Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Buying A Business

Posted by Caitlynao.13 on 11/26/2014 at 2:36 PM ET 125 Points
My parents have recently(within the past couple weeks) bought a Pool business that they have worked at for 8 years. The people they bought it from are long time friends but have somewhat ruined our client base and many of our customers are hesitant to come to us. We are renovating the store because the previous owners left it very unappealing. At first I thought it would be good once we have it up and running how we like it to have a 'Under New Management' sign. But after reading many articles it seems that is not a good idea. We are working on updating our website information, so that is covered.

How can we show our customers that we now own the business and things will be different? In the spring we are trying to put together a "block party" with a couple other stores on the strip mall that we are located at. But what can we do until then to get the word out there?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/26/2014 at 2:49 PM Accepted
    Reach out to your existing client base and talk to them. Don't sell them anything. Just find out more about their experiences with your company over the years - both pros and cons. And be sure to thank them for their time - either with a discount on your services, or a (small value) gift card, or even a handwritten note. Start to walk your talk now so they'll be open to your new messaging/marketing.
  • Posted by Caitlynao.13 on 11/26/2014 at 3:27 PM Author
    Do you think we could put out a questionnaire card, so when they come in they can write down their opinions for us? Or would that be a bad idea?
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/26/2014 at 4:06 PM Member
    If they come in, they likely don't have a negative impression on your business. The ones you need to connect with are those that aren't likely to come in (and worse - recommend that others don't either). Questionnaires are too passive for a positive PR effort. If you don't think you have the skills, hire a skilled researcher to contact your customer base and get their input. It's quite possible you'd get better / more honest responses through a 3rd party professional.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 11/26/2014 at 4:36 PM Accepted
    I would recommend face-to-face contact with customers who are likely to defect -- if you can identify them and if you are confident you can instill confidence. That kind of interaction will show them you really do care, let them see the new management, and encourage them to be open/candid about past problems with the company. It will also let you know what you'll have to do to earn their trust and loyalty.

    If you try to do all of this via printed material and website copy, it could look like you're just talking the talk, not walking it.

    As for more formal research, that's a great idea if you use a professional researcher. When you do it yourself people are not as likely to be candid with you. When it's an independent third party, they'll be more forthcoming. If you are confident you know all the problems of the past ownership, you probably don't need this and you can go right to the face-to-face meetings (which would be the indicated action in any case).
  • Posted by Caitlynao.13 on 11/26/2014 at 5:13 PM Author
    Mgoodman- Would that mean calling them in for a meeting? We definitely know why customers are not coming back, problems with not showing up for service appointments/calling back about parts being ordered/leading customer on about service being provided, etc. Should be sit down and talk with them or talk over the phone if they do not want to sit down and talk?
  • Posted by Caitlynao.13 on 11/26/2014 at 5:14 PM Author
    Sorry for all the questions, we just want to take the proper steps in fixing these problems and hopefully reconcile bad imaging of this company.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/26/2014 at 5:41 PM Member
    How many customers are "upset" with you? If it's a small number - go to them. If it's a large number, start with talking with a subset (ideally the "influencers") of them. And ideally - face-to-face. They might not want (or have the time for your face-to-face). But if you promise a 5-minute face-to-face, bring a small "apology" gift, record their issues, and then follow up with them to ensure you've recorded the problems you'll be well on your way (assuming you indeed start improving quality). If you want to stand out - offer an ironclad guarantee on your work and/or appointment setup (etc.).
  • Posted by mgoodman on 11/26/2014 at 6:05 PM Moderator
    Face-to-face -- one-on-one, in person -- will be much more effective than phone. It also shows them that you consider the interaction (and their input) valuable enough to make the effort to meet with them personally.
  • Posted by Caitlynao.13 on 11/26/2014 at 8:43 PM Author
    I am not sure of th exact number. Just over the summer we lost quite a few people. An open house is a great idea. Thank you all for your help. I am sure I'll be back with more question as we get on into the new year!
  • Posted by telemoxie on 12/1/2014 at 8:42 AM Accepted
    yes, you can get more complete information from face-to-face interviews. But you can reach a lot more people by telephone. And people are more likely to make a commitment to a three minute telephone survey then they are to agree to some salesperson disguised as a surveyor visiting them at home.

    I made a series of such telephone calls on behalf of a software company. It is tempting to create some sort of highly structured form with discrete questions. My personal approach was to ask very broad open-ended questions and let the other person talk. I made it clear that I was an independent person making calls directly on behalf of the president of the company.

    It doesn't really matter whether your company had provided good or poor service in the past. What matters is the perspective of your past customers.

    Everybody screws up. And everybody knows that everybody screws up sometimes. It is not a question of if but when. And it is not enough to apologize: you have to change the way you are running and managing your business so that you don't repeat the same mistakes again and again.

    I did this survey project on a long-term part-time basis for two or three years. I'd be happy to talk to you directly about it (no charge). If you would like to talk, please send me an e-mail.

    Good luck.
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