online reviews

An Essential Residential “Stage Prop” (Part II)

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KickStart: When a homeowner points out a concern and/or makes a request immediately make a note of it on a clipboard.

I 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 relationship! DRUMROLL, PLEASE! 🎉🎊🎈🎇🎉

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Service Clients Love It When You Get Their “Permission To Proceed”!

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KickStart: Get more 5-star reviews by asking for the homeowner’s “Permission to Proceed” throughout the project.

Are you happy in our Home Services industry? You reply, “Absolutely, Steve! What’s not to love? I’m blessed with interesting jobs, the money is great and I work with some great customers and employees!” (Of course, these same clients and employees can be a trial sometimes!)

irked home services customer waitingBut now look through your first-time customer’s eyeglasses to feel in a very real sense… their pain!😥

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Never “Price Match” What Your Service Competitor Charges!

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KickStart: Maintain your prices high enough that homeowners routinely wince… and then book the job anyway!

True Confession Time: Steve Toburen is not remotely an accountant and/or a financial planner. In fact, Steve HATES and despises “number crunching” of any type!😡

In fact, I tell each client and every online class I teach: “I’ve always been good at MAKING money. But I’m terrible at counting, tracking or even investing this money!”

And yet, even with this major financial disability I’ve enjoyed a very successful career as the owner of multiple Home Service businesses! I’ve built my (very profitable) success on one informal pricing concept I call…

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Gracefully Reply to a Homeowner’s “Thank You” and They’ll Love You Forever!

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KickStart: Flip a home service customer’s “thank you” by reminding them it is YOU who should be grateful to THEM!

grateful lady homeowner

I always loved hearing a homeowner’s sincere (sometimes almost worshipful)😲 “Thank you, Steve” as I packed up my tools!

I’m sure your clients are incredibly grateful for you and your service company too! After all, you do great work.👍 But, more importantly you also focus on the homeowner’s emotions! (Remember, a thankful client will be much more likely to leave your business a glowing online review!)

But still, WHO should be grateful to WHOM? After all, your client is paying you… not the other way around! So create yet another Positive Moment of Truth with your residential customer by replying…

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The Why and How of Sincerely Thanking Your Service Employees!!

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KickStart: Bonus your people ’emotionally’ when you warmly express sincere (and specific) gratitude for their hard work.

Owning a home services business is not for the “faint of heart”! It can be a very lonely entrepreneurial journey.😥 In fact, many residential services business owners become isolated, suspicious and even cynical. I get it- I too spent far too many years on this negative path.

But then I realized needed help. And who knew better the pressures and struggles of working for homeowners than… my employees? So I started delegating authority AND sharing accountability with my workers. Amazingly…

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How to (gently) Promote Online Reviews!

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KickStart: Want more reviews? Mention how important their online review is to the employee who worked in the customer’s home.

Let me be clear. I am NOT a ‘marketing guru’! Why not? Because the constant, frenetic changes in online marketing make my head hurt!😲 But I do know a bit about ‘Timeless Concepts’ (this phrase IS part of my tag line, after all!) in business.

Hands down, marketing’s most ‘Timeless Concept’ is ‘word of mouth’ advertising. But NOW it can be supercharged with ‘Today’s Tools’! (Darn it- how did the second half of my tag line sneak in here?)😁

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