Customer Service - What do you think about this?

T

Tim Smith

Member
What do you think about this?

You pull up on a job site - take measurements of deck, etc - walk over to your truck and pull the lab top out - input data - press print & out comes ------

*Detail estimate with cost breakdown
*Information page on Deck Restoration
*Contract

--boom, you give to the customer on the spot and leave - check this out, the information you put in the lab top, automatically goes to the main data base, so that you can view your estimates on a central spreadsheet.


Also, while you are measuring the deck - the homeowner, if they like can watch a slide presentation of your deck restoration process with pictures or video.


**How much time will this save you in returning the bid?
**How professional does this make you look?
**How informed will your customer be?
**How many more bids will you get on the spot?
**How does this separate you from your competitiors?



This is just an idea - I do not currently have all of this togethor.

Please, somebody beat me to the punch - I would purchase it from you- No worry, I have a ton of ideas that will never get off the back burner - too many things on the front burners.

What do you think about this? Pros & Cons?
 
I think its a good idea, if you have that much time on your hands.............that is, to spend that much time at each estimate. The majority of my estimates are when people arent home........then I email/fax/mail/call them. I have been asking every customer for an email address in 2003. I'd say about 75% have one.

Print your information sheets ahead of time.

I use ServiceCEO from www.insightdirect.com and one of its functions tracks all of your estimates for you. You can print them out too, but I print my estimates from Microsoft Word currently.

I gotta get myself a "lab" top...........sounds pretty cool.


In order to do this, you would have to invest in alot of equipment.........laptop, printer, power inverter, etc. I have everything but the printer. I've been kicking around the idea of putting a printer in the truck............but, I do alot of my estimates in my car........

Let us know how this works for you if you try it.
 
Got it

I have the setup Tim mentions, just trying to turn it into marketing advantage now.

El Cheapo Dell Inspiron, about $1100, Power inverter that pushes my Lexmarkz23 printer no problem $40 from Wally World (Wal-Mart)

Printer was $49.99.

On my desk top I have several preformatted proposals to choose from. Each has different language in the Scope of Work section, and in the contract section.

They are titled so I know what they do, IE Master proposal.strip.wolmans or proposal.clean.wolmans or another product etc.

Each time I make a new proposal, I save as the customer name. whatever, letting me know at a glance what the proposal contains.


I have a custom spreadsheet for cleaning and stripping cabins, which is the bulk of my work.

When I;m done, the data sheet, or spreadsheet goes into a folder with the customers name on it, and the proposal. All on the computer, no paperwork on my end yet except for the call sheet we fill out when they call us.

Print out right there, close the deal then. When I get enough footage, I'm burning a copy of my slideshow/video on a CD and onto a VHS for the down to earth folks.

By the way, I keep my little digital with me, and take shots of the house when I bid. I'm going to start putting those in the same folder with the data so everything about that person is in the same spot on the computer.

Thank you for letting me brag a little. Now if I could just get the phone to ring more....
 
I think it is a great idea Tim. Do any of you use a Palm Pilot or A PDA on a daily basis and then download it when you get home?




Also, while you are measuring the deck - the homeowner, if they like can watch a slide presentation of your deck restoration process with pictures or video.
Click to expand...

On a side note, when I used to do brick work and I was giving estimates on small remodel jobs, planters, retaining walls and such what I would do is, if the home owner was home and they came out to watch me measure I would ask them to hold one end of the tape for me and at some point I would grab the end and then ask him/her what they got for a measurment. It did a few things, got the home owner involved with you and put them at ease, made them have more confidence in what measurments you were basing the bid off of, and it may just be coincedence but EVERY time I had the wife tell me what a measurment was I got the job.
 
I like the involment factor of the tape measure, but I've been using one of those measuring wheels for over four years now.......tape measures are a waste of time. My wheel was $49 at Home Depot, and it is over a foot in diameter, so it pretty much goes over anything.

Littlefield,

I have everything set up the same way............templates then just add their names in........and save each one the same way. Works well. Just make sure you're backing up your data on a regular basis..........it would be a real problem if you lost any of it!
 
I am in the process of setting up the same thing. I do like Tim's idea as in it is hooked to a data base and automatically is saved in a certain area, or what ever you pc guys call it, lol.
Mike, how do you like the service CEO? Pros, cons??
 
It is ironic that this topic has arised,i am in the proccess of getting a pda and printer in my van so that i can estimate on the go,and hotsynch after hours would keep me from handling data twice,i am contemplating using a pda instead of laptop so i can transport my ACT database with more mobility.

this would save me hours a day in the office.

can anyone recomend a good pda,i am leaning toward Sony Cliq $499
 
I take it hotsynch after hours is some type of program, what kind and round about how much. I will do a search for it on google. I don't know about pda's so I can't comment on that.
sure would be a time saver as well as look much more professional.
 
Mike H

I do most of my estimates on Sat - I do this so that the customer may be home - I actually ask the customer to be there if possible. I charge more than anyone in this area and I have found that if I spend time with the potential customer - my sales are approx. 17% greater. I involve the customer like Joel, but in different ways. I show them my photo album and give them information on restoration, etc. Build that trust through education and if you are passionate about what you do - it will show. You have just got a customer for life - as long as you back up what you say when you say it. The email idea is a awesome - I'll start doing that also.


Mike C

I really like your logo - the sub heading at the bottom is great. Because of the highlighted "X" and the the word extreme used twice in two different context - the name of your business is stuck in a persons head after reading.


Littlefield

give me a call - I too do log homes and have some newsletters on log homes that you may be interested in - referring to the trade you mention in another post.


***Lets get a group of investors togethor and develop this software with presentations.
 
For a PDA, I use the Dell Axim now. I was a palm guy for years, but I got the Axim for christmas, and have not looked back. The advantage is that you can run Excel and Word off of it. You would need to get the cradle and cable to hook it to a printer though. They also are able to use your Phone as a modem, so that you can surf the web. There are various cards available to increase productivity, and memory. Great tool. My wife cals it a toy.

They are about $250 to $350 at the Dell website.


Scott Stone
 
thank you Scott,i will look into it.



Extreme, hotsynch is the term of transferring data from one device to another. keeps both devices updated,and reduces your data input time.
 
Tim,

I do most of my estimates on Saturday's also...........but I usually do 20 to 30 of them..............so, I simply don't have time to do the things you guys are referring to.

I have a pocket pc, but I never use it since I started bringing my laptop with me just about everywhere. The Dell looks like a real bargain.
 
Tim, thank you for the compliment. I really appreciate it coming from someone with as much advertising and marketing exp. as you.
 
Mike H

I see your point - It must be an awesome feeling to have 20 to 30 estimates to do on a Sat. I would really enjoy seeing your operation. Whats % of those estimates, do you receive? I do about 10 on a average Sat. I try to keep my bids received to about 70% (not always the case) - - if that % goes above 70%, I raise my bids, if lower, I sometimes lower my bids.


Mike C

I appreciate your compliment in return.
 
Anybody closer to getting the above idea fully developed?
 
Tablet PC's are the next generation of "laptops".
You can get a Tablet or Tablet with Integrated Keyboard (with keyboard runs about $1600-$2500).

Some of the nice features are:
- The ability to integrate hand written notes and sketches.
- Ability to convert hand written notes to typed text.
- Can use a pen, mouse or keyboard
- Has wireless networking capabilities
- Pen is capable of "Right Click" mouse type actions.

Here is the Toshiba version:
 

Attachments

  • tabletpc01b.jpg
    tabletpc01b.jpg
    37.9 KB · Views: 118
Here is the Acer brand:
 

Attachments

  • tabletpc02pacer.jpg
    tabletpc02pacer.jpg
    28.8 KB · Views: 107
Tim,

I would like to get in on helping develop this. The spread sheet that I use, thanks to Mike, is a god send. Would be nice to implement the approach you stated. $$ for wireless and any other hardware is a business related deduction and can be amortized too. Just wish I knew more about dB and computers to link the spread sheet to my final bid sheet.

Happy Holidays All,

Reed
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top