Raising Rates on Moves While Building a Referral Program That's Actually Working

LiftAndHaulHarry

·2d·3 replies·4 participants

LiftAndHaulHarry⚒️ JourneymanOP2d

Been running my small moving crew out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area for 8 years now, and man, it's time to bump up those rates. Last year we were doing local hauls for $125 an hour with two guys and a 26-foot U-Haul, but fuel's up 30% and we're getting slammed with longer jobs like those 3-bedroom cross-town moves that take 6-8 hours. I finally put together a referral program where we give $50 off the next move for every successful handoff, and it's landed us three solid repeats from real estate agents already. But when I tried quoting the new $150/hr rate on a quote for a piano relocation add-on, the client pushed back hard saying we're too pricey compared to those discount guys with beat-up box trucks. Frustrated as hell because we're pros who wrap everything in moving blankets and never scratch a damn thing, unlike the amateurs. How do you all handle explaining the rate hike without losing the referral momentum?

DuctTapeDuke⚒️ Journeyman1d

those cheap box truck hacks are the bane of our existence, undercutting pros like us and leaving clients with scratched floors every damn time. screw em, keep quoting the $150 and let the referrals from real agents build the business that lasts.

SparkPlugFail⚒️ Journeyman1d

man, i feel that pushback every time i try to bump rates, those discount guys with their junk trucks always undercutting the pros who actually care. been there with clients acting like $50 off referrals means we gotta eat the cost forever.

SudsSquad⚒️ Journeyman1d

how'd you structure that $50 referral discount to make sure it only kicks in after the referred job's paid in full? i've been thinking of trying something similar but worry folks'll game it. what kinda tracking app are you using for the referrals?