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I finally started charging a $75 deposit before the first site visit and it killed the time waster problem
I run a small pest control shop and kept getting folks who wanted a free estimate, agreed to everything on the phone, then ghosted when I showed up at their place in Fresno. Three months ago I started asking for a $75 deposit that comes off the final bill if they book, and the no-show rate dropped from about 8 out of 10 to almost nothing. Has anyone else tried a deposit like this, and did you run into pushback from the good customers too or just the flakes?
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hunt.wesley2d ago
That line about the no-show rate dropping from 8 out of 10 is wild, I had no clue pest control had it that bad. Reminds me of when I did house painting on the side and drove 40 minutes out to Reedley for a "for sure" job, knocked on the door, and the guy's wife had no idea who I was. Turns out he was just getting quotes to wave in front of his landlord so the landlord would pay for it himself. After that I started doing a phone walk-through first, just pics and a rough square footage, and if they would not send a single photo I knew they were shopping me. The deposit thing makes sense to me because it sorts out people who are actually ready to spend money from people killing time on a Sunday. Good customers will not blink at 75 bucks if it comes off the bill anyway, it is the tire kickers who get mad about it and that tells you everything.
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