6 Tips to Help You Master Customer Service as a General Contractor
Without the clientele to hire you, it is impossible to operate a successful contracting business. The best way to keep your clients, and bring in new business, is by providing quality customer service. Contractors aren’t typically known for their charisma and interpersonal skills, so flaunting your prowess in customer service might even take your customers off guard, and it will make sure that you stick out in their minds years down the road, when they’re taking bids on their next project. Doing this is as simple as making sure that you meet your client’s needs through the entirety of their project, from start to finish.
At Contractors Reporting Services, we specialize in helping you get your general contractors license in Florida, but we are here for you far beyond that point too. Whether you need assistance in licensing and renewals, have questions about establishing your corporation or need some direction with other business services, we work hard to provide you with the tools you need to succeed. You can cultivate your company’s customer service in a multitude of ways, but we wanted to compile a list of six key points to highlight how to maximize your clientele’s happiness with the work you do for them. Implement these, and your customers should be beyond pleased enough to refer you to their peers.
- Cultivate Your Image
Psychological research has found that someone forms their first impression of you within three seconds of meeting you… and it takes as long as three years to change it. This makes first impressions critical in the business world—you don’t have three years to win a client. Thus, presenting yourself as professionally as possible is imperative when meeting with potential customers and convincing them to trust the quality of work you promise. Don’t be late to anything involving your client… ever. Maintain your professionalism when talking with them, too. As long as you remain courteous, you should stay in their good graces.
- Clearing the Lines of Communication
Be accessible! It should be easy for your clients to contact you on a regular basis. Return phone calls and emails promptly. Be clear and concise when speaking with clients—you want them to understand what you’re doing every step of the way (Happy customers know what they’re paying for). Give them regular updates on their job’s progress. Above everything: be accessible.
- Angry Customer Management
Whether you and your team made a mistake or your client is just a difficult person, occasionally customers get mad. Always remind yourself to stay calm. Don’t take their anger personally, they are mad about the situation 99% of the time. It is most important that you listen to their concerns before looking for a solution. Dealing with confrontation will make or break your General Contracting business. Client’s you resolve conflicts with can become lifelong clients, but if you fail to make things right with them, you may lose the job with that client, or worse, potential work for anyone they know.
- Making Mistakes
Remember Murphy’s Law? If something can go wrong, then it probably will. Mistakes happen. The best way to turn a mistake into a positive customer service experience is to address it promptly and responsibly. Don’t make excuses for your mistakes… nothing is worse in the eyes of a client who feels slighted. Instead, ask how you can make the situation better, and fix the mistake.
- Individualized Service
When handling a job, always make sure that you cater to every client’s needs individually. Don’t treat them generically. More than anything else, your client wants you and your crew to know exactly what they want, so you should make an effort to assure them that you do. Get to know them, build rapport and make sure your whole team knows them by name. Always welcome feedback from your client when they are visiting the jobsite—and implement it.
- Cleaning Up Your Job Site
A big aspect of providing the best customer service is how you respect your client’s property while you are working on it. Clean up as you work. You have to remember that your customer likely works or lives on the jobsite, so it’s important that you clean up the area at the end of each work day. This keeps the levels of mess to a minimum on a day-to-day basis and ensures that the end-of-job cleanup will be more thorough. Don’t leave a bad taste in your client’s mouth after you complete a project by leaving them with a mess to clean up.
At Contractors Reporting Services, we take pride in our industry and want to see your business succeed. By exercising a little bit of common sense and courtesy, you can rise to the top of the Customer Service game and position yourself as a leader among your competition. If you need assistance with your Florida General Contractors license requirements, renewal or other industry licensing questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We are here to help.
Contractors Reporting Services ~ https://activatemylicense.com
13795 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33613 ~ (800) 487-2084
