Anyone providing free services, to get a foot in the door?

[mjf]

SARCASM-JUST ONE MORE FREE SERVICE I OFFER



To answer the OP, no I don't offer any free services, besides estimates.

Do I end up doing anything for free? Yes, over the course of a year there's generally a several times that I do something small for free....it has always seemed to pay off in the long run with customer loyalty.

 

[CopperTone]

I was thinking of like free electrical inspections or something to get a foot in the door. Stimulate some business. Good idea, bad or already doing it?

NO
Never

Does mcdonalds give out free cheeseburgers? does best buy give out free DVD's?

Why should you work for free?
I think you would be better off building a great website and posting a coupon for 10% off of something like that. Be sure you are charging accordingly to make up the 10% discount

 

[mjf]

NO
Never

Does mcdonalds give out free cheeseburgers? does best buy give out free DVD's?



I guess you haven't seen the Dennys "free grand slam" commercial.

 

[AV ELECTRIC]

NO
Never

Does mcdonalds give out free cheeseburgers? does best buy give out free DVD's?

Why should you work for free?
I think you would be better off building a great website and posting a coupon for 10% off of something like that. Be sure you are charging accordingly to make up the 10% discount

Denny's gives out free breakfast I had a delicious grand slam on Tuesday for free

 

[LarryFine]

I guess you haven't seen the Dennys "free grand slam" commercial.

Denny's gives out free breakfast I had a delicious grand slam on Tuesday for free

There is a down side: you have to eat the food.

 

[AV ELECTRIC]

There is a down side: you have to eat the food.

Larry I guess you don't appreciate fine dining like I do but only on special occasions like free dennys grand slam.

 

[readydave8]

There is a down side: you have to eat the food.

Prize for runner-up: 2 free breakfast.

 

[kbsparky]

Sometimes, we will walk a customer thru the process of resetting a GFCI or breaker over the phone. No charge.

They will remember you, and then call back when they have a real problem. This has paid off handsomely in the past. :grin:

 

[LarryFine]

Sometimes, we will walk a customer thru the process of resetting a GFCI or breaker over the phone. No charge.

They will remember you, and then call back when they have a real problem. This has paid off handsomely in the past. :grin:

Absolutely! When offering advice while in a store, too.

 

[shaw0486]

I am a project manager and if any general contractors i do work for ever need any work done in there homes i will send a crew to do it for free. But no i dont believe doing work for free is the best way to get a paying customer. Doing work correct and need without nickle and diming them on change orders will though!

 

[dmagyar]

Free estimates

Free estimates

I handed out some door hangars 3 years ago where I said "free estimates". I got a call from a prospective client about a year afterward with some work they were thinking about. Got there to talk with them and the work had expanded to a shopping list of things that they wanted. I let them know that I would price out one group of the items, not the whole house remodeling that they had outlined. Then I heard about my offer for "free" estimates and how I now wanted to re-nig on that.

Short of it, didn't end up doing any work but you can spend lots of time with the "Free" stuff.

With existing customers it's another thing, within reason I'll give them a little something. You always have to be carefull because if you get too charitable they'll end up thinking you've been overcharging them all along.

I agree with re-inventing/refiguring your business model, yourself and brushing up on your skill set during these slow times.

 

[Sparky555]

Twenty years ago a customer gave me a two free full sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner. We've been using that same shampoo for twenty years. If we move to a new state we can still buy that shampoo. I'd probably be shocked by the profit on a bottle of shampoo. Likewise a restaurant giving free coffee or food is minor when you consider their wholesale cost of food.

Electrical service contracting is a completely different business. When customers move out of state they're out of your territory. They aren't coming to us. We go to them in an expensive vehicle that gets 10 mpg. The tech isn't an entry level minimum wage employee. Free just doesn't work.