Outline
Introduction – Every Call Is Showtime
When the phone rings, it’s more than just a call—it’s a potential customer choosing you over the competition. That’s why strong phone etiquette is a must for every residential service contractor. The way you or your team handle those incoming calls can make the difference between booking a loyal, long-term client or losing out on thousands in future revenue. Let’s talk about how to turn every ring into an opportunity!
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Why Your Team Needs To Handle Every Call Right
When your business phone rings do you: A) ecstatically scream with delight?👍💪💖 B) fall into an anxiety attack?😬 or C) collapse in panicked dread?😨 For all you “B” and “C” folks, let’s move you into the delighted “A” category with a ringing phone!
First, reflect on the HUGE stakes with this caller. I know, you’re thinking, “Ummmm, Steve, I thought you were going to cheer me up. I’m even more freaked out now!” My reply?
Suck it up, Buttercup! Winning in this Home Services industry is not for the faint of heart! Fail to book this caller and you’ll lose all the “downstream income”💲💲💲 they represent. (Which between lost future work and your client’s referrals can easily be 1,000’s of dollars!)😲 Therefore make incoming phone calls a Primary Focus of your business! Which means if at all possible…
3 Business Phone Etiquette Tips
1. 🛑STOP using your cell phone for booking clients. Remember our key word above? FOCUS! Seriously, can you “focus” while driving down I-70 in heavy traffic? (If you’re really focusing on your phone conversation instead of driving give me your route so I can avoid that guy driving like an idiot!)
WARNING: Even worse? Answering calls in front of Mrs. Smith, your current customer!👎 Always put your cell on vibrate before going into a client’s home. You create some very negative “Moments of Truth” (and a ticked off client) when your ringing cell phone is constantly interrupting your face-to-face conversation with a homeowner.😲
2. Dedicated “Phone Dispatchers” are the Gold Standard. Sure, your office workers can care for other paperwork between calls. But when the phone rings, it should be “all hands on deck”!
HINT: Set up phone workstations that force your office staff to swivel away from their computer screen and paperwork when answering the call. This psychologically focuses them on the all-important incoming caller! If you make the caller feel important you will win more sales.
TRAINING RESOURCE: In my 3 hour, online Winning over your caller! seminar your employees will discover 100’s of ‘Lead Conversion’ ideas and systems to easily book prospects who use text, email, Facebook, website chat or even… the phone!
Of course, you must also keep your caller focused which means you should…
3. Make your office a “Quiet Zone”! It’s highly distracting to a caller when there is audible background noise during your phone conversation. Heck, I even banned radios in the office during work hours!
HINT: Noise-canceling head-sets cut background noise, improve call quality and productivity. I highly recommend them!
Real Life? Yep, it drove me nuts when my young, boisterous production workers would burst into the office yelling and high-fiving each other while one of our phone dispatchers was on a call with Mrs. Smith! I literally had a homeowner ask me, “Is everything OK there, Steve? Should I call the police?”🙄 However, you may be thinking…
“Steve, I’m still too small to have a commercial location with full-time office staff! What can I do?” No worries! Most of us (including me) started out working out of our homes. (Some still do and that’s a valid business strategy.)
Summary – Business Phone Etiquette Requires Foresight
At the end of the day, every call is a chance to grow your business and build trust with homeowners. By putting solid phone etiquette into practice—whether through a quiet workspace, dedicated dispatchers, or simply giving your full attention—you show callers they matter from the very first “hello.” Do this consistently, and you’ll not only book more jobs but also earn the kind of repeat customers and referrals that keep your schedule full.