Despite the digital age, phone calls are still how customers contact plumbing businesses during an emergency or to inquire about other services. But it is surprising how many plumbing businesses do business wrong over the phone. A study found that companies are losing out on as much as 49% of new leads on account of poor phone management. These lost opportunities? Well, you do the math!
There is also the occasional burst pipe or overflowing toilet that requires immediate assistance and reassurance. It is how your team manages calls like these that could mean the difference between having a loyal customer and a customer who takes their business elsewhere. Believe it or not, a lot of plumbing company owners spend so much time and energy on technical and equipment, they miss this very critical customer touch point.
By training the people and arming them with the right tools, such as the use of an AI answering service from signpost.com, plumbing business owners can turn what was potentially their biggest weakness into a powerful competitive advantage. Let us get into the most common phone call fails for plumbing businesses and tips on how to correct them.
5 Phone Call Mistakes Plumbing Businesses Make
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Lengthy Hold Times
When customers call with a plumbing emergency, every minute counts. 66% of people who call will hang up if they have not been helped within the first two minutes. Plumbing companies can be known to overload their phone lines, especially during high-demand times or in the evening, when most emergencies happen. That causes frustration and prompts them to call the next plumber on their list.
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Untrained Call Handlers
Some plumbing companies do not train the employees who answer the calls. These staff members may not know about services, rates, or scheduling procedures. Then you have confused death care consumers getting incorrect answers, unreasonable time frames, or some non-answer to a direct question.
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Overlooking Valuable Customer Details
Call handlers often forget to collect important information about the plumbing problem, access to the property, or customer needs. This results in technicians coming out unprepared, without the proper parts or enough information about the problem. In fact, more than 1/4 (27%) of return service calls are caused by incomplete data capture during the first phone call.
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Mismanaged After-Hours Calls
Business hours mean nothing to those little pipes. Other companies depend upon simple voicemail systems or unreliable after-hours call forwarding. This is terrible for the customer experience at the point when service quality is the most critical, during emergencies.
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Not Returning Voicemails
Missed calls are missed chances. If a call is not properly recorded and the customer is not called back quickly, plumbing companies are losing revenue and giving out the perception of unreliability. Even a short delay in responding to calls can cause a customer to flee to the competition.
How to Fix These Mistakes
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Build a Phone System Just for You
Put in a real phone system with lines and a call queue. Teach employees to at least answer calls quickly, even when the service is slammed. Think about what happens when the phone rings or how it will get handled in the overflow of calls. Strive to answer each call within three rings.
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Create Call Scripts and Training Courses
Develop call scripts for typical situations, pricing, and technical questions. Establish a standard phone answering training schedule for all employees. Introduce role-playing sessions for dealing with crisis situations and emergency calls. Make sure everyone knows what services are available and how to explain them.
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Create a Comprehensive List of Checklists to Use on Your Calls
Create uniform checklists for obtaining customer info. Add important details like the type of problem, the size of your place, and when you need a plumber to work as per your schedule. Consider digital forms or using CRM systems to standardize the collection and accessibility of data for techs.
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Establish 24/7 Availability
Utilize answering services (which can be professional), on-call rotation staff, and scheduling systems. Make sure emergency calls are prioritized and provide clear information on response times. This accessibility could set your plumbing company apart.
