the 2nd time.

I mentioned this on a previous thread but Tosh has tried this and it didnt work. Tosh, could you let us know what problems you found with this?

Thanks in advance

Ade

[windows_chepstow]

I'll tell you what I found later, mate; gotta go to work!

Regards,

Tosh.

[bumper]

i find customers ask me, to clean there friends house. but about 2 miles away and not worth my while.

[24-7 S C Services]

Hi Ade,

This can be risky at times!!! The customer that referred you could have a big house and your new customer a small house, so you would really be loosing out money wise, if that were how you operated it.

I offer my clients the following. 10% discount of their next window clean per referral that takes our service on. If they recommend 5 new customers they receive 50% discount and if they recommend 10 new customers, their next clean is then free.

This works really well for me, please I do not loose a stack of money in the process.

Andrew

[craig jwc]

Hi Ade
I'm the same as Andrew and offer 10% per customer after the 2nd clean

Craig

[LSB]

I have never had a policy of doing this and get many referrals from customers just pleased to be able to help out their friends and me at the same time !!  one or two people over the years have offered me a rec on the condition i do theirs for free which i have done but the way they asked i wasnt happy !

[Pj]

No.  I always say thanks for the recommendation, but that is it.  Some make me feel like I owe them for the rest of my life!
They should be glad they have someone trustworthy like me to recommend!

[windolene]

Hi,

Surelly there is plenty of work around for you not to offer this free clean.? Only today people were comming up to us asking could we clean theirs.

WINDOLENE.

[Helen]

If you get a referral, go and quote the "new" job and then decide if you are going to give a discount or not to the referee! Just could be that the "new" work is worth £100 per day and it might just be the right thing to do to give away a £15 clean because of it. Setting discounts in stone can lead to trouble with " bad" business!

[windows_chepstow]

When I first started; not so long ago; I offered a free clean for any referral I received.

It did work, but I ended up with work all over the place; nothing near where I already had a good foot-hold.

In the end I dropped the 'drive-betweens'; so it didn't really work out for me.

I'd say, if you offer this, you've got to qualify your requirements; (if you don't want 'scattered' work). 

Tell your customers they'll get 50 percent off their next clean if they refer you to a friend within 50 meters of where they live; or the same street or estate; or something; and you take them on as customers.

[cybersye]

my chit has a note on the bottom informing my customers they will get a loyalty dicount of 50% off next clean following any referral that becomes a new regular account, I've had some success with it, but no way would I offer a free clean.
Simon

[RO-Sheen]

Very good point Tosh about the work becoming scattered! Im still a newbie to w/c but most of my work is on the estate that I live but I do have the odd house scattered around the town which are a real pain!

I like the idea of 10% per customer referral which might work with some of my customer but I think the idea from CyberSye sounds good - 50% discount on referral on bottom of my 'Your windows have been cleaned' form!

Cheers guys