Are you looking to find new customers for your facility maintenance and cleaning company?

There are many different marketing channels you can tap into to reach potential customers, such as social media, online advertising, direct mail, and billboards. But you may have been overlooking one of the most effective avenues to grow your customer base--referrals.

Incentivizing your existing customers to refer their friends and network of other small business owners can help your company bring in qualified leads.

According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family over paid advertising.

If you are interested in turning your loyal customers into brand ambassadors for your company, we have put together a quick guide on how to set up a referral program.

What is a referral program?

Whenever your customer refers you to someone in their network, it is important that you demonstrate your appreciation. Under a referral system, or referral program, your company will reward customers that send you more customers.

What types of rewards can I offer to customers who bring in referrals?

The type of reward you offer your customers is up to you! When selecting your reward, you should consider both what your customer is most likely to appreciate and value, but also your cost of providing that reward. The key is to find a good balance where your incentive is valuable to the customer but does not cost more than the value you’re receiving, in the form of a new customer. 

Here are some examples of common types of rewards:

• Discount off the next service: For example, you can thank your customers for sending you their referrals by offering a $50 discount off their next cleaning bill.
• Physical Gift: Another option is to offer a physical gift that your customer would find valuable, such as a fruit basket or gift card to a cleaning equipment and supply store like Action Unlimited Resources.
• Extra service offered free of charge: On your next cleaning visit, you can thank your loyal customer by throwing an extra service, such as changing their air filters, as a way of showing your appreciation.

How should I let my customers know about my new referral program?

Publicizing the referral rewards will incentivize your customers to talk about your company to their friends and family.

While you should tailor your communication strategy to your specific business, we have outlined some common examples for marketing your new referral structure: 

Chat about the new referral program with your customer at the end of the cleaning service. If you decide to talk about it in person, try not to be too pushy or sales-y. Here are sample talking points you can use: “We’ve recently launched a new referral program where we are offering $50 discounts for customers that refer their friends and family. So if you know anyone looking for cleaning services, feel free to send them our way.”

Include an insert about the referral program with their cleaning invoice. Since your customers will be reading over their invoices before paying, you can use that opportunity to also inform them of the referral incentives.

As you think about ways to incentivize referrals, keep in mind that a referral program is only as good as the company offering it. Ensuring that you are providing top-notch service is the first step to building loyal and happy customers who are willing to tell their friends and family about your business.

At ACTION Unlimited Resources, we provide industry-leading janitorial and facility maintenance solutions, so that you can in turn provide excellent cleaning services to your customers. If you are looking for new cleaning products, our team is here to partner with you in selecting the best supplies for you and your business.