When your customers are standing in three inches of water in their basement or cursing at their thermostat on a sweltering July afternoon, what’s the loudest question going through their head?
It’s not “Who should I call?” It’s: What’s this gonna cost me?
You know it’s true, because it’s the first question that goes through your head when you realize a service call is in order. Your customers feel the same way. And guess what: Yes, you actually can just Google that.
Google is masterful at customer service. The search giant constantly assesses what people need and works like crazy to provide solutions to their problems. Fortunately for HVAC and plumbing companies, Google’s new feature serves both your customer and you.
As you know, Google Local Services is a supplementary Google Ads option that drops your listing at the top of searches like “Plumbers [your town].” Recently, Google teamed up with Homewyse to offer a significant value-add: those listings now include typical pricing for the person’s service area.
For example, if someone searches “HVAC repair near me,” they’ll now see not only business names and reviews but also a price range.
As the Google announcement explains, “This will help customers be more informed about costs so you can spend your time talking to customers who are more committed, instead of answering price questions.”
In other words, the new Homewyse estimate feature improves the quality of your leads. Who doesn’t love quality leads?
As we mentioned, Homewyse provides average pricing data for your service area. So, what if your pricing is different?
Google Local Services customers now have access to Homewyse Lists, which allows HVAC and plumbing contractors to quickly create a quote and then email or text the quote to your potential customer. If your customer’s primary concern is how much their job’s going to cost, providing a fast, easy-to-understand answer to that question significantly improves your chances of winning that job.
We know what you’re thinking: What if my quote is higher than what Homewyse showed them? Won’t that actually hurt my chances of getting the job? Probably not —ifyou’re able to convincingly communicate the value of your services.
Google’s partnership with Homewyse is worth taking advantage of, particularly for pros looking to become multi-million-dollar plumbing and HVAC shops. Your first step is to get set up with Google Local Services, which can be complex. We’ve helped hundreds of HVAC and plumbing shops optimize their Google Ads presence, and we can help you, too.
Ryan Redding