How often do you communicate with your customers? Do you proactively seek to understand how your customers’ needs have changed? Or, do you just not find the time to survey your customers to see how you can provide them with more products and services?
One Dealer surveyed his entire base of customers with their annual invoice — allowing customers to simply respond to questions on the reverse side of the tear-off return coupon. Out of a total 4,000 customers, 91 customers responded – a healthy 2.3% response rate.
Of course, there were the expected requests for signs and decals. The coupons identified a number of service issues (e.g., loose sensors on doors, system not working) This convenient vehicle enabled the dealer to address the problems before too much time passed (avoiding cancellation due to lack of system use). The dealer also knows who installed DSL lines and can be proactive with those customers to avoid problems in outbound signals.
The pie chart below highlights a number of cross-sell/revenue opportunities available to this dealer from the customer responses. Not only did they have the opportunity to wire new additions as well as replacement windows and doors, they had the potential to change out the motion detectors in homes with new children and pets and to tie in monitoring of smoke detectors in homes with new children.
The “Other Cross-sell Items” requests that this dealer received on the remittance coupon survey included:
- To give a quote for new residential construction for a commercial customer
- Add wiring to upstairs windows
- Provide a security update for planned remodeling
- To install a wall safe.
- To wire jewelry drawers.
It pays to survey your customers. Understanding and meeting their needs not only builds loyalty, it can build your revenue.