The stats say it all:
3.7 billion people globally use email, and 269 billion emails are sent every day. Email use is consistently high across all age groups – even 85% of people over age 65 use email. But everyone doesn’t just use email, they prefer it. According to MarketingSherpa, 72% of consumers prefer email as their source of business communication. Combine that with the fact that every $1 spent on email marketing will return, on average, about $38 in income.
Are you starting to see why email is an important part of any small business email marketing strategy?
Why You Need Customer Retention Emails
While social media, especially Instagram marketing, is an effective way to connect with younger demographics and build a following, email is vital to gaining the customer loyalty of all age groups. Sending follow-up emails and reminding existing customers about your services reduces your churn rate, which is the amount of customers leaving your business and going somewhere else. This increases your retention rate, which is the number of customers who call you for repeat appointments. And that, of course, affects your bottom line.
If you’re still not convinced, consider that after working with a service provider, a customer has a 27% chance of working with that person again. If they engage their services a second or third time, they have a 54% chance of working with that provider again. Another common stat is that it is five times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep an existing one.
You need to take your clients from making one-time appointments to becoming loyal, repeat customers – and a great customer retention strategy is the way to do it.
Send automatic follow-up emails to customers after you finish a job with Housecall Pro’s automated marketing feature. Our software helps you deliver the 5-star experience your customers deserve.
Anatomy of a Customer Retention Email
Email has been around for a long time, and marketing companies have collected plenty of data on what works – and what doesn’t. No matter what type of email you’re sending, there are a few best practices you should be following.
Subject Line
The best subject lines are 10 or fewer words long. If you can get the subject line down to 3-5 words, that’s even better. However, make sure you’re still explaining why your customer should open the email. If it’s a promotional email, explain the offer. If it’s a service reminder, give it a sense of urgency.
Be aware that using certain words in your subject line might cause your email to go to the spam folder. Avoid words and phrases like free, money, best price, cheap or discount. Sometimes it takes a little creativity, but it’s worth it: Subject lines are the most important piece of your email.
Email Body
In today’s tech-obsessed world, attention spans are getting shorter as people are pulled in many directions at once. So just like subject lines, shorter is best for the body of your email. The ideal length is anywhere from 50 to 125 words, but you can go up to 200 if you need to.
When writing your email, answer two questions: What are you offering, and what do you want your customer to do? Put your offer in the very first paragraph, and use short sentences and one-line paragraphs to keep your message snappy and easy to read. Put a call to action at the end of the email.
Signature
Your signature is how you tell your customer how to get in contact with you. It needs to have your name, phone number and a response email address, of course, but also your social media accounts, like Facebook and Instagram. Include your logo as well, for brand consistency.
Tracking and Automating
Tracking your emails means gathering data about how effective they are. For example, you can track open rates to see how many people are opening the email and click-through rates to see how many are actually taking advantage of your offers. Some programs even track how long people spend reading your email and more.
The beauty of email marketing is that you can automate much of it, which makes it more effective and saves you a ton of time. You set up the offers, content, calls to action and distribution lists, and then designate dates you want the emails sent. A little upfront work results in your ability to stay connected with your customers continuously, all while providing a personal touch. That initial effort, however, is critical if you want to use email effectively as a way to acquire and retain customers.
You’ll need an email automation system, but it needs to be something you can set up and manage easily. The right tool will enable you to quickly input email addresses, create templates and schedule various email sequences.
Let’s look at how to create and manage email marketing program to achieve maximum success.
Different Types of Emails for Customer Retention
In any business, there are different “stages” of customers. A big advantage for field service businesses is that they generally skip the “awareness” stage, when customers begin to realize they have a problem and seek a solution to it. In field service businesses, customers typically already know they have a problem – and they need a solution fast – or they are prepared to get started on a project for which they’ve already planned.
This means they skip right to the “consideration” stage. This is when people do their research by coming to your website to learn about you, your business, special offers and to potentially book an appointment online. In the best-case scenario, they book an appointment, moving right to the “conversion” stage. But even if they don’t, you can still collect their email address and get started with your email marketing.
Here are a few email marketing templates to use at each stage of the process.
Welcome Email
Send a welcome email to customers who were “just browsing” and entered their email address, but haven’t booked an appointment yet. This first email lets new customers know more about your business and will increase trust and encourage them to make an appointment.
Hi [Name],
Welcome to [Business Name]! We wanted to let you know a little more about our company. We’ve been family-owned since [year] and have hundreds of happy customers.
[Include customer testimonials here. Highlight high Yelp and Facebook ratings and pull good quotes from them.]
Call or book online today so we can get started!
Sincerely,
[Your Name, Signature]
Thank You Email
When customers have made an appointment, be sure to thank them for booking with you. Remind them how to get in touch with any questions and let them know what to expect. You’ll reassure them and encourage them to keep their appointment.
Hi [Name],
Thanks for booking an appointment with [Business Name]! Here’s what to expect on your service day.
[Explain the steps involved in servicing them, for example:
We’ll confirm your appointment with a reminder. We’ll also send you a text when we’re on our way, so you can be prepared for our arrival.
Your appointment will take about X hours, and we’ll look at X and X. We should be out quickly.]
See you soon,
[Your Name, Signature]
Follow-Up Email
Always send another thank you after service and ask for any feedback. You can even request that they write you a review. Making your customers feel valued and appreciated can go a long way toward earning repeat appointments.
Thank you, [Name]!
[Business Name] appreciates your business and enjoyed serving you on [Appointment Date].
What did you think of your appointment?
Send us an email at the address below, shoot us a message on social media or review us on Yelp. We value your feedback.
Thanks again,
[Your Name, Signature]
Promotional Email
Promotional emails can be sent to both existing customers and to prospective customers (those who haven’t yet booked an appointment). They’re especially effective when you send them at popular times for your services, like spring cleaning or winter preparation. For those who haven’t booked an appointment yet, offer an “introductory special” with a discount on their first booking.
[Name],
What can [Business Name] do to earn your business?
We’re running a special right now – for a limited time only.
[Details about promotion here. Terms like, “deal,” “25% off,” or “introductory special” will get people’s attention.]
Give us a call or book online today to lock in these rates.
Hope to hear from you soon,
[Your Name, Signature]
Reminder Email
Don’t feel like you can offer a promotion right now? For both prospects and current customers, you can also use friendly reminders in a similar way. Just ask a question to remind them of services they probably need: “When was the last time you had your ducts cleaned?” or “The rainy season is over. Got muddy carpets?” Staying in touch with your customers will remind them that when they do need services, you’re there for them.
Hey [Name],
It’s that time of year again.
Time to call [Business Name] for [Service].
[Service] will [Insert Benefit, e.g. “keep your carpets looking fresh for spring]. Make your appointment today to get ahead of the rush.
Talk to you soon,
[Your Name, Signature]
Upsell Email
Use upsell emails to advertise additional services to both existing and potential customers. Many field service professionals use upsell emails to get customers on a recurring service plan or let them know of other services they offer. For example, a carpet cleaning company might upsell upholstery cleaning or eco-friendly services. Upsell emails are most effective when they’re framed as education, rather than a “hard sell.”
Dear [Name],
Did you know that [Business Name] offers [Upsell Item]?
[Upsell Item] can make your life easier by [List Benefits]. It’s a common add-on for our customers because [More Benefits].
Let us know if you want any more information on our services. We’re always happy to help.
Hope to hear from you soon,
[Your Name, Signature]
Re-Engagement Email
If you’re tracking your open rates – which you should be – you might notice that some customers seem to lose interest. They stop opening or clicking through your emails, and continuing to send the same reminders or deals may cause them to unsubscribe altogether. One estimate is that 22.5% of an email list will be lost in a year. When you notice less engagement from a customer, send a re-engagement email.
There are two directions to take your re-engagement email. The first is attention-grabbing and unusual. It gives unexpected and fun information and makes a personal connection:
Dear [Name],
My grandfather served in the Marines in the South Pacific in World War II, and again in Korea in the 50s. Built a business from scratch, could fix anything, and knew how to grill a steak to perfection.
He taught me to never give up, which I guess is why I’m still holding out hope that you’ll work with me at [Business Name]. I’m here when you’re ready, so just let me know. In the meantime, I’ll be working on perfecting a medium rare tri-tip.
Talk soon,
[Your Name, Signature]
The second direction to take a re-engagement email is to offer an even bigger deal or discount. Make sure the customer knows this deal is just for them and is one-time-only offer.
It’s been a while, [Name].
That’s why we’re offering [Deal] just for you, and only until [Date]. This is a huge discount from our regular prices.
Contact us today and let us show you what we’re all about.
Talk soon,
[Your Name, Signature]
Birthday/Special Event Email
Creating happy customers isn’t just about offering deals and sending service reminders. Personal touches like birthday wishes or anniversary celebrations can increase customer loyalty and retention by reminded your clients you care. You can collect birthdays at sign up or after your first visit by saying something like “Let us know your birthday for special offers!” It’s always voluntary, and doesn’t have to include the year. Anniversary emails can go out on the anniversary of your customer’s first appointment.
It’s your [Birthday/Anniversary], [Name]!
Just for being a valued customer, we’re offering [Deal] for this special occasion.
Your [Birthday/Anniversary] only comes once a year, so don’t miss out.
Make your appointment today.
[Your Name, Signature]
Get Started with Customer Retention Emails Today
Using email to offer deals, remind customers of your services and show them you care provides an excellent customer experience, and will put you a step ahead of your competition. It will take a small time investment initially, but it’s worth it. Once your email system is set up, you’ll attract and retain more customers and improve customer loyalty – all good news for your bottom line.
