Here’s something you might not know: Your customers expect they’ll have a lousy experience with you.
Not because you’ve done anything wrong (I hope), but because the home services industry, as a whole, has a bad reputation for showing up late, being discourteous, making a mess, and ripping people off.
There’s good news in that, friends. The bar is so low it doesn’t take a whole, whole lot of effort to smash people’s expectations.
And one of the easiest and most effective ways to up your customer service game costs exactly zero dollars: Get better at answering the phone.
I’ll say more about that in a sec, but first…
Unless you live in the tiniest of tiny towns, you have competitors right around the corner. Chances are they do the exact same work you do for nearly the same amount of money. That means you don’t have a ton of chances to differentiate yourself from those other shops, so you have to take advantage of every opportunity you have.
Your most significant opportunity to set yourself apart from the other guys is through customer service.
The way you treat people—from your phone manners to the quality of your team to your follow-up—leaves an impression on people. And if you want your new customers to be loyal customers who recruit other loyal customers for you, you’ve gotta do whatever you can to leave a good impression.
Not sure it’s that big of a deal? Check out these numbers:
Too often, home services businesses think customer service begins when their techs ring a customer’s doorbell. But it actually begins with that very first phone call.
How your customer service reps (CSRs) answer the phone sets the tone for the rest of your interactions with a customer. The person on the other end of the phone is likely already having a really, really bad day. Kind, patient CSRs bring out the best in folks; gruff, rushed CSRs add more frustation.
Frustrated customers go elsewhere. (But first they leave a 1-star Google review.)
Here are some tips to get off on the right foot.
Decide exactly how you want your CSRs to answer the phone, and stick to it.
Try this formula: friendly greeting + CSR name + name of your shop + question.
Yes, these scripts take longer to say than grumbling out, “HVAC Pros.” But people do business with people, so you want your CSRs to be friendly, approachable ones.
Pro tip: Answer the phone on the second or third ring. The first ring feels abrupt, and after three rings, people begin to doubt you can help them.
Your customer will probably launch right into, “My toilet won’t stop running” or “My *#%! AC furnace on me again.” You’ll be tempted to skip straight into, “Let me see when we can get someone out there.” Don’t do that.
Instead, try this formula: empathy + restate the problem + reassurance
Note: If your customer calls with a potentially life-threatening or home-destroying problem, be helpful immediately.
Now that you have a baseline understanding of the problem your customer is experiencing, it’s time to go a little deeper.
Provide your CSRs with a checklist of information you want them to gather. Get enough details so you can send the right tech with the right equipment and supplies.
Take the time to think through how these calls typically play out, and create a flow chart of questions for your CSRs to follow. For example, if someone responds they have a gas water heater, are there follow-up questions you’d want them to ask?
At this point, your customer is very likely wondering how much this stupid home repair is going to set them back. So call out the elephant in the room.
This will look different depending on your business model, but here’s a formula to try: empathy + cost + permission.
Assuming the customer’s ready for a tech to come out, schedule the appointment.
The formula here is simple: confidence + suggest + ask.
Note: Do NOT start with “Is there a day or time that’s typically best for you?” There is no “typically best” when it comes to an interruption like a home services need. Plus, if you ask the customer what’s best for them and you don’t have a tech available at that time, you’ve already disappointed them.
Your customer is already anxious about what’s happening in their home or business. Don’t make them more anxious by leaving them guessing about your process. Just tell them.
Here’s the formula: confirmation + arrival information.
If the caller doesn’t seem rushed, consider offering your maintenance program. It might sound something like:
No one loves to be surprised by an invoice at the end of a service call, so let your customers know what to expect. The trick is when you mention money- don’t answer the phone with “This is Bob, we have a $49 dispatch fee”. Instead, only after you’ve built the value in the service call and you’ve empathized with your customer will you mention a price.
Your formula is: review fee + payment options.
How you end your call is as important as how you begin it! No matter how long you’ve been on the phone, make sure your voice is still cheerful and patient.
To end your call: Ask for questions + confirm appointment + friendy goodbye.
Before you spend a dime on Google Ads for plumbers or websites for HVAC shops, be sure you’re running the best home services company in town. Then I’d love to talk about how to use digital marketing to help grow your shop and your revenue.
Ryan Redding