Outline
Introduction – Before the Curtain Rises
Let’s be honest—your techs aren’t mind readers. But with the right script and a humble clipboard, they’ll walk into every home ready to wow. This article breaks down a fun, surprisingly powerful way to enhance customer experience with simple “stage props” that build authority, boost confidence, and help your crew shine in the spotlight.
The Home Front Stage Play
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.”
William Shakespeare
You gotta love good, old Bill for pithily dissecting the human condition! And yep- Mr. Shakespeare’s quote above goes double for those of us working daily in our customer’s homes. (In fancy circles there is even a technical name for it, dramaturgy.)
Ironically, long before I became a William Shakespeare groupie I’d often remind my in-the-home production employees they were “actors in our company’s Home Front stage play”.
Now very likely you personally have always instinctively recognized that you are on stage “playing a part” in a client’s home. However, how do you enhance customer experience through your entire team? And specifically your face-to-face with customer technicians…
Your well-meaning but often clueless production workers simply don’t have your fine-honed instincts. Instead, they’ll need to “learn their lines”! This means as the proactive owner or manager of a residential services business you must…
Give Your Field Employees A Script!
Your in-home performance needs a clear opening scene. That means your tech’s script should walk them through 1) greeting the customer, 2) introducing themselves like a real human being, 3) doing a quick but caring “interview” to uncover any concerns, and 4) getting down to business—fast. Need help writing all this out? We’ve already done the heavy lifting for you in our Winning On The Home Front audio course.
This step-by-step “Service Engineered” script will be a huge help and especially when you “Hire the Very Best” people right from the git-go! So join me in our Hiring the Very Best! seminar. Click HERE to learn more or to register online…
Meanwhile, all stage plays need “stage props”. So help your employees out when you provide each worker…
Their very own clipboard! Think about it. When your service employee carries a clipboard into your customer’s home they’ll get so many benefits…
1. Authority- When you see an individual with a clipboard you automatically think, “This person is in charge!” Or at the very least they’re a very important employee. This matters because…
I realized many on my staff struggled with a poor self-image. (After all, just look at who they chose to work for!)🫢 So anything I could do to increase their customer’s respect for my workers (and their own self-esteem too) paid off big time! This all meant my people were more…
2. Confident- Your production workers can easily feel a bit intimidated. After all, they just walked into a home that cost more than they will earn in a lifetime of hard work!😬 If nothing else, when an employee is firmly holding on to a clipboard it keeps their hands from (at least visibly) shaking!😁 Even better, a clipboard gives your people…
3. An easy, unobtrusive way to check their next lines! A copy of your step-by-step “Service Engineered” script should be clipped right under your client’s work order. So if your employee starts to panic with the “What do I do next?” question they can just calmly refer back to their clipboard by saying…
“Hmmmm, Mrs. Jones. Let me just check your Work Order…” BINGO!👍 Their next step(s) with the homeowner are clearly laid out for them!
ProTIP: You can’t repeat the step-by-step process too much. Heck, I even taped my tech’s first seven steps after arrival on the dash of each truck!
☠️WARNING: Never (and I do mean NEVER) write anything on a Work Order, sticky note or a Service Engineering Script that you wouldn’t mind the client reading! (Don’t ask me how I learned this one!)😥
Now let’s review the very best way to use a clipboard.👍👍 (No, it isn’t whacking the customer’s nasty dog with your clipboard!)
Enhance Customer Experience With The Interview
In the above we recently shared why a service crew leader should use a clipboard during their initial interaction with a residential client. After all…
A clipboard gives your on-site employee 1) authority, 2) confidence and 3) a built-in “teleprompter” to check their next lines in the “Homefront Service” stage play you’ve scripted!
But wait! Here’s the biggest benefit a clipboard brings to the essential homeowner-service worker customer experience! DRUMROLL, PLEASE! 🎉🎊🎈🎇🎉
Take “Immediate Action” by writing down your client’s concerns on their… CLIPBOARD! When a homeowner points out a request or special instruction make a note of it.
This concept of “Taking Immediate Action” should permeate your employee’s entire onsite behavior. Doubt me? Then you choose whether option “A” or “B” below will more likely result in a 5-star online review from a delighted Cheerleader?
Option A:
Client: “Ummmm, excuse me but I’m a bit concerned about this area over here…”
Chuck: (Yawns) “OK, Mrs. Jones, I’ll take a look at it…” 😲 Versus…
Option B:
Client: “Ummmm, excuse me but I’m a bit concerned about this area over here…”
Chuck: “Absolutely, Mrs. Jones. Can you show me exactly where we’re talking about? I’ll make a note on your work order to remind us to give it special attention and then on our final walk-through you can check it again. And THANK YOU for sharing your concern with me!”
Client: (Thinking silently) “I LOVE this company!”❤️
NOTE: Always be sure to thank a customer for pointing out their concerns! (It’s so much better to resolve things now instead of getting surprised with a nasty review later!)
HINT: If possible, create an even better Moment of Truth with Mrs. Jones by a) writing it down AND b) fixing the issue and/or resolving her concerns right then and there! DONE!😍
ProTIP: Your very best resource? Hiring the “Very Best People” for your business team!👍 Get 100’s of new hiring ideas and systems in our 3-hour, online Hiring the Very Best! seminar. To learn more and/or easily register online click HERE.
Home Services CX Lessons Learned
Every jobsite? It’s a brand-new stage—and your team? Yep, they’re the stars of the show (ready or not). So give them the tools to make awesome impressions! When your crew buys into this “Home Front” theater mindset, their residential communication skills go through the roof—and BAM! You enhance customer experience without breaking the bank.
And by the way… THANK YOU for letting ME be part of YOUR “Home Front Success”!
Summary – Every Performance Can Be A Win!
Focus on every performance for what it is; a real human connection with your service customer. The technical parts of your service will always be there, but the soft skills of human interaction are the basis of customer satisfaction.
So yes, maybe you’re not running Broadway. But when your team hits the “Home Front” stage with clipboard in hand and a clear script in mind, they’re more confident, more professional, and way more likely to earn a standing ovation (or at least a glowing 5-star review). And that’s how you really enhance customer experience—one performance at a time!