[graeme marchbank]

What is of interest to me, is the % of the calls that are new bus and the %  that are referals or recomendations etc...

Being a newbie (14 months now) I am now less reliant on new bus as last years custies are coming back.

 The main point is the quality of the calls not the quantity and your conversion rate.... 

[waynebarry]

Hi graeme being a fellow newbie what have you found being your best form of advertising?
What has got that phone ringing?

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Ah Graeme, you've hit one of the nails on the head.

Many are the calls that are repeat customers and it's music to my ears when a new customer says "I've been recommended to you by...." You're virtually there in closing the sale before you even start.

So it's quite difficult to measure the number of completely new customers when you are so stacked out with work that this particular measure doesn't have any particular importance to me.

My gut instinct and from the rudimentary stats that I do keep suggests that I convert about 60-70% of brand new enquiries. To me this suggests that my prices are about right. And I know I'll be shot down in flames but the number of times I actually visit to quote and then make a FURTHER appointment to clean is probably about less than 1% (excluding commercial which will be over 95%).

(It's a trade-off. Whilst I could possibly convert more by visiting I am then losing time when I can actually be cleaning and generating income. So I am prepared to lose a certain number of new enquiries on this basis. With my work load this is more than acceptable.)

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

I am with Roger on this, at times and this is one of them I get so many calls it's difficult to answer them, let alone go and visit.

Different forms of advertising attract different customers, I have found on the internet particularly, my main sites attract a good quality but the best are recs.

Cheers

Doug