I wanted to follow-up on my original post: https://ift.tt/3oJnhsv was both stunned and amazed by all the amazing support and reactions. I was a little overwhelmed so I apologize if I disappeared for a while to collect myself.To answer some questions:1.) What is the name of your company?I'm reluctant to identify my company as I did not write the post to market or otherwise advertise my company (this is relevant).2.) Is this for real?I'd be happy to confirm the veracity of my post through a mod, but I would prefer to maintain my privacy as stated in #1. You can either believe me or not, it's up to you.3.) How can you make money this way? Don't people take advantage of your program?The charity program saved my company and came to define it. We went from a near-shutdown to growing to a small company that is setting the trend of appliance repair in my city. I have no marketing budget, almost all my business is now word of mouth and referrals, and the free calls give the highest quality referrals possible. To give some context, before the program I was spending about $1000-$2000CAD/month to boost Facebook posts. I would average 4-5 calls/day. Now I average 7-8 calls a day and I am booked two weeks in advance.Some people have tried to take advantage but I've come to weed most of them out. I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. The vast majority of those who ask for assistance have been truly in need and are very grateful. Almost all are incredulous we would give our services away like this (more on this later).4.) Would this work for my company?If you are mostly selling goods then it would be harder to implement. As my trade is service-based my out-of-pocket costs for free calls are very low and the largest expense is lost potential (I could be using the time for the free call to make money on paid call). That being said most repairs are fast and some take as little as 10 minutes. To those in need, it is a huge service for them. To me, it's 10 minutes plus travel time (total of 15-30 minutes).5.) Any advice on how to implement this program?I save this for last because it is the most relevant. Many larger companies offer some sort of charity but it is invariably transactional; they demand pics they can post, reviews, or otherwise ask for something in return. For example, Tim Hortons has the Timbits hockey program but plasters their name all over everything including the jerseys.In my opinion, it sours the milk. Imagine giving a homeless person food but demanding they take a selfie with you that you can post on your social media. It reeks of insincerity and most of all degrades someone who already has lost much of their dignity.The charity program operates on a completely no-strings-attached model. Just tell me you can't afford it and I'll give it to you. I ask for nothing in return, not even a review. All I ask is that they hand out my business cards to others in need including shelters and charities.If they want to post it or write a review, that's nice. But it is in no way required, implied, or coerced. Most write glowing reviews.After each paid service I mention my charity program. Customers are floored by the no-strings-attached nature of the program, and many hired us over others simply because of it. I had a customer recently who waited an extra week over a competitor just to hire us because of the program. In her words, "I wanted to support you and you seemed so honest." Appliance repair is sadly rife with frauds, predators, and incompetent technicians. Many customers already have their guard up.My biggest advice is that chasing dollars will cost you in the end. If you work with the customer's best interests at heart, they will trust you. The more they trust you, the more money they give you.Appliance repair is the very embodiment of repeat business. Everyone has a fridge and stove, and a lot of people have dishwashers, washers, dryers, dryer ducts that need cleaning, microwaves, stoves, etc. They all need constant service and maintenance. If I lose money on a call, that's fine. If I screw up I not only pay for the damage I pay them an extra "pain, suffering, and inconvenience" premium. I'll more than make up the money later.And lastly, it feels really fucking good to help people. To someone who has to scrape by change to make rent, $200 to fix a dryer that won't start might as well be a million dollars. I've been there and I know what it's like to worry about the $20 bill you lost because that is the difference between paying the hydro bill this month.To me, it's 20min of work and $20 for the wholesale cost of a drive belt. I had a customer burst into tears when I told her the entire service was free of charge. I barely held it in myself because I was her only a few years ago. Her referrals got me 5 paying customers.Still doubtful?Consider the legendary Mattress Mack in Houston, Texas. His company is worth over $300 million and his no-strings-attached charity has bought him more goodwill than any amount of marketing: https://youtu.be/8Y6xXGiXiJwIt was perhaps providence our business model came to coincide with his.In summary, it is possible to both run a highly profitable business and help your community. see hubwealthy.com/wealthy
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