Need Advice on Calling Nail Customers

sizzlestan · 08-30-2004, 12:31 PM

As some of you are aware I am buying a 3 year old tanning and nail salon on Oct 1st.

They have a nail client base of around 1500 that are all written down in appt books with their name and phone number, no address.

We are going to have two nail techs working and my question is this. In order to get previous clients to come back in and get their nails done I am thinking of doing 2 things:

(1) Have the nail techs call each and every customer, introduce themselves and attempt to set up an appt. This will take a long LONG time and cost money as calls from a business line are 10 cents per not to mention the labor involved.

(2) Have an outbound call center call using a prerecorded voice message of 1 minute that introduces our nail techs, explains the nature of the call (previous customer special) and allows them to record a message. This will cost a whopping $120 to contact all customers and get them all contacted within 48 hours.

Please give me your thoughts without bashing me.

Neon Beach · 08-30-2004, 12:48 PM

You have to pay to call out? Really? Use a residential phone perhaps?
If that's the case use the Call Center, but you may not obtain the best results, I know I usually hangup on incoming recorded messages. Which is the lessor of the two evils?

JIMJEN · 08-30-2004, 01:15 PM

Why don't you look up their name in the phone book, match it with the phone number and VIOLA you have an address. Then send something to them in the mail (people like coupons).

gripmarketing · 08-30-2004, 05:33 PM

Cantanner is onto something. www.anywho.com will be efficient and fast. Add them to your database. Mail is acceptable to consumers, telemarketing isn't. On the other hand, the reason telemarketing is successful is because you get to talk to a real live person. Automated telemarketing negates its own purpose.

Plus you have the added benefit of speaking with someone to be more effective and mail being a leave-behind effect that increases response rates.

Either way, you've got to speak to them or mail them to get the highest response rates.

sizzlestan · 08-30-2004, 07:04 PM

Problem is the names are only first names in most cases. We are just going to call during slow times and give them the personal touch.

Thanks for your responses!

gripmarketing · 08-30-2004, 07:14 PM

With first names only, that's your smartest move. The former business owners are a testament to how not to collect a full record when compiling your own database.

Last year, we helped a restauranteur with two locations that was losing business and he didn't know what happened to his customers (we're in the hospitality industry, too). Sales were down and he was thinking about closing one. Since no customer list was ever compiled, he had no way to contact them for cross sell, upsell, and selling more. Furthermore, he didn't truly know who his customers were (demos).

From a contest with servers to collect the full records based on our advice, he now has been mailing over 3000/month and his business has never been better - he's getting ready to open a third restaurant this next year...

The moral of the story is...

Compile your database as if you were going to resell it to someone else - the buyer of your business someday.
[ This Message was edited by: gripmarketing on 2004-08-30 19:16 ]

sizzlestan · 08-30-2004, 07:23 PM

She compiled all her tanning customer database so thats awesome. But when it came to nails the nail girl was a freaking idiot. I am glad she will not be working with me.

lil_missfit · 08-30-2004, 10:36 PM

What about doing a reverse phone number search. You input the phone number and it gives you the persons name and address. I've looked up lots of people that way. 1500 people may take a while. $120 is a reasonable sum for the service, but I'm one of those that use to hang up. Got rid of the home phone and have a cell only. No telemarketers !!!! yet?

top250tansyou · 08-30-2004, 11:27 PM

I say you call and offer them a deal. I also hang up on pre-recorded. Short aand sweet though. Also I would call during the day and try to leave a message. There is a reason (could be anything) they are previous customers. I wouldnt through in "they called at dinner time" with the reason they already have.

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08-30-2004, 12:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
sizzlestan Join Date: Jul 25 2004 Posts: 740 Rep Power: 5	As some of you are aware I am buying a 3 year old tanning and nail salon on Oct 1st. They have a nail client base of around 1500 that are all written down in appt books with their name and phone number, no address. We are going to have two nail techs working and my question is this. In order to get previous clients to come back in and get their nails done I am thinking of doing 2 things: (1) Have the nail techs call each and every customer, introduce themselves and attempt to set up an appt. This will take a long LONG time and cost money as calls from a business line are 10 cents per not to mention the labor involved. (2) Have an outbound call center call using a prerecorded voice message of 1 minute that introduces our nail techs, explains the nature of the call (previous customer special) and allows them to record a message. This will cost a whopping $120 to contact all customers and get them all contacted within 48 hours. Please give me your thoughts without bashing me.

08-30-2004, 12:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Neon Beach I'm Banned Join Date: Nov 30 2000 Location: Ontario Age: 45 Posts: 52,065 Rep Power: 0	You have to pay to call out? Really? Use a residential phone perhaps? If that's the case use the Call Center, but you may not obtain the best results, I know I usually hangup on incoming recorded messages. Which is the lessor of the two evils?

08-30-2004, 01:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
JIMJEN I love Derf!! Join Date: Dec 6 2003 Posts: 852 Rep Power: 5	Why don't you look up their name in the phone book, match it with the phone number and VIOLA you have an address. Then send something to them in the mail (people like coupons).

08-30-2004, 05:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
gripmarketing Join Date: May 25 2002 Posts: 1,257 Rep Power: 7	Cantanner is onto something. www.anywho.com will be efficient and fast. Add them to your database. Mail is acceptable to consumers, telemarketing isn't. On the other hand, the reason telemarketing is successful is because you get to talk to a real live person. Automated telemarketing negates its own purpose. Plus you have the added benefit of speaking with someone to be more effective and mail being a leave-behind effect that increases response rates. Either way, you've got to speak to them or mail them to get the highest response rates.

08-30-2004, 07:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
sizzlestan Join Date: Jul 25 2004 Posts: 740 Rep Power: 5	Problem is the names are only first names in most cases. We are just going to call during slow times and give them the personal touch. Thanks for your responses!

08-30-2004, 07:14 PM	#6 (permalink)
gripmarketing Join Date: May 25 2002 Posts: 1,257 Rep Power: 7	With first names only, that's your smartest move. The former business owners are a testament to how not to collect a full record when compiling your own database. Last year, we helped a restauranteur with two locations that was losing business and he didn't know what happened to his customers (we're in the hospitality industry, too). Sales were down and he was thinking about closing one. Since no customer list was ever compiled, he had no way to contact them for cross sell, upsell, and selling more. Furthermore, he didn't truly know who his customers were (demos). From a contest with servers to collect the full records based on our advice, he now has been mailing over 3000/month and his business has never been better - he's getting ready to open a third restaurant this next year... The moral of the story is... Compile your database as if you were going to resell it to someone else - the buyer of your business someday. [ This Message was edited by: gripmarketing on 2004-08-30 19:16 ]

08-30-2004, 07:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
sizzlestan Join Date: Jul 25 2004 Posts: 740 Rep Power: 5	She compiled all her tanning customer database so thats awesome. But when it came to nails the nail girl was a freaking idiot. I am glad she will not be working with me.

08-30-2004, 10:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
lil_missfit Join Date: Sep 29 2003 Location: Arizona Posts: 2,149 Rep Power: 9	What about doing a reverse phone number search. You input the phone number and it gives you the persons name and address. I've looked up lots of people that way. 1500 people may take a while. $120 is a reasonable sum for the service, but I'm one of those that use to hang up. Got rid of the home phone and have a cell only. No telemarketers !!!! yet?

08-30-2004, 11:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
top250tansyou I love Derf!! Join Date: Jan 1 2004 Location: little rock Posts: 2,237 Rep Power: 6	I say you call and offer them a deal. I also hang up on pre-recorded. Short aand sweet though. Also I would call during the day and try to leave a message. There is a reason (could be anything) they are previous customers. I wouldnt through in "they called at dinner time" with the reason they already have.

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