Customer service is not an inconvenience that stands in the way of getting to your next service call. It’s a marketing investment that builds retention while laying the foundation for positive word of mouth that brings in referrals. Customer service, actually, may be your most essential marketing investment as more and more consumers seek the recommendations of friends and family when making home improvement decisions.
Customer service starts at the top – with the core values promoted by owners and managers that reinforce for every member of your team that your customers are the reason you do what you do. It’s incorporated into the training that enables staff at all levels to resolve customer complaints and offer corrective solutions or collect the information for the ones who can while providing reassurances that a follow-up is coming soon.
Customer service is interwoven into the benefits promoted in your marketing – whether it’s 24/7 emergency hours, same-day service or satisfaction-guaranteed risk reducers. And it’s carried out in the friendly, helpful and professional interactions with call-takers, technicians, estimators and installers.
A customer service-mindset shifts your thinking from “sign on the bottom line, goodbye” to the “hello” of a long-term relationship. Going the extra mile is essential to this journey. Be prepared to deliver small extras on the spot. Unexpected gestures are long remembered, and that includes your handwritten thank you note after a call. Postal mail that isn’t a sales piece or bill is a rare thing indeed for your customers – and it’s appreciated.
Though your goal in business is getting the sale, the way to get there is not just to sell, but also to educate. By educating through content marketing, social media, direct mail and personal interaction, you move past the salesman role and move toward trusted advisor.