Save time with postcode checking

Save time with postcode checking

There comes a time for many business owners. When we realise we are not as efficient as we could be. When we realise we are spending far too much time doing tasks that do not make money. Or do not ‘push the needle’ as it’s trendy to say these days. One of these tasks is dealing with enquiries that fall outside of our business service area.

Does this sound familiar?

For service based business owners this may sound familiar. You open your emails and see new enquiries have come through from your website. This is great. But you take a closer look. And realise… hang on. These people expect me to travel 139 miles to clean their oven! I don’t think so buster.

An even worse situation is when you receive an enquiry with no indication of where the customer’s address is. You assume that because you advertise in London. And everything on your website says that you provide services in London. Then the enquiry is from someone living in London. So you reply to the enquiry asking for more details about their requirements. The customer comes back to you with some info. But not all the info. So you respond. This goes on for a few emails until you are both happy. The customer is ready to go ahead and gives you their address. This is when you find out they are 274 miles away!

Annoying.

Why are people so annoying?

I’m guessing you find yourself thinking this all the time. ‘Why are people so annoying?’ If this is you, snap out of it. This mindset will not help you be a successful business owner. The reality is, you are the problem. It’s not your customers fault. You haven’t made it clear enough that your business is not near enough to their postcode for you to provide services to them.

If you think you have made it clear enough. Then you haven’t put processes in place to prevent this time wasting situation from happening. Seriously.. how long have you been dealing with this problem. It’s been a while hasn’t it? Imagine if you had sorted this out after the first time someone too far away had contacted you. Exactly. You are the problem.

The solution to your service area problems

Now we have established that you are the problem. And you have taken accountability for this. We can start to move forward (I’m proud of you by the way. Taking accountability can be hard 🙂). So what’s the solution? Well, there are multiple. So let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Clarify your service area on your website

   We know people don’t read all the details on websites. But we can take steps to make it as clear as possible. Steps to make it unreasonable for someone to get your service area wrong. Putting a message next to your contact form stating where you offer services is a good place to start.

2. Improved auto responder email

   When your potential customer submits an enquiry through your contact form, I’m assuming you send an auto responder email. Please tell me you do. Reiterate where your business is based in this auto responder email. This gives another opportunity for the person to realise you can’t provide the work to them.

3. Force postcode input and check manually

   A simple solution to all of your out of area postcode issues is to force the user to input their postcode when they submit their enquiry! This is great as you can look at the details as they come through. Look at the postcode. And quickly establish that you are not able to service them. Then send a swift reply to them to notify them of this!

4. Force postcode input and check AUTOMATICALLY

   This is the most efficient solution. Force the user to enter their postcode with their enquiry, as mentioned above. But then check that the postcode is in your service area automatically! If the postcode is in your service area, notify the prospect of this in your auto respond email. If their postcode is not in your service area, notify them of this fact!

Free WordPress plugin to check postcodes

Now you know how you can avoid this problem. Well partly at least. You can take the steps to sort it out! Luckily for you, we have a plugin that you can use completely for free! Just create a free account and you can get started today.

This plugin allows you to put a nice contact form on your website that checks the postcode when the form is submitted. Check out the WordPress plugin guide to get postcode checking setup on your website.

I need a more custom postcode check solution

Need a more custom approach to postcode checking? Well we can help with that. If you know what you are doing. And are familiar working with API’s then give our free API a shot!

Can I just pay you to sort out all my problems?

So you want someone to sort out this mess for you? Well I guess we can help with that. Drop us a message in the live chat or email [email protected]. If your website needs some work or even a complete rebuild / redesign we can also get that sorted for you.

Why should I fix this?

So why should you do this? Why should you implement service area checking? The fact tat you are on this page tells me that you know the answer to these questions. These out of area enquiries are bothering you. You are sick of them. It’s just annoying. So do something about it!

Not only are they annoying. They are having a real impact on your business. Time is precious. This is especially true in business. Every minute counts. Any wasted time is essentially money wasted. It is important that you are as efficient as you possibly can be. Dealing with out of area enquiries is making you highly inefficient. But now you know how to resolve the issue there is no excuse!