Three Advanced Customer Service Tips for Electricians
Customer service is more complicated than just being kind to customers. Sure, basic customer service tips for electricians like being polite on the phone can help you avoid losing customers. However, advanced customer service efforts can help you grow your business by creating such a seamless customer experience that more of your leads become customers.
Here are three advanced customer service tips for electricians. They will help you focus on your customer service skills in person, over the phone and email, as well as online.
1. Build Your Network
Everyone that you meet is a potential customer, from the plumber you work alongside at a job, to the family that is visiting your customer while you install their new lighting. You need to take the opportunity to make all of the connections you can. Show genuine interest in these connections and have business cards on hand to give them.
Keeping track of these connections is important too. Put them into a database, a digital one. Even a spreadsheet will work, though you can use more advanced software if you like. You can refer to the database when you want to reconnect with old clients. Or, if you add in sales metrics and other information, you can use the database to understand your customer base better and make better advertising decisions.
So what does networking have to do with customer service?
The unique thing about the electrical trade is how much it touches on other equipment and services, such as water heaters, garage door openers, home theaters, and more. If you have someone you can refer for each of those needs, you can save customers the hassle of hunting around for a local provider. That’s great customer service.
2. Don’t Let a Call Go Unanswered
If you only take calls when you’re travelling or if you only return the calls of those who leave voicemails, then you’re missing out on some business. Customers will judge your business by how responsive you are, and when their call goes unanswered, they may call another electrician.
Especially with electricians, a lot of callers just want a quick question answered over the phone. Even if there is no potential for a job, giving a customer a a thoughtful answer can earn good will, referrals, or even other kinds of work from the caller.
And if there is potential for a job, you don’t have to get to it right away. Customers may expect 24/7 service from their electrician, but once they realize that emergency service comes with a big premium, many of them will be willing to schedule service on the next available business day.
3. Consider Online Customer Experience
Few electricians visit their own website regularly, so they may not realize how out-of-date it feels to their customers. A website is no longer just a placeholder that proves to customers your business exists. Instead, it can be a powerful online customer service tool.
It is essential to have valuable information about your services on your website and make it easy to navigate so that customers can find that information. Answer the most common questions you get from the customer early in the sales cycle, so you can get them closer to the sale without spending more time on customer service efforts. Or, use your blogs to explain common misunderstandings about electrical work.
Essentially, if you look at your website as an asset to your customer, you provide them with a better customer service experience, and you are more likely to earn their business.
It’s easy to forget that your website is the first point of contact for many of your customers. Take the time to make sure your website is usable on all devices, accessible for the disabled, loads in a reasonable amount of time, and accurately reflects your business.
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You might also be interested in these Phone Service Tips for Electrical Contractors.
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