I am hearing it a lot; my phone is not ringing enough! Which means, I need more work. First, let’s take a look at your website. What is your call to action? Is it coupons? A full page of coupons? Are you the discount plumber? Maybe your service is not worth anything, so you can give it away with coupons. Price, price, price! What happens when you stop making money due to the coupons? Great plumbers talk of value; value of quality materials; value of accurate diagnosis; value of quality workmanship; value of a great guarantee on ALL the work they do. Things the customer thinks about.
How about your CSR’s? Do they answer the phone by the 3rd ring? Are they friendly? Are they compassionate? Can they provide service today if the customer wants it? Are they able to close that upset customer? Are they closing 5 out of 10 calls? Are they selling the Service Fee on every call? Maybe they need some training?
Look at your technicians. Are they in a clean uniform? Is their shirt tail tucked in? Is the hat on their head your company hat? Do they have long, scruffy, unkept beards? Remember, they are the face of your company. Do they represent what you want your customer to see?
Then, look at yourself; are you setting the example that you want your employees to follow? Are you showing up at 10am and leaving at 3pm and wonder why they don’t like night call? Are you wearing a business outfit for work? Are you treating your employees with respect? Are you rewarding them for their hard work? Are you more concerned about your lunch date, or how much service you company provided today?
If you see any of this, quit thinking about YOU and start thinking about YOUR CUSTOMER!
Your website shows how many trucks you have, how many techs you have, how many years of experience your team has; me, me, me, me. Your customer does not care about any of this. They want to know how your will relieve their pain. The pain of the leaky faucet, the pain of the running toilet, the pain of the stopped-up drains, the pain of the sump pump not working, the pain of the plumbing issues that trouble them every day. They just want you to answer your phone, respond in a timely manner, be of your word, charge them a fair price for the service delivered, and stand behind your work.
Yes, your SEO and your LSA, and your PPC, all have an impact. However, if you are not answering the phone properly 24 hours a day, not booking the call, not being on time, don’t have clean, respectable, knowledgeable technicians, who offer them a price before they begin work, and finally give a GUARANTEE on the work you did… No wonder your phone is not ringing.
What kind of plumbing company are you? The one who sets the example or the one who gives the rest of us a bad name?
The Plumbers Coach™ Detailed personalized business coaching and training for plumbing and electrical contractors. Like us on Facebook @ThePlumbersCoach, follow us on X (Twitter) @T_PlumbersCoach and @KeithGlass15, and follow us on LinkedIn @KeithGlass1. More information is available at ThePlumbersCoach.com.