Satisfied Customers are your Friends
When seeking out new business, you might consider targeting all potential customers in the immediate vicinity of your satisfied customers. Ask your satisfied customer(s) for a letter of recommendation that you can use when discussing the possibility of securing new customers in the immediate geographic area around the site that you are already servicing. If you are charging ‘per push’ having new customers in the immediate vicinity will cut down on travel time between jobs. If you are charging ‘per truck’ with a minimum travel time charge between customers, it will mean increased revenue per truck if you eliminate travel time. Additionally, it is easier to incorporate a new customer into the schedule if they are close to an existing site that you currently service. It just makes good sense to “cluster” your accounts strategically. Customer density allows for higher margins and lower travel times between sites.
In keeping with this thought – I recommend avoiding taking on customers that have gravel parking lots unless you can charge for the increased time it takes to plow such lots. Or, you might have to include a disclaimer that allows you to charge the customer to redistribute the gravel in the lots at the beginning of the spring.
