Companies continue to integrate artificial intelligence into the workplace.
In fact, nearly 77% of businesses, including plumbers, use AI in some capacity. Many plumbing companies, especially national franchises, are opting to integrate new software, while smaller businesses worry about navigating and budgeting for this new era of technology.
While larger companies typically have more extensive budgets to implement these technologies, independent plumbing businesses have a different kind of advantage. National franchises can be slowed down by corporate processes and use one-size-fits-all software. Smaller, independent businesses are better positioned to use custom software. They can quickly identify a field error and integrate custom solutions to improve customer relations and internal operations rather than utilizing a blanket solution.
Many businesses are quick to implement chatbots. However, that’s not always the best way to utilize new software. Technology should never replace the human element people still demand. Instead, it should replace other technologies, match your process, and improve customer relations.
Scheduling and inventory
Scheduling is oftentimes what loses plumbing businesses the most money. Having to reschedule someone for any reason, whether it's because a crew is running late from a previous job or because someone accidentally double-booked, is enough to completely turn off a customer.
When implemented correctly, AI can greatly help fix scheduling issues. A common problem is that a team will show up on site to discover the job will take longer than initially anticipated. This can cause them to be late to the next job.
AI can help automate this process. Instead of an administrator trying to juggle and reschedule last-minute changes and emergency services, the software can automatically detect your team members' locations, identify the next job, its duration, and reroute accordingly. It can also help the customer track the start time and status of their service.
However, for this to work, it’s critical that you emphasize to your workers that they need to update administration on any schedule changes. AI can’t do anything for you; it automates the input you provide. Therefore, plumbers need to prioritize keeping admin in the loop so they can make the necessary changes.
Custom AI can also be used for inventory management. It can automate stock tracking, predict shortages, and flag when a reorder is needed.
The great thing about custom AI is you can tailor it to your business's individual needs. Not all plumbers deal with the same issues. Some areas experience frozen and burst pipes, while others may have higher occurrences of hard-water issues. You can collect historical job data and have it analyze seasonal plumbing emergencies to better track scheduling and predict required parts to stay on top of inventory.
Know when you are ready
Not every business is in a position to add custom software. While companies across the country are jumping quickly on implementing AI, doing so prematurely can be counterproductive, waste thousands of dollars, and leave employees and customers unsatisfied.
You need to put the customer experience at the forefront. Many business owners use custom AI to make their lives easier, but it should also give customers a better experience. If you can input data and automate processes to make the customer's life easier and help your profit margins, you should consider it. However, if you don’t have a problem that technology can help automate, do not invest.
Additionally, if you want to build an entire system from the ground up to run everything, your plumbing business will die by a thousand paper cuts. This requires an exceptional amount of time, money, and strategy.
You also need to make sure that you have the time to actually collect data and implement the software. If you are looking to implement software to help with scheduling, it will probably take about 10 hours of working with a software company. Inventory management is similar.
Do not try to force it for the sake of implementing AI. You will only have an advantage if you implement software that matches your processes, which is much easier for small plumbing businesses to do. If you are in a position where you can organize your data and systematize and automate processes to make customers' lives easier, then you are ready.
At the end of the day, AI isn’t a magic fix. It’s a tool, and like any tool in a plumber's kit, it only works if it’s the right one for the job. Those who come out ahead won’t be the ones who rushed to bolt a chatbot onto their website or built a sprawling system they didn’t need. It’ll be the ones who took the time to understand their own processes and customers and implemented custom solutions that solved real problems. Get your data in order, identify your pain points, and, when the timing is right, let technology handle the busywork so you can focus on the people who keep your business running.
About the Author
Alex Radulovic is the founder of PurpleOwl in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has been building custom software for small businesses, including plumbers, for nearly a decade.
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