Customer Service

“You called the right place! How can we make you smile?”

See how easy it was to catch your attention with a simple greeting? You would be surprised how often a simple acknowledgment of the customer will improve an online review. When working in the home service industry, customer service is your brand. It’s what people remember about you long after a job is completed. It’s the thing that can help drive your business to the next level.

As service providers, it is important to realize that, in today’s world, communicating with your customer directly, has become a necessity. With people finally getting a chance to converse face-to-face after a long period of strict social distancing guidelines, the customer wants to get to know you. No longer can we as service providers hide behind the bag in 2021. Which means it’s the perfect season for sharpening our soft skills such as controlling voice patterns and body language now that we are spending more time face to face. These skills are vital when communicating with customers.

Communicating with a customer is about building professional trust. When a customer feels that you have listened to them and understood what they need, they trust that you can accomplish the job and that expectations are clear. That is when the skills we’ve mastered as service providers come into play, and we follow through with what we promised our customers. This allows your team to ask the customer for additional and referral business, as well as that five-star review that will help create credibility online.

The Wow Factor

The No. 1 rule of any service provider is to go above and beyond expectations. We call this the “wow factor.” The wow factor is doing something extra without expectation; meaning don’t tell the customer you’re going to do it as part of the job. Instead, tell them you did it to say, “thank you.” These don’t have to be major jobs either. It can be as simple as changing air filters when repairing an HVAC unit. The key to this is to start the job the customer paid you to do, add something extra to the deal and then let the customer know at the end. Effectively communicating this is also paramount. Don’t make it look like the extra job was a hassle. Use proper body language and tone to show the customer you were excited and happy to do the job. The technician needs to list this “wow factor” on their invoice at full price then discount it off showing the customer that you are saying “thank you” by going ahead and covering that expense today.

The Good, The Bad, The Lost Customer

It’s funny. Research shows us that the No. 1 reason a customer leaves any company and finds a replacement is a lack of customer service. When there is poor communication, the customer doesn’t feel that he or she has been truly heard. Customer service is about communicating with the customer in a simple form and ensuring they know you’re listening. Using soft skills to keep the customer engaged is key. Not only will it reaffirm they are your No. 1 priority, but it will also help avoid potential conflicts with the customer. If they feel listened to and acknowledged, they will become customers for life and begin to send referrals your way.

The Golden 3

So, after all this discussion, you are probably wondering what are the most important soft skills a service provider should understand and master to improve customer service and satisfaction. In my experience, there are three:

• Listening to the customer: Listen to the customer’s whole question before thinking about how you are going to respond. If a customer finishes their entire question and you already know the answer, then there is a good chance you didn’t actually listen. One thing that we have learned is most field staff stop listening to the customer in the first 10 words that are said. Most customers don’t say what they mean until the last 10 words. So, oftentimes technicians think they are working in the right direction, and they’re working on the completely wrong thing. Following this rule helps ensure all parties’ expectations are clear.
• Skillset training, both technical and communications: We are creatures of regression. We automatically lose things that we don’t practice or sharpen. Making sure you are setting time aside as a company for all your field staff to sharpen their technical and soft skills multiple times a week (even if it’s only 15-30 minutes) helps to limit their loss of knowledge.
• The ability to shut up: This is probably the most important skill a field tech can learn. When you ask a customer a question, STOP and wait for their response. When a technician asks a question, they tend to get uncomfortable with the silence. So, the tech ends up asking another question to break the silence, which in turn completely breaks the customer’s train of thought. It’s important to know that when you ask a question and then SHUT UP it may be uncomfortable for you, but it’s not for the customer. It doesn’t register as silence to the customer because they are still processing the information you just presented. So, learn to shut up and let them finish their process…respectfully.

If you can follow these three simple rules and processes, I’m confident you will improve your customer service skills and help retain customers while gaining some new ones, too.

Matt Koop is Vice President of Training and Implementation for The New Flat Rate, a home service menu-selling system designed to put profit directly into the hands of plumbing, electrical, and HVAC contractors. For more information visit www.thenewflatrate.com or email info@menupricing.com.

Whether you are interested in becoming a plumber yourself or you need to hire a plumber or a certain project, it is important to make sure that you are aware of what makes a good plumber so that you know what to look for. Read on to find out more.

• A desire to use the best products – The best plumbers do not cut corners. They make sure that they use the best tools and parts because they know that this is how they are going to get the best results. You cannot expect to simply purchase secondhand parts on the likes of eBay. Whether it is pipework or a shell and tube heat exchanger, quality and suitability should always be your main priorities. 
• Great customer service skills – Not only do plumbers need to be competent when it comes to carrying out plumbing tasks, but they need to be great with customers as well. After all, this is a customer-facing role. You are going to be dealing with people who may be a bit frustrated because they have an unexpected expense. Moreover, a lot of them may not understand much about plumbing. Therefore, it is imperative to be empathetic and understanding. Furthermore, you need to have the ability to explain plumbing concepts and issues in a manner that is easy to understand. 
• A good knowledge of math, building, and construction – There are a lot of great plumbing courses out there that will teach you everything you need to know in order to become a plumber. Nevertheless, you need to make sure you have the basic knowledge if you are to be effective in this role. Some of the key areas that are important when it comes to plumbing are construction, building, and math. You will need to be able to maintain, use, and repair a wide range of tools and machines as well. 
• Problem-solving and initiative – These are another two areas whereby you are going to need to excel if you want to be a plumber. Sometimes, the problem is not always going to be obvious when it comes to plumbing issues, and so you will need to be able to get to the bottom of what has happened so you can provide the solution that is needed. 
• A good team worker – As a plumber, you will rarely work on your own. A lot of the time you are going to be with at least one other person. Moreover, you may find that you need to work with other professionals, especially when working on new builds and such like. Because of this, it is vital to make sure you can work effectively in a team.

As you can see, there are a number of important skills and qualities that successful plumbers have. We hope that this has helped you to get a better understanding of what it takes to be effective in this position and what you should look out for when hiring. 

It’s no secret that being a plumber can sometimes be a hazardous occupation. When you conduct any plumbing work, you could potentially injure yourself or other people around you, such as your customers, if things don’t go according to plan.

Thankfully, there are some ways you can boost your safety while you’re at a customer’s. Plus, here are a few ideas you can follow to protect your plumbing business from litigation.

Take a look at these examples to see what you can consider for your business:

Check Your Tools Before Each Job

As a plumber, you will undoubtedly use an array of hand and power tools to complete your work satisfactorily. You may also use things like gas torches and even welding equipment, depending on the nature of your work.

It’s crucial that you ensure each tool you use is safe before you commence any work at a customer’s premises. For instance, torches shouldn’t leak gas and potentially cause an explosion.

Get the Right Insurance

You will undoubtedly have some insurance coverage for your plumbing business to protect you against the most common legal threats. For example, one type of cover that all plumbers will have is public liability insurance.

Make sure that your insurance policies provide comprehensive coverage for the type of plumbing work you do. Find out more about what to consider with public liability insurance, especially if you work at industrial premises.

Don’t Take On More Work Than You Can Handle

One of the biggest mistakes that some plumbers make is taking on too much work. For example, some plumbing contractors might attempt to repair unfamiliar equipment or pipework because they don’t want to turn the job down.

The truth is, such decisions are incredibly risky. If you don’t fully know what you’re doing, you could possibly cause a dangerous situation – both for yourself and other people in the vicinity.

You should either turn down the job or sub-contract the unfamiliar elements to suitably experienced plumbers in such situations.

Stock the Parts You Will Likely Need

There’s nothing worse than getting to a job and discovering you don’t have the right parts to complete the work. Such scenarios typically mean plumbers will need to go and purchase those parts and make a return journey to their customer’s premises.

Sadly, some plumbers try to get creative by adapting the parts they have available to them. It might be a concept that can work in certain situations; however, it’s not a recommended option for every case.

Wear the Right PPE

Lastly, you should always make sure that you’re wearing the right PPE (personal protective equipment). Doing so means you have some degree of protection in your work, and you are less likely to cause an injury to yourself or other people.

Safety glasses and gloves are the two most essential PPE items you should always have at your disposal. You may need other things, depending on the types of jobs you usually complete.

Residential water heaters are often taken for granted. They’re usually installed in a closet or basement or other out-of-the-way spot, and it generally costs less to replace a standard water tank system than other home systems, so many homeowners don’t see water heater maintenance as an urgent priority.

But proper maintenance almost always pays off in the long run, and not just for homeowners. While contractors may benefit from the additional business generated by emergency service calls, those one-time sales aren’t nearly as important as the name recognition and trust they can cultivate with maintenance agreements that help insure optimal product performance and longevity.

Unfortunately, many water heater service professionals either don’t recognize the value of maintenance plans, or don’t know how to effectively communicate the advantages to their customers.

Pay a little now or a lot later

Over the life of an appliance, the minor cost of an annual inspection or tune-up can help save homeowners in multiple ways. Inspections can catch small issues before they become major problems, which in turn helps extend the life of the water heater. In addition, regular service helps ensure efficient performance, which can reduce energy costs and provide for consistent product performance.

Preventive maintenance also helps protect homeowners from the inconvenience and high costs associated with emergency service. Unplanned repairs tend to cost more than regular maintenance and can interrupt household routines, which can be more than a nuisance. Missed work and the disruption of planned events like family vacations can add to the financial burden of emergency water heater repair.

Many successful contractors recognize that it’s in their own interest to help customers avoid emergencies, no matter how lucrative they can be. Routine service calls don’t generate a lot of income, but they build name recognition and, more importantly, lasting relationships. That can be a vital distinction when it’s time to replace an existing water heater, or in the unfortunate event of an emergency.

Maintenance vs. warranty

One misconception that contributes significantly to deferred maintenance is not having a full understanding of a manufacturer’s warranty. Many homeowners assume that the warranty will cover most repairs. Why pay for even minor service now if you expect your warranty to cover the cost of major repairs later?

But the scope of a warranty is limited and very specific, covering demonstrable defects in manufacturing. Proper installation and application and, in some cases, even documentation that the recommended maintenance has been performed, are typically required in order to maintain a valid warranty. Even then, warranties typically don’t apply to local conditions that can significantly affect water heater performance, like water quality, climate, air quality and the hardness of the water supply.

A warranty is an important tool that homeowners should be familiar with. But the best warranty will not apply to the simple wear and tear of daily use or issues arising from local adverse conditions.

Connect with homeowners

It doesn’t take salesmanship in order to maximize the long-term advantages of maintenance agreements. In many cases, a few simple tweaks to existing workflows can be extraordinarily effective tools to open new opportunities for preventive maintenance.

One simple enhancement is to follow the example of HVAC contractors and leverage seasonality. If water heater use tends to go up in your service area during colder months, try to schedule new maintenance service calls in late summer or fall. Employ multiple seasonal opportunities to connect with customers, from back to school, winter holidays, summer vacation or the switch to Daylight Savings Time, and set up regular seasonal reminders for follow-ups.

The single best time for a maintenance agreement conversation is immediately after a substantial repair or emergency service. Homeowners who have recently experienced the cost and disruption of a major equipment repair or unplanned replacement are in a position to recognize the likely payoff of an investment in ongoing service.

Ultimately, communication is the most crucial tool for connecting with customers about preventive maintenance service. Contractors who can effectively and objectively relay information to homeowners are in a position to relieve the anxiety many of them feel about water heaters and other large home appliances. By educating them and offering a convenient, affordable solution, you can establish your company as the trusted solution for any foreseeable service.

Dustin Bowerman is director of corporate training and product support for Bradford White Corporation, a full-line manufacturer of residential, commercial and industrial products for water heating, space heating, combination heating and storage applications. For more information, visit www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com.