How to Build a Winning Customer Referral Program for Your Child Care Center

By Kris Murray

We all know that word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising. So why do so many child care centers lack a customer referral program? Maybe we figure that if people love us, the referrals will come naturally, without us having to ask for them.

This might be the case, but there’s one problem: unless you reward existing customers for their hard-earned referrals, they’re unlikely to help you get new customers.

So what is the simplest, easiest way to create a customer referral program? Follow a simple three-step acronym: EAR. Earn-Ask-Reward.

Step 1: Earn . Do what you do so well that others can’t resist telling people about you. A great example is Disney. Ask yourself “how can we provide child care so well that people will be amazed at our service and how great we are…and they won’t be able to resist telling other parents about it”. In other words, provide a “WOW” experience.

Make a list of what’s special, unique, and different about your center. When prospects call and then visit for the first time, what “WOW” reactions will they have? Or will they have a ho-hum reaction? If they visit you along with two other competitors in the same day, what will make them remember YOU as opposed to the other two centers? If you want others to rave about you, you’ll need to refine your “WOW” experience.

Step 2: Ask . Create an easy-to-follow process for you and your staff to ask happy customers to refer you to friends and family. This could be a simple flyer that spells out the details of your program, including the reward for providing a referral. You can go further by communicating your Referral Program throughout your center materials, in your newsletter, via email to your customer list, on your website, and in flyers posted on the Parent Communication boards.

Step 3: Reward . Make sure you’ve identified a valued prize that will reward your customers for their hard work. Don’t appear “cheap” and don’t give a discount related to your child care business. One of the best gifts that parents can receive is a complimentary “date night” including dinner and a movie, or perhaps even free child care for the evening. Another idea is a $100 gift card to a popular retail outlet, or a generic $100 cash gift card.

Typically, the reward is given when the enrolling family names the referring family. For example, on the Enrollment Form you should have a field for “Please Let Us Know Who Referred You to Our Center So We May Thank Them”.

Using these three simple steps, you’ll soon find yourself with many prospective families interested in enrolling in your center, courtesy of your current customer base.

Kris Murray is an expert in helping small businesses grow and become profitable. She has 20 years of experience in business management, profitability analysis, and marketing. Over the past two years, Kris has focused her talents on helping people start and run a successful child care business, either in their home or in a center. She has helped hundreds of people get started in a way that increases their chance of success, through cutting-edge marketing techniques & a unique approach to the child care business.

Kris is the author of “The Child Care Business Success System” as well as a professional speaker. She is the President of Child Care Marketing Solutions (www.childcare-marketing.com), which offers information, business coaching, and products related to child care marketing & business management. She is a member of the National Association of Child Care Professionals & the National Association for Family Child Care. Kris is married with two young children, and lives in Northeast Ohio.

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