The short answer: Cleaning is a same-week service, not a 6-week construction project. The onboarding pipeline runs 1-7 days from postcard scan to job wrap. The single highest-leverage step is the recurring annual ask at job completion — 30-45% convert.
The full pipeline — 8 stages
- Postcard scanned. QR code on the mailed render lands the homeowner on a portal page showing their house cleaned. ~$1 per piece mailed via Lob.
- Portal customization. Homeowner toggles services (drop the roof, add windows), sees the bundle math update in real time.
- Deposit paid. $50 flat or 10% of the quote, whichever is larger. Stripe Connect routes to the installer's bank.
- Booking confirmation SMS. Fires immediately. Date, arrival window, prep instructions (move patio furniture, unlock side gate, etc).
- Day-before reminder SMS. 5pm the day before. Same details, plus the day-of crew lead's name.
- Day-of arrival SMS. When the crew is 15-30 minutes out. Sent by the lead tech from the field.
- Completion photos + receipt. Texted within 5-10 minutes of job wrap. Same elevation before + after, side by side.
- Recurring annual ask. On-site, at completion, with the photos in hand. "Want us same time next year, same crew, 15% off?" Tap one button in the Clean Launch CRM to set the card and the auto-schedule.
Why same-week service matters
Cleaning isn't a 6-week-lead-time category. Roofing, pool building, and lighting installs all run on weeks-out scheduling because they involve permits, materials, or crews booked solid. Cleaning crews can usually fit a new bundle within 3-5 days. Homeowners expect this — telling someone "we'll see you in 3 weeks" loses 30-40% of those bookings to the next mailer that lands. Cluster your crews by neighborhood and keep the calendar 5-7 days deep, no more.
The recurring annual ask — the highest-leverage moment in the business
30-45% of first-time customers say yes when asked at completion, on-site, with the before/after photos already texted. The economics:
- One-shot customer: $1,500 lifetime.
- Recurring annual at 15% off, 5 years: $1,500 × 0.85 × 5 = $6,375 lifetime.
- The ask costs 30 seconds of crew time.
That's the math that makes a $32-per-$1 mail return possible. The mailed postcard pays for itself on the first job; the recurring book is where the actual business gets built.
Three things that kill onboarding
- Quote without a render. Homeowners need to see their own house clean before they commit. Generic stock photos convert at 2-5%; personalized renders convert at 10-20%.
- No deposit step. Free quotes get tire-kickers. A $50 deposit qualifies serious bookings and cuts no-shows roughly in half.
- Skipping the day-before SMS. Cleaning requires homeowner prep (gate access, furniture, pets indoors). The day-before reminder is the difference between a smooth job and a wasted truck-roll.
Postcard scan to job complete in under 7 days.
Free account, free rendering, Stripe Connect deposits, three SMS touches baked in, $1 per mailed postcard. Dave refunds your campaign spend personally if it doesn't work.
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