Key Takeaways
The Lowdown
Don’t let your in-home worker walk all over the client’s emotions!
How does in-home service etiquette impact customer relationships?
In-home service etiquette significantly enhances customer relationships by making homeowners feel comfortable and valued, which directly contributes to receiving 5-star reviews.
Why is the 80% principle important for residential service contractors?
The 80% principle is crucial because it highlights that 80% of a homeowner’s judgment relies on their relationship with the technician, emphasizing the need for effective in-home service etiquette.
How can accepting customer hospitality improve service experiences?
Accepting customer hospitality fosters a connection that prevents clients from feeling rejected, ensuring they feel appreciated and safe, ultimately leading to positive feedback and loyalty.
What role do service engineering principles play in customer satisfaction?
Service engineering principles transform everyday clients into loyal customers and enthusiastic advocates, driven by strong in-home service etiquette, which results in glowing reviews and referrals.
Outline
Introduction: In-Home Service Etiquette Leads to 5-Star Reviews
As a residential service contractor, you know that fixing the actual problem is often the easiest part of the job. Duh!
The real challenge? Not traumatizing the homeowner in the process! Therefore, the true secret to building a 5-star review machine lies in mastering in-home service etiquette. Not just fixing the home. Let’s talk about why your technicians need to stop acting like typical workers and start behaving like polite, highly-skilled guests.
Train your technicians on customer service without saying a word.🤔 Stop wasting your breath on basic etiquette. Hand new hires this Healing the Loss audio course and tell them they can get their first raise after they pass. It’s automated quality control for your company culture. Click HERE to learn more…
The “Tolerated Irritation” Factor
Never forget: For most clients, your employee working in their home is, at best, a “Tolerated Irritation”! This means that uncomfortable, even traumatized, homeowners will put your people “under a magnifying glass”!🔎
Is such intense scrutiny fair? Absolutely NOT!😢 And yet let’s live in the real world and recognize that…
The 80% Principle for 5-Star Reviews
80% of how a homeowner judges your company’s work quality (and whether they leave a nasty one-star ⭐ review👺 or a glowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review) will be based on your client’s RELATIONSHIP with your people involved in their service transaction!
So obviously you need to hire the “Very Best People”! And only since you brought it up😁 my 3-hour “Hiring the Very Best!” seminar will be a huge resource for you!👊 Click HERE to learn more…
WARNING: Want to “go it alone” as a Lone Wolf owner-operator without employees? It can be tempting! However, before you impulsively fire your entire staff at least consider these 7 Reasons to NOT become a “Solopreneur”! Convinced? IF you’re willing to hang on a bit longer…
Your choice is simple: You can ignore my “80% Principle” above (and the negative emotions of your residential client) and suffer accordingly. OR you can choose to…
Orient and train your in-home staff on how to be “gracious guests” in your client’s home. For example…
The Fruitcake Test: A Simple Exercise in Service Engineering
For example … your tech is busily working away in a customer’s home. The client offers them a refreshing glass of iced tea. However, your worker declines with a polite, “No thank you. I’m not thirsty.”
But the homeowner insists with, “Really, it is no trouble at all. I’ve already poured it and here is a nice slice of my fruitcake to go with your tea!” Can you read the behind-the-scenes dynamics here? If your customer’s kind offer is still refused what message does that send?
Your worker is too “rushed” to accept their hospitality? (This won’t end well!) Or your employee is “too good” for their iced tea?🙄 Of course not, but your client likely will FEEL this way! (And there goes 80% of your route to a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review!)😳
The Emotional Dynamics of the Home Front
Now your tech is likely thinking, “But I’m not thirsty, Steve!” or “Hey, I don’t even like fruitcake?”🤔 I get it! After all, who actually enjoys a fruitcake? But remember, we’re not talking about your tech’s hydration level or taste buds here. No, no, no!
We’re talking about the very complicated Emotional Dynamics of the Residential Environment. Trust me- I know! After all…
I spent the first half of my life (painfully) learning how to navigate what I’ve dubbed the “Home Front”! And I’m investing the second half of my life teaching others so they don’t have to make the same bone-headed blunders I did!😳 So once again…
You and your techs are guests in a customer’s home. Good manners, along with a healthy dose of my Service Engineering, will go a long way in converting your client into a delighted Cheerleader!
Tech Take-Away: Accept the Gift!
When a customer offers you something (yes, even if it’s a funky-looking candy cane or a mint covered in pocket lint) don’t hesitate. Simply gratefully say, “Thank you, Mrs. Jones!” 🎁
Remember, it’s not about the actual drink or food. It is all about the connection you’re fostering by helping the client FEEL appreciated, valued and safe.💖
When your employees follow “Service Engineering” principles instead of being “just a technician” they’ll transform themselves into an appreciative guest in their very hospitable client’s home.
We all have a soft spot for good old-fashioned “polite manners”, served up along with a dash of kindness. It’s not rocket science,🚀 it’s just human nature! 🙃 We should talk more about this concept soon!
Summary: Exceptional In-Home Service Etiquette Should Be Human Nature
Ultimately, exceptional in-home service etiquette just isn’t that hard. It’s not! But if the tech is not attuned to human nature mixed with a little intentional kindness, you are going to suffer. 🙃
When your team embraces these basic principles, you won’t just avoid angry complaints—you’ll build a roster of fanatically loyal clients who can’t wait to hand you glowing feedback. Stop treating the homeowner’s living room like a work zone and you will win more 5-star reviews on every job!