Think about everyone who has paid you in the last two or three years. The family whose gutters you cleaned last fall. The couple who booked a deep clean before a move. The guy who got his snowblower tuned up two winters ago.
Those people already know your work. They already trust you enough to have paid you once. A lot of them would hire you again. Most of them just haven't thought about it.
This article walks through a simple way to reach back out to past customers, without being pushy and without buying any fancy software.
Why past customers are worth a few minutes
A new customer has to find you, size you up, check your reviews and decide to take a chance. A past customer skips most of that. They know how you show up, how you talk to people and what your work looks like.
The trouble is that life gets busy. People forget the name of the person who fixed their porch steps. When the next job comes up, they search online and call whoever shows up first. A friendly note from you at the right time keeps your name at the top of their mind.
Step 1: Make one simple list
You don't need a customer system to start. Open a spreadsheet or even a notebook and pull together:
- Each customer's name
- How they like to be reached (text, email or phone)
- What you did for them
- Roughly when you did it
Look through old invoices, your sent emails, your phone contacts and any booking app you use.
Step 2: Pick a real reason to reach out
A message that just says "we're still here" is easy to ignore. A message with a real reason gets read. Good reasons include:
- The season is changing. Fall cleanups, winter prep, spring openings and AC checks all come around every year.
- It's been about a year. Many services make sense yearly: chimney sweeps, pest treatments, deep cleans, detailing, gutter cleaning.
- You've added something new. A new service, longer hours or a new way to book is worth a short note.
Step 3: Keep the message short and personal
The best reconnect messages sound like you, not like an ad. Use their first name, mention what you did for them, and give one easy next step. Here's an example a landscaper in Westfield or Southwick could send in the fall:
That message works because it's specific, it's short and it offers something useful (first pick of dates) instead of a hard sell.
Text, email or a quick call?
Reach people the way they reached you. If a customer always texted you, a text will feel natural. If they booked over email, email is fine. For your very best long-time customers, a short phone call can mean a lot.
Only reach out to people who gave you their contact information as customers, and if anyone says they'd rather not hear from you, take them off your list right away and leave it at that.
Step 4: If you email, follow the basic rules
If you send a marketing email, even to people who already know you, the federal CAN-SPAM Act applies. The Federal Trade Commission's guide says the law covers messages like a note to former customers about something new, and it lists a few basics:
- Your "From" name and email address must honestly show who you are.
- Your subject line must match what's in the message.
- The email must be clearly identified as an advertisement.
- Include your valid physical postal address.
- Tell people how to opt out of future marketing emails, and honor an opt-out within 10 business days.
The FTC also notes that messages that are only about an existing transaction, like a receipt or appointment details, are exempt from most of these rules. A note offering a new booking counts as marketing, so follow the list above.
Step 5: Make it a habit, not a one-time push
One round of messages can fill a few slots on your calendar. A simple routine does even more. Try this:
- After every job, add the customer to your list the same day.
- Once a month, look at who is due for a seasonal or yearly reminder.
- Send a handful of personal notes, not a mass blast.
- Write down who replied and who booked, so you know what works.
A few things to avoid
- Messaging too often. A note each season is friendly. A note every week is annoying.
- Copy-pasting the same text with no name. People can tell, and it's easy to ignore.
- Making it all about a deal. A useful reminder works better than a "limited time" push.
Start with ten names this week
You don't need to do it all at once. Pick ten past customers you liked working with, write each one a short personal note with a real reason to reach out, and see who replies. Those people already chose you once. A friendly reminder is often all it takes for them to choose you again.
Want help with this?
Whip City Tech handles the tech side of running a business for owners in Westfield and across Western Massachusetts.