marketing

It’s every business’ dream to have as many streams of incoming revenue as possible. New customers generally make the bulk of a plumbing business’ revenue but with diversification on many people’s minds nowadays, perhaps it’s time to take a look at some alternatives. What’s one that immediately comes to mind? Repeat customers, of course! 

Acknowledging the value of returning customers

The first step is acknowledging the actual value of customer loyalty. I’m positive you’ve never thought to yourself “I hate loyal customers”; after all, it’s no doubt a good thing to have people choosing to hire you again and again: wear it like a badge of honor! But just because you’re happy about that, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re properly appreciating the value that these repeat customers provide your business with. 

From a statistical point of view, retaining customers is up to 5 times cheaper than acquiring new ones. Returning customers also spend more: up to 300%! That’s a whole lot of value to be taking more seriously, which means strategizing how you can retain even more customers is important, too. 

Equally, it helps to keep things in perspective; your plumbing business might be different, so it’s important to sit down with your own numbers and see if they do, in fact, match up to this potential. 

Regardless, thinking up strategies to boost your returning customer rate is never going to hurt: even a little can go a long way. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from 2020 it’s that keeping your eggs in the same basket is not ideal, so having diverse streams of income is always a good idea. 

Understanding why customers return to you

“Because I did a great job!” is the most natural answer to this question and oftentimes it’s also the right one. But, with competition in the plumbing industry being what it is nowadays, it’s hubris to say that you’re the only plumber in town who can do a good job. 

If we’re going to be honest about it, most customers have a hard time telling an average job from a great one. As long as nothing breaks down for a reasonable number of days and there isn’t a massive mess, they won’t think twice about it.  

To push the example, check out your own reviews and those of a competitor, then count how many times “great customer service”, “convenient”, “easy to communicate with” and other such phrases are mentioned. Then compare the number against how often “my hot water booster installation was a work of art” shows up. 

It’s not the big things you do, but more often the run-of-the-mill details – like sending email confirmations and having techs wear polo shirts – that often make the biggest impact. Some other tips to get more repeat customers (and positive reviews) would be:

• 24/7 availability with the help of an online booking portal 
• Keeping customers in the loop with automatic email/text notifications
• Sharing technician arrival times & tracking info so they’re not taken by surprise
• Training your techs & admin to always be presentable and make a good impression
• Sending feedback requests after the work is done 

How much is maintenance work worth to you

Servicing appliances isn’t high up on anyone’s list of favorite jobs. It’s mundane, presents little to no challenge, and doesn’t seem to bring in much profit. The latter isn’t difficult to fix – if you use your net profit per hour to set prices instead of gross margins, every job will be a (highly) profitable job. 

Regularly servicing appliances helps ensure that they work properly, don’t use up more electricity than they should, and that they last longer. Not to mention it helps avoid dangerous malfunctions that people might not even be aware of. These are all reasons to inform your customers and sell them on a service deal. 

This can even work as a sales strategy, where you offer a “subscription plan”. Instead of charging them, say, $164.99 next year, when you come for the maintenance check, they can pay $13.75/month and have a technician available to them at all times for free check-ups and advice. $13.75/month might sound like change, but rack up 50 of these 30-minute jobs, and you’ve got almost $700/month guaranteed for only 25h of work! 

Educating techs on how to be better salesperson

A technician’s priority is to do a great job – that’s always going to be true. But they’re also oftentimes the only face-to-face interaction customers have with your plumbing business. The level of trust they’re afforded shouldn’t be taken for granted, which means that pushy sales techniques and tactics don’t have a place in this situation. This being said, a technician can always learn to judge a situation on their own and make recommendations accordingly. 

Whether it’s by presenting an additional product (where you can earn a mark-up if you have a good vendor relationship that affords you reduced rates) or a subscription like the one above, they’re in an unique position to make a great impression and help customers decide on hiring you again in the future. 

Another way they can help the business is by using a quoting tool to show multiple options for a future project the customer might be interested in. This is the good, better, best approach also known as  bronze/silver/gold service. Studies show that people rarely go for the cheapest option when they’re presented with 3 prices; you’re almost guaranteed that they pick the middle, or even the premium one. 

Don’t leave it to the customer to schedule your jobs

And speaking of that future project (or maintenance work for that matter): you can’t rely on the customer to call you again. Sure, it’s great that some do, but for the most part and especially for that lucrative service work, people follow a “if it ain’t broke, why fix it” mentality. Chances are they won’t book a job until something breaks down. 

This is why sending regular service reminders is essential. Not only does it give them a little nudge, but if you time them right (or better yet, schedule them in advance), they can also help the customer feel like they’re getting a more personalized treatment, seeing how you “remembered” when their appliance was due a check-up.

If you need a few more ideas, this is a complete guide to service reminders. 

Simply keeping in touch with customers is essential and I don’t just mean sending them discounts or brochures. If you do decide to commit to a newsletter or regular emails, it’s best to try and keep it engaging. It does take more effort, but don’t overthink it; high production values are overrated. Relatability and being down-to-earth is a lot more valuable so the odd DIY tutorial on how to do an easy fix or some insight from the business (a “Get to know your plumber!” sort of thing) will go a lot further in establishing a long-lasting relationship. 

The takeaway

All in all, earning customer loyalty means being great at what you do and having an eye for the kind of details that make a difference. As you grow your plumbing business, it can get more difficult to keep track of everything, from scheduling to payments to customer service. 

Digital tools are already a mainstay of our everyday lives and Commusoft is one that strives to make remarkable customer journeys a breeze for any contracting business. If you’re looking to learn more, check out our Customer Journeys page.

Guest Blogger: Cristina Maria is a Marketing Executive at Commusoft, a job management software company, where she helps educate and empower field service businesses to deliver a remarkable customer experience.

The plumbing business will always be around because everyday necessities aren’t just going to vanish. If you have a plumbing business, then the chances are that you won’t ever not be in demand – especially if you know what you’re doing and can get the job done for those you’re working with. There will be plenty of other competitors about there, though, so you’ll have to do what you can to get ahead of your rivals. Like every other business, you’re going to be competing with people who want to take your spot, so it’s a case of making yourself more desirable. 

In order to keep the business going, you’ll need to market yourself well and let people – near and far – know who you are (and what kinds of things you can offer). Expanding your reach is a key part of finding long-term success. Here are a few ways you can do it: 

Be Active Online 

Pretty much everything is done online in this day and age. If you’re not online right now, then you might need to get a move on and begin. So many working opportunities can be found online. There are, of course, still traditional means, but they are being swallowed up by the new-found styles. You can use your online presence to attract more and more people. Think about the likes of social media and how quickly you can transmit your message to those in need.

You can also use your online presence and skills to network with other businesses, potential employees, and all kinds of different contacts. The fact that you can get in touch with somebody so important, so quickly, makes the need to be online even greater than it already is.

Work On Digital Marketing 

Sticking with the theme of working online, it’s wise to market yourself using more modern means. Things like social media marketing, viral marketing, seo company, and plenty of other ways that involve digital platforms are the way forward. Billions of eyes are on computer screens, tablets, and smartphones, so you’ll want to make the most of the opportunity. There are plenty of people just waiting to be wooed by what you have. 

Get Your Name Out There Where You Can 

Using signs, posters, business cards, vehicle advertising, and plenty of the more traditional methods is still as popular as ever. You’re going to want to make people know that you’re around and that you have something for them. If they see enough of you, then they’ll be more inclined to make a positive decision. Word of mouth marketing is – and has always been – one of the best ways of getting your name out there, so don’t forget about the simpler ways of doing it.

Produce The Best Possible Results

At the end of the day, if you’re giving people what they want, then you’re going to be doing a good job. They’ll always come back if they’re satisfied with you. What you don’t want is to be all bark and no bite. Saying you’ll do a good job and proving a substandard one will just make you look even worse!

The plumbing industry has been essential through the rise of the pandemic over the last year or so. Thankfully, this means many plumbers have been able to continue working (while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines) rather than losing out on all essential work. However, because of the rate the virus spreads, there’s also a very large chance that many people have put off plumbing issues in their homes in fear of letting someone new into their homes.

Now there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and vaccines are beginning to be administered into the most vulnerable people, the rate of infection and other statistics should continue to drop. This means the world can get back to some sort of normality, and this means more people will be willing to let plumbers into their homes to fix their problems. However, with so many plumbers like you out there, how are you going to ensure you get your fair share of customers? Take a look at these effective methods to increase your customer base in a post pandemic era.

Show case studies

Case studies are a wonderful way of proving to potential clients that you can do the best work, whether it’s tightening a leaking pipe or fitting a new bathroom. At each project, take plenty of pictures (with the owner’s consent, of course) and use them on your website and at each pitch to help get potential customers on board with you, rather than other plumbers.

Continue to abide by safety laws

Even when everyone has had their vaccines, there’s still bound to be fear for many potential customers that the virus could be spread in their home. Continuing to abide by safety laws in your country or region will help them feel at ease. Many business owners are taking advice from Carlos Ramirez Safety to ensure the work they’re doing is as safe as possible for both themselves, and their clients. A professional plumber is almost always more likely to be hired over someone who’s not willing to put safety first.

Talk about your services on social media

Social media is the way forward in this day and age, and if you want to attract more customers, you should be using platforms like Facebook and Instagram to showcase the work you’re doing. Much like case studies, you can use pictures and videos to show transformations you’ve completed, as well as displaying your contact details and price list. Using the right hashtags will help you reach the right people and doing it consistently will ensure they call you when they have a plumbing issue.

Create an offer that’s hard to refuse

Finally, all plumbers will be looking to increase their customer base once restrictions begin to lift, so you need to get ahead of the game. Create offers and discounts for new and returning customers to help ensure people choose you over your competitors. Remember to always reward loyalty, and welcome new customers differently to make each customer feel as special as possible.