Tradespeople often get a bad reputation, no thanks to many of the cowboy builders out there. But the majority of tradespeople are genuine, hard-working and highly skilled.
How you interact with customers and clients is fundamental to not only your short-term income but also the long-term sustainability of your business. Referrals and word-of-mouth marketing are important for tradespeople to gain new customers, but these only happen if the service you provide is to a high enough standard. As such, how can you look to improve your customer service and keep them coming back to you time and time again?
Look professional
Appearance is often one of the first things that clients notice about you when you arrive for a job. Ensuring that you are wearing appropriate and branded workwear is important to look professional and give a good impression – first impressions are formed quickly and are sometimes very difficult to change. Don’t forget to wear appropriate safety footwear and any other essential PPE while you are working, so clients aren’t worried about you hurting yourself on their property.
Improve your communication
Clients always respect and appreciate clear communication from tradespeople. Conversations often revolve around technical or specialist topics which you should make every effort to help your client understand where necessary. Communication must be clear and honest when providing information on issues or faults, sending over quotes and giving timelines for work to be completed. Also, ensure that you are contactable during work hours so existing or prospective clients are more assured that you will be able to handle any issues that arise.
Be polite and friendly
Customers that are inviting a tradesperson into their home want to feel comfortable and secure. This is particularly true where there isn’t already a relationship formed. So, ensure that you are friendly and polite to put homeowners at ease. This can help to boost referrals because people will be more likely to recommend you to their friends and family. Even if you aren’t having a great day – it’s worth putting this extra bit of effort into making your clients feel comfortable.
Do a good job
Fundamentally, customer service is irrelevant if the job you are being hired to do is done to a poor standard. Therefore, ensuring that every task you complete is done to a high standard and with lots of care and attention is imperative to give you the platform from which to provide effective customer service. Even if things don’t go smoothly on a particular job – explain the situation clearly to your client and let them know how you plan to fix the issue and how long it will take.
With these simple steps, you can certainly look to improve your customer service and perhaps gain more repeat and new business. This is essential to the short and long-term sustainability of your operation, so take it seriously.
