Power of Suggestion

You can increase your revenue by having your Client Care Advisors recommend services to your existing clients. Many new clients will test you out by bringing a shirt or pair of pants in to be cleaned. I have even had someone intentionally cut off a button (he would later admit to this) to see if we had enough attention to detail to notice the missing button and take the care to replace the button. And we sure did!

But once a client comes back a few times, they will typically bring in items that they see as congruent with what you do. They are developing a new routine now that they have accepted you as their new dry cleaner of choice. If you allow them to do this and nothing more, you are only acting like an order taker rather than a trusted advisor.

Ideally, you and your team members believe that your services make a big positive difference in the lives of your clients. Returning clients trust you to take care of the items they bring to you. If you wait for these items to come in, you are taking a passive approach to the services you offer your clients.

You can quickly and easily change this to an active approach by spotlighting a service for the month. Choose a service you offer that is not used often and is also profitable. I believe that all services you offer should be profitable. Loss leaders don’t make sense over the long haul. Make it a service you have the capacity to fulfill, can be profitable for you, and can bring awareness to the service. This is the power of suggestion.

It could go something like this:

“ Thank you, Mrs. Smith, for dropping off today. We really appreciate your business. This whole month, we are cleaning comforters, any size, including down, for only $19, as many as you bring us. But they have to be dropped off this month, and we typically have it cleaned and ready for you to pick up in 3 business days. Don’t forget. It is only for this month.”

Spotlight a different service each month. And make it a requirement for your CCA’s to learn and give this short suggestion to each and every client. We use IP cameras that monitor sound and video to ensure this requirement is done on each visit.

You don’t get what you don’t ask for. Get your team involved, and you can even gamify it as a contest – for example, the store with the most comforters cleaned this month gets a free pizza delivery to their store. Let them learn the power of suggestion and make it a part of each conversation.

Your clients are looking for you to lead them, and they trust the advice you give them.