After an initial pause at the beginning of the pandemic, the construction industry has been experiencing a boom in demand. Yet, for those looking to benefit from the rebound in the U.S. economy, broken efficiencies, skilled labor shortages and customer service issues are tampering with the possibility for increased sales. In June 2021, 88% of contractors reported moderate-to-high levels of difficulty finding skilled workers, and that number is only growing with workers aging out of positions.
The challenges can feel endless, like one piling on top of another. Just as demand picks up, a worker shortage stalls progress. As one satisfied customer refers work to another, a lack of resources prevents capitalizing on the lead. This year, 35% of contractors have reported turning down work due to skilled labor shortages.
Times of increased demand like this present a rare opportunity to identify gaps in business planning and identify areas for improvement. By focusing on how to more efficiently run the business and what offers the most value to customers, owners will find ways to save time and/or money that can then be reinvested in either recruiting and hiring or retention and training. Consider the following.
Provide consistency, always. A primary frustration among customers is inconsistent experiences. Whether that’s receiving different information from various staff interactions, or a business’ service delivery not meeting expectations, customer loyalty often hinges on a consistent experience across the duration of a project, beginning with the first interaction. Building this into training can produce cost-effective results through customer satisfaction.
Leverage technology to improve the sales funnel. Technology can be an important tool in the construction industry in terms of process, workflow and even employee recruitment. How it’s used can save valuable time and also provide better customer service across projects.
This is an important time for the construction industry to both improve processes and streamline communication with customers. While hiring and retention have always been a concern with the industry’s seasonality, now, workers aging out of skilled labor jobs and a widespread worker shortage (from frontline employees to office management to in-field positions) means the construction industry has a lack of resources that is only growing. But there are ways to streamline business to successfully get work done.
Investing time and attention in the beginning—both with employee training and customer service expectations—saves money in the long run.
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