Excellent service is all about delighting customers, and when they’re confident they’ve paid a fair price, you’ll retain their business for the long haul.
As a service provider, one of the greatest gifts you can give your customers is a sense of value. So often we get a phone call from homeowners that are in a state of panic because something has gone wrong in their home that they can’t fix themselves. The desperation someone experiences when his home floods causes him to feel out of control and trapped. He has one option and that’s to call a professional that can fix the problem.
When a service provider walks into a home, the customer is already feeling down and out because there is a significant problem (most of the time). Subconsciously, the customer already knows that calling a professional is going to cost her time and money. She doesn’t think she has any choice but to shell out a bunch of cash to get the repairs completed and she’s certainly not happy about it.
So, if customers are typically already irritated about you stepping through their doors, how can you flip the switch and ensure they see value when you exit through that same door? While buyers see value in products before they purchase, and that’s why they actually buy, the value of services aren’t felt until after the service is complete.
This makes it harder for us, as service professionals, to make sure our customers see value in what we’ve provided them, but it’s definitely not impossible. Customers make up their mind about what they’re looking for in a service provider before you ever show up at their home. They’ll never tell you what they expected, so it’s important you don’t place any further doubts in their head once you do arrive. For every box of there’s that you don’t check off, the value decreases and they think they may be getting ripped off, rather than a great deal.
Did you know that it takes a only a tenth of a second to for someone to form an opinion about a stranger? That means you have so little time to make a great first impression. Homeowners are subconsciously judging you before you ever say a word.
Here are a few tips that should be “the standard” in providing service when you’re working in someone else’s home. They leave a tremendous conscious and subconscious impression that lasts:
It’s also important that your customers believe you’re on their side. To further delight homeowners and increase the value they place on you and your company, empathize with their situation.
Respect their time
When homeowners call you because something unexpectedly broke in their home, they are rapidly losing time. They’ve probably had to take time off work so they can be home when you arrive which means they’ve used PTO or have lost wages from not being able to be at work.
Giving clients precise arrival times, letting them know how long you believe you’ll be at their house and any additional time it may take to do the repairs in the future will help put customers at ease and place a sense of control back on their plate.
Educate
It’s critical that you remember your homeowners are calling you because they don’t know how to fix their problem. That means they have less than optimal knowledge around what’s gone wrong and what it will take to make repairs.
This is your opportunity to educate your homeowners and help them understand what’s happened, why it happened and what you can do to fix it. Rather than just giving a price, allow them to be a part of situation and don’t make them feel inferior for not having the knowledge to take care of it themselves. They won’t feel they’re being taken advantage of and that alone will take value to a whole new level for them.
Presenting options
One of the worst feelings in the world for customers is thinking they don’t have a choice. Something in their home broke, it needs to be fixed, it will cost X and that’s that. But, what if your clients don’t have the money required to make the repair? What if they want to be a part of the decision-making process?
Your job is to give them options that make sense for their circumstances. Here are a few ways to help them feel they’re getting 10x more than what they paid for:
For example, let’s say a customer calls you initially because she believes a pipe under the floor is leaking and needs slab leak detection. She’s afraid of water damage. You arrive at her home, ask her a few questions to get to know her, and asses the situation. You quickly realize there is a broken pipe, but the slab leak detection she thought she needed may not be the best option for her. You take the opportunity to educate her on her choices. She can have you replace the pipe, but that will cause damage to the floor. Or, you can give her a brand new line and save the floor. They’ll be less damage and it’s cheaper. Once you explain this to the homeowner, and she feels she was able to make the decision on how to move forward, you’ve saved her time, money and stress. She now values you and feels she was on the receiving end of excellent service and a great deal. It’s a win-win situation for both of you.
When customers believe they got more than what they paid for when working with you, they’ll come back the next time they’re in a pinch, and refer friends and neighbors your way. What more can you ask for to increase your revenue and reputation?
