You only get charged for your standard rate SMS unless you wish buy the contact details. 400 SMS leads would cost approx €50 Inc vat, so it is a very inexpensive way to stay in the loop for all jobs by broadening your working areas and size of loads.
Although you can request leads from only the areas you wish to receive from, remember that by broadening your lead area requests you will receive more leads for only the cost of an SMS. You only get charged for the lead when you wish to buy the contact details and receive them. It may be worth broadening you range as larger jobs may make it worthwhile travelling to.
If you have requested leads for Wexford only and you get a job going for example from Wexford to Belfast returning with an empty van, make sure to change your area settings to request leads from areas you will travelling through so you can pick up a job returning. It would be best to do this for a few days before to maximise your chances.
On the online form you are asked to tick the closest type of van that matches yours, and the clients are asked to tick the type of van they think they will need to complete the job. These are matched up and details sent out to operators. However, if for example you have a medium van, you can ask to be sent details of all van size requests by ticking all the boxes as if you had the four types of vans. You may determine that your van can do the job in two trips and if the pick-up and drop-off points are close this could be easily arranged. Also by requesting information for smaller loads you may determine that you could share the load with another job or have something in an otherwise empty van going to or coming back from a job.
Give the mobile number of the one you will have with you in the van as requests may come in looking for an ASAP or for today pick up and if you are in the area it would be a shame to miss on the job if the phone was left in an office.
Some clients may not estimate correctly the load that vans can accommodate so for example while they may request a large van perhaps a medium may suffice. By requesting the details of different size loads you can determine if you can accommodate the job.
Clients are asked to estimate the load in their chosen van. This will allow you to consider sharing loads. You will have to talk to the customer to confirm the accuracy of their estimation.
Tips when talking to a client
Be polite and professional.
Get an accurate list of what is to be moved, parking access to the load, stairs or lifts involved, extra help needed, etc, before agreeing a price so as to avoid any misunderstanding.
Email or SMS a confirmation to the client, if you have been booked to do the job. Include the date and time of move and your phone number to call if any changes occur.
Remember that you are offering a professional service and should price accordingly. You should price remembering that you are responsible for any tax liabilities and insurance. The time and difficulty of the job should be considered. Offering your services cheaply will sometimes lead the client to believe that you are not a professional, you are looking after their belongings. The lowest price does not always get the job. A fair price and professional approach to the job will usually win the bid.
Make sure you discuss the payment method and timeframe.
The client will be aware that they will receive a few (max 4) bids for the job. Make sure they have your correct contact details and best price so they can contact you back.
