Most businesses get customers. Some of those customers refer, some leave reviews. Now, they’re all good things. However, most of the time, those good things happen by accident. I’ve found you can get significantly more customers when you design it on purpose.
Here’s how to do it:
Use a simple customer journey system. It’s easy to remember. It’s 3 Rs: Retain, Review, Refer. Most businesses manage to get maybe one of these. Here’s how to get all three:
Retain: Increase the likelihood they stay by clearly mapping out exactly what happens in days 1, 30, and 90. Show them or their family exactly what to expect before your first visit. They need to know exactly what they’re getting for their money’s worth.
Review: Make it simple. Send them a review link 48 hours after the first sign of a pleased client or family member (not 48 hours after the first visit). Include a before and after template they can fill in. For example: “Before my father had care visits from [company], we struggled with X. After [company] provided care for my father, he never missed a prescription in the last X weeks.” People respond to structure.
Refer: Give them a reason AND a reminder. Most businesses ask once, then quit. Instead, create a “Referral Moment” the exact time when customers are most likely to refer. For a family member, it’s when they see their loved one well looked after. For a care home, it’s when they see their loved one having fun. Whatever it is, systematise, then incentivise. Make sure the customer receives an added bonus for the referral, and promote this across all your platforms so potential new clients never miss it.
Bringing It All Together:
The magic happens when these Rs work in harmony. A retained customer is more likely to leave a review. A happy reviewer is more likely to refer. A referred customer, having come through a trusted source, is easier to retain. It’s a cycle that feeds itself – but only if you design it that way.
So, ask yourself: Are you leaving this to chance, or are you building it with intention? The Triple R system isn’t just a theory, it’s a framework to create predictable, scalable growth. Start with one R if that’s all you can handle, but aim to connect them all. That’s where the real growth happens.