6 Reasons Your Moving Company Needs a CRM
When people talk about the pandemic-related challenges small businesses have faced over the past couple of years, they often think about restaurants, retail and senior care. But, the reality is that every industry has been impacted by the pandemic, and moving companies are no exception.
Despite speculation about people moving from big cities to rural areas in droves, the rate at which people moved in 2021 was the lowest it’s been in 70 years. According to estimates from the Census Bureau, 8.4% of Americans lived in a different residence in 2021 than they did in 2020. That’s down from 9.3% in 2020 and 9.8% in 2019.
With fewer people moving, moving companies that want to succeed need to be able to not only market themselves effectively to new leads and turn them into customers, but also to provide a top-notch experience for their existing customers.
For movers, the customer experience is king
You can cut your rates and speed up the moving process, but at the end of the day, one of the most important things from a consumer perspective is customer service.
Moving is a big deal, and hiring a moving company to do it for you is an even bigger deal. It takes a whole lot of trust to allow movers you’ve never met to handle all of your possessions. And, if something does go wrong, people want to know that they’ll be taken care of.
When looking for a new moving company, people look for one that will meet their time frame and fit into their budget, but perhaps most importantly, they look for one that will provide the moving experience they’re looking for.
Customer relationship management is incredibly important for a moving company. And, for modern moving companies that want to get it right, there’s no better way to manage and improve the customer experience than with moving company CRM (customer relationship management) software.
6 reasons to use a moving company CRM
#1. Centralize your customer data
In most moving companies, customers interact with multiple people throughout the process of getting an estimate, booking their move and the actual move itself. To provide the best possible experience, all of these people need to be referencing the same customer information.
Have you ever been transferred to three different people when alerting your cable provider — for example — of a specific issue, only to have to re-explain the problem over and over again to each new person?
If so, then I don’t need to tell you how frustrating this can be for the customer. And when it happens during a move, when the stakes and pre-existing stress levels are much higher, it can make for an even worse experience.
If you’re still managing customer data with pen, paper and a filing cabinet, it can be difficult to keep everyone in the loop and provide the kind of experience that meets customer expectations. Luckily, CRM software provides a better way.
The right CRM will allow you to store all of the data your team needs about your customers in one central location that can be accessed by anyone who needs it. Not only does this make for a better customer experience, but it also helps you stay organized.
#2. Get your team on the same page
Will the customer need your team to bring packing supplies, or will they be packed and ready to go when you arrive? Will you be moving anything that requires special equipment or handling, like a piano? Do they have pets?
There are all kinds of variables to keep track of for a move. And, every single person on your team needs to be on the same page about what equipment is necessary, what expectations were set and what the customer’s preferences are.
The last thing you want is for your movers to be surprised and unprepared for an aspect of the move, particularly if the customer talked with the sales representative who booked the move about it ahead of time. This makes you look sloppy and unprofessional.
With a moving company CRM on your side, everything your team needs to know about a job will be organized in the same place. That makes it easy to find the information they need and keeps everyone on the same page throughout the move.
#3. Streamline the sales process
Whether someone has found your moving company in a Google search, in a Facebook post or from a YouTube ad, getting a lead to call you or fill out an estimate request form on your website is just the first step of the sales process.
Getting new leads is only half the battle. You also have to close those leads, and the rate at which you do so depends on your sales process.
With a moving company CRM, you can closely monitor every step of your sales process. This will help you identify weak points where leads are falling through the cracks, so that you can address and repair them.
Plus, you can see the status of each of your leads at a glance. This will allow you to focus your sales team’s efforts on the leads that are most likely to convert.
#4. Improve your reputation
For most industries, existing customers are gold-standard customers. That’s because existing customers tend to spend the most money, and are more likely to take advantage of upsell opportunities and give word-of-mouth referrals.
But, for movers, the value of existing customers is a bit different. The average American will move approximately 11 times during their lifetime. And, many of those people will bribe their friends to help them move with pizza and beer rather than hire a mover.
Even if a moving company provides a perfect customer experience, their existing customers may not necessarily be repeat customers, at least not in the foreseeable future. However, it’s these customers who will have the biggest impact on a moving company’s reputation.
As I mentioned, hiring a moving company is a big deal. People want to know that they’re working with a moving company they can trust, and a part of their research process will always include reading your reviews.
The best way to ensure that you get five-star reviews for your moving company is to provide five-star customer service to your existing customers. CRM software can help you do just that.
#5. Save time with automation
Moving company marketing is a full-time job in and of itself. And, the greater the number of marketing channels you use, the more complicated and time-consuming it will be.
Time-consuming though it may be, it can’t be skipped or skimped on. Marketing is an essential part of growth for a moving company, and often, a big part of your success depends on you getting it right.
For small business owners, finding the time can be nearly impossible. That’s why it’s important to take advantage of automation whenever possible. The right CRM software will help to make it easy.
Moving company CRM software can help you organize your customers into segmented lists. This allows you to easily send the right message to the right customer at the right time — all without having to do a lot of exhausting manual work.
With the help of a small business CRM, the work you do up-front will keep working for you again and again. This way, you can continue to see results while also saving time and energy.
#6. Organize moves from start to finish
The moving process is a much longer transaction than, say, serving a customer a meal at a restaurant or making a sale in a retail store. There are also a lot more people involved in the transaction that need to be in the know about what’s going on.
Not only can moving company CRM software help you manage and centralize customer data, but it can also help you manage moves from start to finish.
Need to have someone call or visit a lead’s house to provide an estimate? Need someone to deliver packing materials or help a customer pack art or another sensitive item before a move? Need to assign specific team members to drive the truck or move a piano?
A small business CRM can help you assign out each and every task that needs to get done for a move. This will help you stay organized and ensure that everything gets done by the right person at the right time.
These are just a few of the many reasons to use moving company CRM software to help you manage and grow your business. If you’re looking for the right CRM for your needs, look no further than the Marketing 360® CRM.
The Marketing 360 CRM app has everything you need to manage your moving company, and since it’s fully customizable, it allows you to do it your way. Best of all, it integrates seamlessly with our moving company marketing platform, including email marketing software, website forms and more.
