Showroom customer follow-up

What to record at every visit

The record must be quick enough that staff actually fill it in at the counter. Five fields are enough:

• Mobile number (this is the customer's ID; next time, look them up by it).
• Name and area.
• What they looked at: items, quantity, budget.
• When they need it: "house possession in March", "wedding in January".
• Interest level: hot (buying within a week or two), warm (this month or next), cold (just looking).

Add who attended them, so the same person follows up.

A follow-up calendar

The "need date" is the most useful trigger. A customer who said "possession in March" should hear from you in February, not in October.

Sample follow-up messages

Same day (English): Thank you for visiting Shree Tiles today, Mr Verma. As discussed, here are the photos and rates of the 600×1200 matt tiles you liked for the living room. Please call me if you want to see them in daylight at the godown. – Pooja

Same day (Hinglish): Verma ji, aaj Shree Tiles aane ke liye dhanyavaad. Jo 600×1200 matt tiles aapko living room ke liye pasand aayi thi, unki photos aur rate bhej rahi hoon. Godown par daylight mein dekhna ho to bata dijiye. – Pooja

Near the need date: Namaste Mr Verma, you had mentioned possession in March. The tiles you selected are in stock now. Shall I hold 42 boxes for you? We can deliver to the site on your date.

New arrival for a cold lead: Hello Mr Verma, we have new wood-finish planks in the size you asked about. Sharing a few photos. Happy to show you whenever you are nearby.

Make it a daily habit

1. Every morning each salesperson gets a list of follow-ups due today.
2. Every call or message is noted with the outcome and the next date.
3. Once a week the owner reviews hot and warm leads with no follow-up in the last seven days.
4. When a customer returns, staff look them up by mobile and pick up from the last conversation, not from scratch.

Measure the result as a conversion rate: orders ÷ recorded visits. See converting walk-in customers for ways to raise it, and wishlist selling for recording what customers liked.

Courtesy matters

• Ask permission at the counter: "Can I WhatsApp you the photos and rates?"
• Message in working hours, from the showroom's business number.
• Stop when the customer says they have bought elsewhere; thank them and ask what made the difference.
• Never share a customer's number or wishlist with anyone outside the business.

Reviewing follow-up quality

Once a week, the owner or showroom manager should spend fifteen minutes on four questions:

1. How many walk-ins were recorded this week, and by whom? Low numbers usually mean staff are not recording, not that nobody came.
2. How many hot leads have had no contact in three days?
3. How many orders came from customers who visited before (repeat visits)? This shows whether follow-up is bringing people back.
4. What reasons did lost customers give?

Read a few follow-up messages each week too. Short, specific messages with the customer's own items in them work better than generic "any update?" notes. Coach staff on the difference.

Follow-up with Cashflow OS

Cashflow OS has a showroom walk-ins module. Staff look a customer up by mobile number and see past visits and wishlists. Wishlists hold quantities, notes and an interest level (hot, warm or cold) and can be shared on WhatsApp. When the customer is ready, a sales order is made from the wishlist with lines and GST and posted to TallyPrime. Read more on showroom walk-ins or the showroom overview.