The Top 3 Secrets to Getting Cleaning Referrals

When you know how to get cleaning referrals, it can serve as one of the most powerful ways to market and grow your business.

In fact, referred clients are likely to spend 13.2% more than new clients and have a 16% higher lifetime value.

Even though advertising is important, cleaning referrals carry more weight because referrals are more trustworthy. After all, a lead is more likely to trust a a friend who's referring them than an ad.

The next-level additional revenue you can get from cleaning referrals is difficult to beat.

In this article, you'll discover:

• When to ask for referrals
• How to ask existing clients
• Pro secrets to getting automatic referrals

Get more clients for your cleaning business!

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1. Ask for Cleaning Referrals at the Right Time

Unless you ask clients to refer you to their friends and family, you're not going to get enough referrals to expand your cleaning business.

Ask for cleaning referrals after you've earned the client's trust, and you've done an outstanding job. Plus, if a client compliments your business, this is another great time to ask.

For these reasons, it's crucial to deliver phenomenal value for the price so you can amaze clients.

Take a look at a few great ways to earn client trust:

• Listen
  • Seek to solve the #1 problem they face.
  • Focus on cleaning their biggest problem areas.
• Be Punctual
  • ALWAYS show up on time and ready to work. It's important to be a reliable cleaning service provider who renders services when promised.
  • If for some reason you run into a snag and can't make the promised time, then it's important to communicate this with clients.
• Be Professional
  • A clean uniform and a professional attitude go a long way in generating a positive, professional reputation. For the especially messy days, be sure your cleaners have an extra set of clean clothes.
• Hire the Best Cleaners
  • ALWAYS hiring solid cleaners with clean background checks is the best way to maintain high standards for quality, reliable services.

In addition, above-and-beyond cleaning performance is one of the best ways to level-up your work to impress clients and get those referrals flooding in. Every unique personal touch matters.

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2. Leave Something Behind

Leave-behinds are a great way to go above and beyond to impress clients and give them more value than they expected.

Here are a few leave-behinds to impress clients:

• Candles
• Magnets
• Calendar
• Chocolates
• Custom scents
• Scent diffusers
• Artisan soap bars
• Toilet paper stickers
• Birthday or anniversary cards

All of these ideas are great surprises, which serve as a reminder of your cleaning services long after the job is done. Plus, as a result of impressing clients, leave-behinds can inspire referrals.

3. Implement a Referral Offer Program

A great referral program has the power to encourage clients to refer your cleaning service business to their friends and family.

Often times, the best referral program offer incentives as simple as $25 off their next service or a free one-time upsell service. Even better, you can offer the new referred clients incentives as well.

However, if you provide new client incentives to those being referred, be sure they don't receive the incentive until they've remained a recurring client for a few visits. In turn, you'll have less one-time jobs.

Don't forget to include your referral offer on your business cards and leave it behind at your best clients' houses!

Also, you can take things a step further by over-delivering on your incentive promise. This is a great way to get your best referrers to keep referring your business.

Over-deliver on your promise by sending a simple thank you note with a gift card to a local restaurant or store.

In the note, make a promise to provide them with additional discounted cleaning services with each continued referral.

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Pro Tip! Take Your Referral Program to the Next Level

Did you know you can take your referral program to the next level with the #1 cleaning service software?

When you choose Service Autopilot, you'll have the power to automate referrals with automated:

• Emails
• Two-way texts

Using automations, you can set triggers so when a client sends back a positive survey response, they've receive an email or text providing them with a referral offer.

Plus, with Service Autopilot, you'll gain access to:

• Bulk invoicing
• Detailed reporting
• Instantly optimized routes
• Quick on-the-go estimates
• Same-day automated payments
• Employee time and location tracking
• Client account access from anywhere

Untap rapid, long-term business growth with the best cleaning service software on the market — there's no limit to the success you can achieve.

Automations is the  #1 way to follow up  with clients. If you’re not using it, your business might still be successful - but it won’t grow. 

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In Service Autopilot, our automations send emails and texts to:​

Every lead after an estimate is completed

Clients after their property has been serviced​

Remind leads and clients to send you customer feedback​

Update outdated or declined payment information​

Inform them when a service can’t be completed due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. weather)​

Remind them of maintenance tips (i.e. putting a cover on the outdoor faucet before the winter)​

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Start Getting Great Cleaning Referrals from Clients

Perfecting your referral plan can be one of the BEST things you could ever do for your business.

By identifying your best clients who are most likely to refer you, you'll be able to get started in no time at all.

After all, these clients already love your services and are a great starting point in testing out your new plan.

Plus, having an effective plan for generating cleaning referrals can help your business to:

• Expand reach
• Increase revenue
• Beat the competition

Now, you have the ability to generate automatic cleaning referrals and becoming the leading cleaning service business in your local market!

Related: 15 Ways to Amaze Cleaning Clients

Originally published June 26, 2018, updated Aug 18, 2022 12:48 PM