Hello, this is Matsubara, CRM Evangelist.

"I know that follow-up after completion is important, but I'm too busy to do it."

This is the most frequently heard phrase from owners of construction and renovation companies.

However, this "failure" actually continues to create irreparable opportunity costs.

It is said that acquiring a new customer costs about five times more than retaining an existing customer (the 1:5 rule). In other words, valuing one returning customer is as valuable as acquiring five new customers.

Another often overlooked aspect is the key to being the number one choice in the minds of existing customers when they consider renovations. If you can become the "family doctor for housing," someone they turn to for all kinds of housing-related consultations, you can maintain a stable stream of orders without any advertising costs.

The problem is that this follow-up is left to the discretion of the person in charge and is only done when they feel like it. In this article, we will explain how to use EMOROCO CRM Lite's task management and workflow automation features to automatically design follow-up for past customers up to five years in advance.

Why is following up with former clients always put on the back burner?

The reason why follow-up services for past customers of construction and renovation companies are not functioning properly lies in structural problems.

Reason ① Once the project is completed, it becomes impossible to know "where the customer information is located."

During construction, the person in charge keeps track of the customer's information. However, the moment the project is completed, it's considered "finished," and the customer information gets buried among the estimates and construction documents. Six months later, when you remember, "Did I follow up with that customer?", you have to start by searching for their contact information.

Reason ② The timing of follow-up depends on "intuition".

Industry knowledge suggests that it's best to conduct inspections after one month, then every six months, and then every year thereafter. However, as long as you rely on the memory and intuition of the person in charge to decide "when and to whom to contact," follow-ups will inevitably be missed. This becomes especially difficult to manage as the number of projects increases.

Reason #3: When the person in charge changes, the relationship is reset.

When the person in charge of construction leaves or is transferred, the relationship with that customer essentially becomes zero. Once the handover is complete, there is no longer any need for them, so the frequency of contact decreases. As a result, no matter how friendly the relationship was when the contract was signed, the relationship will gradually cool down—and if the person in charge also changes, the relationship will be irrevocably severed.

The "three values" created by following up with former customers.

The value gained from creating a follow-up system goes beyond simply securing repeat orders.

Value ① Repeat orders – Maximum profit at minimum cost

A system of repeat orders starting with construction inspections is a highly efficient sales strategy. Orders from customers with whom a trusting relationship already exists are significantly lower in terms of proposal costs, negotiation costs, and explanation costs, resulting in higher profit margins.

In fact, there are numerous success stories in the industry where maintaining regular inspections once a year has led to an increase in repeat orders for painting and renovation work. Simply maintaining contact once a year ensures that customers think, "Of course, I'll go with that company for my next project."

Value ② Referral-based orders – acquiring new customers with zero advertising costs.

Maintaining close communication with existing customers leads to referrals and repeat orders—this is a fact that has been repeatedly confirmed in the industry.

Former clients who continue to follow up with us maintain a vivid memory of "I'm glad I chose this company." When the topic of housing comes up with acquaintances, they naturally say, "That construction company was great," because the relationship has been warmly maintained.

Value ③ Early detection of latent needs – act before competitors snatch them up.

By conducting inspections from a professional perspective, we can detect early signs of deterioration or problems in your home that you may not have noticed yourself. The ability to offer solutions before major problems develop is a unique strength of our inspection service.

Furthermore, if we don't contact customers when maintenance is needed, they may postpone it due to lack of funds, and only call someone when a leak occurs, which risks damaging the contractor's reputation. Proactive follow-up protects the trust placed in our company and secures future orders.

Designing a "5-Year Follow-Up Roadmap" with EMOROCO CRM Lite

So, specifically, how do we design follow-up for past clients using EMOROCO CRM Lite? We'll build a system where tasks are automatically generated up to five years in advance simply by entering the completion date.

Step 1: Designing the OB customer record – determining the information to be managed.

First, add the following custom field to the customer record. This will be the "material" for the follow-up.

【OB客レコードの必須フィールド】

基本情報：
・完工日（ワークフローのトリガーになる最重要フィールド）
・工事種別（外壁塗装 / 屋根工事 / 水回りリフォーム / 新築 / 増改築）
・施工金額
・使用した塗料・素材の種類と耐用年数
・保証期間・保証内容

住宅情報：
・建築年（築年数の自動計算に使用）
・構造（木造・RC・鉄骨）
・延床面積
・次回メンテナンス推奨時期

顧客情報：
・家族構成（子どもの年齢→将来の部屋需要の予測に使用）
・紹介元（誰から紹介してもらったか）
・紹介意向（高・中・低）
・OB客満足度（完工後アンケートの結果）
・担当者メモ（顧客の性格・好み・注意点）

By accumulating all of this information in a single customer record, even if the person in charge changes, the context of "this customer's home situation and relationship" can be instantly understood.

Step 2: Workflow Design – Automatically generate tasks for the next 5 years from the completion date.

EMOROCO CRM Lite's workflow automation feature automatically generates the following tasks sequentially, triggered by the entry of the "Completion Date" field.

[5-Year Follow-Up Flow for Exterior Wall Painting and Roofing Work]

完工日から1ヶ月後
  タスク名：「完工1ヶ月点検・満足度確認」
  内容：仕上がりの確認・小さな不具合の早期対応・満足度ヒアリング
  ポイント：「何か気になることはありませんか？」が信頼を深める最初の接点

完工日から6ヶ月後
  タスク名：「半年点検・季節メンテナンスのご案内」
  内容：雨漏り・結露・コーキングの確認・冬前のメンテナンス提案
  ポイント：季節に合わせた提案で「気にかけてくれている」を実感させる

完工日から1年後
  タスク名：「1年点検・アフターフォロー診断書の作成」
  内容：完工時の写真と現状を比較した診断書を持参・次の提案フックを探る
  ポイント：診断書を持参することで「プロとして信頼できる」印象を強化

完工日から2年後
  タスク名：「2年経過・住まいの近況確認」
  内容：近況確認の挨拶・コーキングや付帯部の状態確認・紹介のお願い
  ポイント：紹介依頼の最適タイミング。「知人にもぜひ」を伝える

完工日から3年後
  タスク名：「3年点検・屋根・外壁の詳細診断」
  内容：外壁・屋根の劣化状況を詳細確認・次回塗装の必要性を説明
  ポイント：「次の塗装はまだ先でいいですが、確認しておきましょう」の姿勢

完工日から5年後
  タスク名：「5年点検・次回工事の本格提案」
  内容：シリコン塗料の場合は本格的な再塗装の提案・火災保険活用の説明
  ポイント：5年後の提案が「押し売り」ではなく「アドバイス」に見える信頼を、
           1ヶ月・半年・1年・2年・3年の積み重ねで作っておく

[5-Year Follow-Up Flow for New Construction and Renovations]

完工日から1ヶ月後
  タスク名：「引越し後の生活確認・ご挨拶」
  内容：新生活の状況確認・小さな要望への即対応

完工日から6ヶ月後
  タスク名：「半年点検・建具・設備の調整」
  内容：建具の反り・設備の不具合確認・梅雨前の防水確認

完工日から1年後
  タスク名：「1年点検・有償・無償の線引き説明」
  内容：保証範囲の再説明・潜在的なニーズのヒアリング

完工日から2年後
  タスク名：「2年経過・お子さんの成長に合わせた提案」
  内容：子ども部屋の仕切り・収納増設など家族構成の変化に合わせた提案
  （子どもの年齢フィールドから逆算して提案内容をパーソナライズ）

完工日から3年後
  タスク名：「3年点検・外構・庭まわりの提案」
  内容：築10年以内のお客様はカーポートを付けたい・庭を作りたい・書斎用の小屋が欲しいなど暮らしの質の向上という要望が増えるタイミング

完工日から5年後
  タスク名：「5年点検・大規模リフォームの種まき」
  内容：水回り・外壁・屋根の状態確認。「10年後の大規模リフォームに向けた積立」のアドバイス

Step 3: Develop the habit of keeping "contextual notes" when performing tasks.

When you complete a task, be sure to record the following three points as part of your history.

【タスク完了時の記録テンプレート】
・今日話した内容（住まいの状況・顧客の関心事）
・顧客の感情状態（前向き・普通・不満あり）
・次回連絡で使えるフック（子どもが高校生になる・ローン完済が近い・屋根が気になっていた）

As this record accumulates, when the next task arrives, you'll be able to "start the conversation from the previous context." "By the way, last time you mentioned your child was taking entrance exams. How did it go?"—This simple phrase builds trust, making the employee feel, "This company always remembers me."

Step 4: Use the dashboard to quickly identify which existing clients you should be working with this month in 5 minutes.

Set the following view on the EMOROCO CRM Lite dashboard.

【OB客フォロー管理ダッシュボード】

今週のフォロータスク一覧
  → 完工後の各タイミングに来た顧客への連絡リスト

紹介意向「高」×最終接触から90日以上経過
  → 紹介を依頼できるのに放置しているOB客リスト（最重要）

完工から5年以上経過 × 未フォロー
  → 大規模リフォーム提案の優先ターゲット

満足度「高」× 紹介実績ゼロ
  → 満足しているのにまだ紹介が来ていない顧客。フォローで紹介連鎖を生む

今月完工予定
  → 1ヶ月後にフォロータスクが届く顧客。完工後の初回連絡を意識する

By simply checking this dashboard for 5 minutes each morning, you can see at a glance "who to contact this week and why."

Step 5: Design the referral chain using a workflow.

The ultimate goal of following up with past customers is to drive both "repeat orders" and "referral orders" together.

Referral chain workflow settings:

紹介経由の新規顧客が成約したとき
  → 「紹介元OB客への御礼連絡」タスクを翌日に自動生成
  → 「工事状況のご報告」タスクを完工後14日後に自動生成
  → 「紹介してくれたお礼のご挨拶訪問」タスクを完工1ヶ月後に自動生成

Existing clients with whom you have built a relationship of trust tend to be pleased when you ask for their help. By reporting to the former client who referred you, "The client you referred was recently completed, and they were very pleased, thanks to your help," you naturally foster a desire to refer others in the future.

A system for becoming a "family doctor for your home."

Companies that have been successful in following up with long-term customers in the industry share one common mindset.

It's not about "sales aimed at securing the next construction project," but rather "building relationships as a partner in housing."

Whether it's the inspection one month later, the diagnostic report one year later, or the follow-up visit three years later—it's crucial that all of these visits convey to the customer the feeling that "we've come because we care about your home," rather than "we've come because we want to sell you something."

That accumulation of effort will give you the power to think, "I should contact that construction company before looking at the advertisements of our competitors," when you're thinking, "Who should I ask to do my exterior painting?" five years from now.

EMOROCO CRM Lite is a tool designed to create a system for this "relationship as a partner in your home," rather than relying on intuition. Simply enter the completion date, and a 5-year follow-up schedule will automatically begin.

Start small with just ¥1,500 per month and begin by importing your past client list as a CSV file. Your dormant clients will transform into a valuable asset that maintains connections, starting today.
EMOROCO CRM Lite Product Page

Summary – 5-Year Follow-Up Roadmap Quick Reference Guide

Things to do with EMOROCO CRM Lite:

1. Set the following fields in the OB customer record: "Completion Date, Construction Type, Family Information, and Referral Intent."
2. Set up a 5-year automated task generation workflow triggered by the completion date.
3. Make it a habit to leave a three-line "contextual note" each time you complete a task.
4. Use the dashboard to quickly identify which past clients you should be working with this week, in just 5 minutes each morning.
5. Automate the "thank you message/report" task for successful referrals using a workflow.

Related article:[How to systematize referral sales for the real estate and renovation industry using EMOROCO CRM Lite]

Related article:[Why SMEs should be aware of LTV (Customer Lifetime Value) and how to cultivate it with EMOROCO CRM Lite]

Related article:[What to do in your first 30 days with EMOROCO CRM Lite: A 4-week roadmap to turn a small start into success]