How does the Driveway Doctor get Work?
We’ve been in the trade now for over 15 years and during that time we’ve learnt a lot about business retention and keeping customers happy.
Why We Don’t Buy Adverts and How Word of Mouth Keeps Our Driveway Cleaning Business Busy
If you go looking for us on sponsored search results, social media ads, or glossy leaflets pushed through your letterbox, you won’t find us. We don’t spend a penny on advertising or Google AdWords. Instead, every single driveway we clean comes to us the proper, old-fashioned way—through a neighbour’s recommendation, a family tip-off, or a familiar customer giving us a bell.
In a trade where flashy adverts and “limited-time” offers are everywhere, relying purely on word of mouth might seem a bit old school. For us, though, it’s the only way we want to work.
Here’s how our reputation does all the heavy lifting.
Nothing Beats Seeing the Job Next Door
Driveway cleaning is easily one of the most visual jobs out there. When we spend the day lifting years of stubborn moss, green algae, and black spot off a block-paved drive or Indian sandstone patio, the difference is like night and day.
More often than not, just as we’re coiling up the hoses, a neighbour will walk past with the dog, stop in their tracks, and ask for a card. Seeing the results in the flesh—and seeing that we’ve left the property and pavement spotless rather than covered in mud—is worth more than any online advert could ever be. That quick chat over the garden wall regularly leads to two or three more jobs on the very same street.
Customers Who Book Every Year—and Every Ten Years
One of the biggest compliments we get is repeat custom, and it usually comes in two very different forms.
First, we have our regulars. Plenty of homeowners like to keep the front of the house looking smart and get us booked in every spring for an annual spruce-up. They know we’ll turn up when we say we will, treat their property with respect, and get stuck in without any fuss.
Then, there are the phone calls that really make our day. Every so often, someone will ring up saying, “You cleaned our drive a couple of years back, and it’s finally starting to look like it needs another go.” When we flick back through our old diaries, we often find out that “a couple of years back” was actually eight, nine, or even ten years ago! Because the job was done properly and re-sanded and sealed right the first time, it lasted far longer than they ever expected. When it finally needed doing again, they didn’t bother trawling the internet—they just rang our number instead.
Passed Around Friends and Family
People are rightly protective of their homes. Nobody wants to put their neck on the line and recommend a tradesman to their mum, their brother, or their best mate unless they are completely confident they’ll do a cracking job.
Because we don’t buy our leads, our entire livelihood depends on leaving every customer genuinely chuffed with the finish. We’re only human, of course—we aren’t perfect, and on the very rare occasion we make a mistake, we hold our hands up and put it right without any quibble. When you look after people’s property, own up if something isn’t spot on, and charge a fair price for an honest day’s graft, folks naturally pass your number on over a Sunday roast or a brew. That kind of trust is something money simply can’t buy.
What That all Means for You
Not having a massive marketing budget isn’t just good for us; it’s a win for our customers, too. Because we aren’t hiding pricey advertising costs inside your quote, you get proper workmanship at an honest, straightforward price.
If your driveway is looking a bit tired, slippery, or green around the edges, we’d be more than happy to pop round and take a look. And with any luck, once we’re done, you’ll be the next one telling the neighbours who to call.
Make contact with us now and join our many other satisfied customers.
Read about the value of Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM, WOM marketing, also called word-of-mouth advertising) here