Who would you choose? A plumber coming to your door in ripped and dirty jeans, soiled T-shirt and muddy shoes? Or one wearing a nice dress shirt with company logo, clean pants and polished boots (maybe even with shoe covers in hand)? An easy choice, right?
Plumbers who take time to make themselves presentable show customers that they’ll also take time to do the work in a professional manner.
PRIME EXAMPLE
To see how plumbing professionals should dress, look no further than Cliff’s Custom Care Plumbing of Sierra Vista, Arizona, profiled in this issue.
Owner Cliff Lao combines a passion for classic, vintage vehicles with classy uniforms and exemplary service to destroy negative stereotypes. He and his staff wear pressed blue shirts with dark pinstripes, white T-shirts, gray slacks and a black belt, black shoes and black socks. The blue shirt is embroidered with the company name and emblem.
“I think that if you dress well, it shows customers that you’ll take care of their homes as well,” says Lao.
BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP
A good appearance is just one step in building long-term relationships with customers. It all starts when that customer calls looking for service.
I recently called a local plumbing, heating and cooling contractor after my furnace took a nosedive — not a fun experience in the middle of winter in Wisconsin. Right away I was talking to a friendly, knowledgeable receptionist.
After asking for some basic information, she asked what the problem was and immediately dispatched one of the on-call technicians — seeing how it was after-hours. (Isn’t that when most things break?) Within a few minutes, that technician called, then arrived and got the furnace working.
It’s that type of communication that keeps customers — you can bet I’ll call that contractor again.
Getting to that level will take hard work on your part as owner. You’ll have to train the right receptionist, and then also train your technicians how to speak to customers on the phone.
Here are some easy ways you can make that first contact a bridge to more business:
- Adopt a positive tone — Use an enthusiastic, natural and attentive tone while on the phone. It will help the customer feel comfortable.
- Speak clearly — Help the customer understand what you’re saying. That can make the difference between a productive conversation and one filled with stress and tension.
- Be sincere — Most times the customer will be facing some sort of emergency. Starting with the greeting, say hello and be genuine. Avoid scripted greetings.
- Use the name — Ask for the customer’s name right away, then use it. Make the caller feel comfortable and connected to your company.
- Leave the customer satisfied — Finishing on the right note can create a lasting positive feeling and a satisfied customer. Ask if they need anything else.
DO THE EXTRA CREDIT
After the work is done, continue to be professional. Clean up any mess you have made — spare parts, broken components and any garbage. Leave the home cleaner than when you got there. Then, a day or two later, call the customer and make sure things are working the way they should.
All this will show that you care about your work and that they are happy. More than likely, you’ll get the call for their next service.
YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE
Do you have any suggestions for other plumbers on how to succeed at customer service? You can share those tips with me by emailing editor@plumbermag.com or calling 800/257-7222.
Enjoy this issue!
