KickStart: “Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory” Miguel Cervantes
Normally you’ll find me commiserating with the poor owners (and managers) of residential service companies. (This can be a tough business!)
But let’s save some pity for your front-line workers! After all, every day they’re walking into the “minefield” of a customer’s home!😲
“A minefield, Steve? Seriously?” Too dramatic for you? Then think on this: The dictionary says a minefield is: “Any area filled with hidden explosive devices.”
Hmmmm…🤔 So, are your client’s homes “filled with hidden explosive devices”? Absolutely! Think how often your employees (or you) get bushwhacked by a homeowner “blowing up” with zero warning and for no apparent reason! (The stories I could share!)🙄
Your challenge? The “emotional shrapnel” created by these surprise blowups creates so much pain!😥 For example…
A) Your shell-shocked employees leave for a less confrontational job.
B) The homeowner feels cheated, suffers from “Buyer’s Remorse so
C) Your company gets surprised with a nasty one-star online review.😲 And of course…
D) You lose this homeowner’s business forever plus going forward…
E) Your now ex-customer will trash you to everyone they know! (Including online!)
So… much… pain! There has to be a better way to run your home service business… and there is! Get pro-active when you…
Pre-orient your employees on the “Emotional Dynamics” of working in client’s homes! Here’s why…
Remember that my 80% Principle states: “80% of how a homeowner decides if your company did a ‘good job’ or a ‘bad job’ is based on their relationship with the people involved in the work process.” (Which of course will mostly be your employees doing the actual work on the customer’s property.)
Have you shared this 80% Principle with your staff? Are workers recognized (and rewarded) for creating a new Customer Cheerleader? Even more importantly…
Give your employees “Customer Eyeglasses” to “feel the pain” of a first-time residential client as they nervously wait for their door bell to ring! Here’s the subliminal Emotional Landscape any service provider faces…
1. Confused. Unlike buying a “manufactured good”, customers can’t easily see, test, compare or visualize what your service(s) will be like ahead of time. Heck, homeowners buying a service likely don’t even know how to judge what a “good job” is!🤷♂️ Confusion reigns which leads to being…
2. Nervous. After all, the homeowner has heard the horror stories about our industry. (Or experienced their own service nightmares with your competitors.)
3. Skeptical. Sadly, I think the term “bait and switch” was invented for the all-too-common marginal operators in home services.
4. Suspicious. Youch! Combine #’s 1-3 above and the result will be: SUSPICION! And who can blame your new client (that doesn’t know you) for being on edge? But now, the plot thickens when we factor in WHERE your service is being performed…
5. Invaded. Think about it. You really are in the homeowner’s ‘Inner Sanctum’, their home. So subconsciously clients may view your staff as an “invading army”! (Are you starting to “feel their pain”? If so, great!)
6. Vulnerable. Invariably your front-line workers will be younger, bigger and physically stronger than the homeowner. After all, that’s why you hired them- but they may accidentally intimidate their client! NOTE: Remember that fearful, subconscious emotions like #5 and #6 don’t work on a logical level so your customer may likely feel…
7. Trapped. Reflect on this. When you’re in a retail store and things don’t go well with a salesperson what do you do? You… LEAVE! And if a homeowner gets negative vibes from one of your people??? Yep, your client feels trapped with “no place to run” which means they’re…
8. SCARED! Wow! I tell every one of my students that the #1 emotion on the Home Front (where you work every day) is FEAR!
NOTE: Most homeowners may not obviously display these negative emotions… on the outside. But their wary feelings do mean a residential client will be on “High Alert” and can easily overreact to even an innocent action or word from your employee and then… the minefield explodes!
This means your front-line workers must be forewarned, pre-oriented (you’ve got your 8-point outline above) and then take “Evasive Action”! Let’s help your employees be proactive going forward! Meanwhile…
Stay safe out there!
Steve