In the past, many project owners used the same contractors because they knew the company’s work and had an established relationship. However, recent economic pressures increased competition, and customers are shopping around for the lowest priced services instead of staying loyal to companies they worked with in the past.
In order to keep customers loyal in this competitive market and differentiate themselves from the competition, companies must provide stellar customer service. The right technology can provide contractors with the information needed to offer the best service—from having a customer history within easy reach to ordering the right parts for a repair—and can help optimize service operations.
Communication Best Practices
An integral element of customer service is treating customers with respect and making them feel confident in the service provider’s skills. Listening is essential; all service providers should be trained to listen to customers’ concerns and respond with an honest assessment of the problem. A company can encourage good communication skills by posting a set of core values on an office wall that features the organization’s customer service ideals.
Gone are the days when a company could afford to have service providers who were skilled at their jobs, but had a bad attitude and treated customers poorly. Employee customer service training should be intensive and include on-the-job demonstrations and written materials. For example, companies should create a list of preferred phrases (e.g., “I’d be happy to” is a better option than “Sure”).
Knowledge of the customer also is important. Using technology to store information on customer history ensures service of the account is well-informed. Sophisticated business management software can provide phone operators with a customer’s history and job information quickly so they can handle any questions or complaints successfully.
Finally, it is important to be honest with the customer. Companies that don’t put customer service first may promise a job will be done sooner than is feasible in order to land the contract, or they may estimate the cost of a project as higher than necessary.
Even though the economy is tough, this is not the time to cut corners. Eventually the customer will realize the project is not completed on time or the price was higher than it should have been, and they will go elsewhere in the future. The company may have made a little extra profit on one project, but it lost the opportunity to gain a regular customer. To help prevent this type of situation, technology should be used to manage project changes, track project schedules and track budgets versus actual costs.
Improve Customer Service with Technology
Companies cannot use the excuse that they forgot about a job, lost an invoice or didn’t understand a request and expect to retain loyal customers. Instead of ending a customer call and realizing they misplaced important information about the job, service providers can integrate technology into their operations to help track job details and client history.
Using a dispatch board system, companies can manage their employees’ schedules easily and ensure no customer is forgotten. These systems offer features that allow dispatchers to pair technicians with the right skills to the right job and ensure the necessary parts and inventory are ordered so the job can be completed on the first visit. Also, dispatch boards can facilitate communication with technicians in the field who may need guidance about a job.
Addressing Customer Complaints
Being proactive is the best way to handle customer complaints. Remote access to software allows technicians to address issues from the field in a more timely fashion. For example, if a technician in the field notices the customer may be dissatisfied or concerned, he immediately should ask if anything is wrong. This lets customers know the company cares about their satisfaction. It also can save the company time if the concern is addressed immediately instead of receiving a complaint a few days later and sending a technician out for the second time. Managers also should take the time to follow up with customers about their experiences.
When a customer reports a problem, train the phone operators to stay calm regardless of how agitated the customer may be. Even if the company appears to be in the right, begin by apologizing and accepting responsibility. Next, the company should offer to fix the problem. It is important to address customers by name, and repeat the issue back to them to show that it is understood.
Gathering Feedback
Don’t stop at addressing customer complaints. A complaint may indicate a larger issue the company can fix through operational improvements. Developing questionnaires and surveys can provide insight into what customers value and want to see changed. In addition, reports can be developed to flag problem areas within a service operation.
When creating a customer survey, businesses should start by deciding what they want to learn and how to address the findings. In order to stay in tune with customers, companies should try to conduct a survey at least once a year. Through a survey, a business can measure company loyalty, assess the effectiveness of customer service and develop new initiatives. Make sure most questions are specific and targeted, while including a few open-ended questions that allow customers to bring up any other concerns.
Cultivating strong customer loyalty can strengthen a business, especially for service providers, including HVAC contractors, electrical contractors, landscapers and remodelers. In addition to developing customer service programs and value among employees, companies can streamline the collection of information using technology that integrates service operations and accounting to provide easy access to schedules, budgets and customer histories.