What can Soap do for You?
As a business owner, you often ask yourself, “How can I increase the value of what I offer?”
This month, we phoned into Cleveland Hardwood Restoration (CHR) and talked with Operations Manager, Jessie Bennett Santiago. As a company that exclusively offers Rubio Monocoat, we wanted to dig into their approach to post-job floor maintenance. Rubio Monocoat floors will last a lifetime when they are maintained properly and we were curious how a successful hardwood flooring company is communicating this information to homeowners.
Jessie says, “When I sell the finish, I keep in mind that if it’s not maintained properly, then it’s going to reflect poorly on [CHR]. I make sure that every client is completely aware and understands what makes the [Rubio Monocoat] finish different: [it is 0% VOC, it is Plant-Based, keeps the Natural Look & Feel, offers Low Down-Time, and is Repairable, etc..]. That’s probably just as much of a focus in our conversation during a quote as the actual aesthetic of a product.”
The first question is obviously, how do you get Care & Maintenance products in the homeowners’ hands? As it turns out, they give them directly to the homeowners. “Yep, every single job,” said Jessie. Each client receives an RMC Surface Care Spray bottle with enough concentrate RMC Soap to mix 4 bottles. For the larger jobs (over 1000 sq. ft.), CHR also includes a 1-liter bottle of RMC Soap. They also work recoat details into the contract. This gives the homeowner the opportunity to keep their floors looking fresh and new throughout their lifetime, and at a fraction of the initial coat cost. This is very valuable to the homeowners because it is much cheaper than having to sand and refinish a floor. CHR loves offering recoats because they can offer an exceptional product of quality to their clients and it creates easy residual revenue streams down the road.
Now, giving away free product is great but you can additionally leverage the value that this gesture brings your company. For instance, when out quoting a job, Jessie gives the prospective client a pamphlet with information on the finish and makes sure they know that Rubio Monocoat is not a traditional plastic hardwood floor finish.
Jessie stated that, “One of [the homeowners’] first questions is typically, ‘How do I clean it?’” She then uses that question to introduce that CHR will give them a Maintenance Kit. This is an easy way to bring additional value to your services in a way that will help you close more deals. The cost does not have to come directly out of your pocket either. You can build this “value” into your quote to offset or completely cover the cost of the Maintenance Kit.
In conclusion, Soap really can add value to your business. And it can even be done at no cost to you. By simply presenting the information at the right time and in the right way, you will add value to your service and additional incentive for the prospective client to choose you over the competition.
