Long time SMI readers will remember that our renovation of this 1880’s building (5 years ago) employed most every tradesperson in 3 counties, including trades that hadn’t been invented at the time. I was billed virtually every time they inhaled, and charged overtime for their exhales.
There were many excellent, pleasant, skilled techs and companies that came through here, doing exquisite work that has withstood great use. There were also a few tradespeople with skills and attitudes that rival meth-addicted wharf rats, except with less dexterity.
Of all those trades folks – perhaps 20 in all – I still use exactly 3.
That coveted group includes:
The electrician (charges more per hour than a cosmetic surgeon, but worth it… darn it), the roofer (needs shock therapy to return a phone call, but competent and fair) and the HVAC company (undermarketed to a fault, but fair and reliable.)
Why do I still use them? And why will I unhesitatingly recommend them to the 30 or so assembled ‘influence peddlers’ on Sunday, and any other time? The reasons you’ll read are the exact same as why they’re doing well in this economy, and the others, well, aren’t.
A “hint” given first …
The historic group this Sunday is touring properties to see and hear firsthand: 1) How does a historic building function into today’s business environment? 2) What obstacles and advantages does a commercial restoration entail? And 3) How does an overly-critical short guy ever get to manage anything? Plus, why can’t he spell “INC” properly?
In addition, every time there’s a tour through here, people also ask “Who” did the work? What’s generally implicit in the question is “Who would you recommend?” (Pointless to give names of the UNrecommended.) And there’s a free lead source for the contractors who understand and work this angle. I may only be telling 30 or so people on Sunday, but they all have homes (I think) and are “influence peddlers” to their peer group. Very important. Somewhere in your town, right now, someone’s asking a knowledgeable person “Who do you use for your
How did these 3 companies get to be the answer?
1) Relentlessly regular contact. I promise you, I could not – at gunpoint – tell you the name of the plumber. Or the tile setter, landscaper, brick mason, window man, painter, or locksmith… all of whom I’ve needed several times since, and been asked about umpteen times more. But the “chosen” tradespeople have stayed in touch, making them a) Stand out against the sea of ‘call-me-if-you-need-me’ nincompoops who FORGOT that people FORGET (ironic isn’t it?), and b) Rise to the top of ‘recall heirarchy’ as Maslow said it or TOMA as we say it, plus c) They become the default choice for referrals. Smart to recontact. They stay in touch ‘mostly’ through mail, occasionally by phone. Two attempted ezines earlier, but those floundered and were systemically eliminated in favor of regular mail.
2) They use Professionalism as a Competitive Advantage. This is going to make some of you mad. Whatever. Trades in general do NOT have a very professional demeanor, thus status, assumptions, and price points are commensurate. I don’t make the rules, but you tell me – Two guys have IDENTICAL diamonds for sale. One guy is in an exquisitely elegant, hushed environ, immaculately dressed and as polished as the gem he represents. The other is wearing an Alice in Chains T-shirt, hasn’t shaved, and smells vaguely of Vienna Sausage. Which one are YOU going to confidently pay WAY more money to? Oh, silly me, I never mentioned that either one spoke. Guy #1 coulda been on out work release and Guy #2 a graduate gemologist, but you didn’t wait to make your judgment either. You got that impression purely by the professional ‘aura’ presented. Don’t expect your customers to be any different.
3) Great Customer Service Creates Price Elasticity and Pain of Disconnect. That’s a mouthful, but a high degree of Customer Service means I “pay” more but “get” more… though largely intangible and without ‘cost’ to the company. This is attributable to general courtesy, appointments confirmed, neatness, prices submitted upfront, material options presented, follow-ups initiated by the company, and thank you via phone and with invoice. After that, I’m in their “sequence” (newsletter, recontact, see #1.) The “Pain of Disconnect” is a direct response marketing term for a loyalty creation that is hard to ‘unhook’, thus, “going back” to the non-Customer oriented contractor makes an odious comparison. Good customer service is by nature, relatively rare, highly attractive, and very “sticky”. Train for this and financial gains naturally flow.
Maybe you read this and say you “knew” these 3 elements, are sick of hearing of them in some form or fashion, and were looking for something “new”. Why? History, as they say, is a great teacher.
Questions for You:
1. What is your ‘system’ of recontact? There is no “winging it” in a system.
2. What is ONE THING you could do TODAY to bump your professionalism? (Phone courtesy, uniforms, truck rewrap, new logo, better ads, scripted presentation, burn the Alice in Chains shirts?)
3. Scale of 1-10, what is your company’s customer service ranking? How could you make it go up today?
1 comment:
Maintaining the compressor in an such a system in also very important to prevent inefficient operation and potential damage to the equipment and to make sure the system is operating at peak efficiency at all times.
Bronx air conditioners
Post a Comment