Are you struggling to make your clients happy? As a contractor, whether you offer home construction, HVAC installation, plumbing, electrical, or lawn care and landscaping services, you know that client satisfaction is the key to getting repeat business and referrals.
However, far too many times, clients are left frustrated by their contractors. Contractor horror stories aren’t uncommon. Whether it was a contractor who did a shoddy job or walked out of a job halfway, almost everyone has had a negative experience.
So, how do you do things differently?
We are fleshing out some of the top strategies you can use to improve client satisfaction.
Do the Damn Job:
Getting contractor work done has become such a pain you’d be surprised to know just how low consumer expectation has sunk. Most clients don’t even want you to go above and beyond. They just want the work done.
No, we’re not saying that you should do the bare minimum. As a contractor who wants to satisfy a client and get repeat business, you certainly have to do an excellent job. However, just doing what needs to be done is often enough to make the client contact you again for another job.
Don’t be like those contractors who take the client’s money and then proceed to do a terrible job. Perhaps they rush through the job so they can attend to other jobs elsewhere. Or they subcontract the job to another contractor who has no understanding of the client’s expectations.
Keep an Open Line of Communication:
Poor communication will hurt any relationship. Yet, there are contractors who don’t offer an open line of communication with their clients, especially after they have bagged a contract.
A client needs to be able to reach you at any time during your business’ working hours. If they can’t reach you personally, they should be able to speak to someone in your office. Once a client has left a message with your assistant or receptionist, it shouldn’t be long before you contact them. Ideally, you should get in touch before the closing of business that day, or early the next day if they contacted your business late the previous day.
Open, positive communication will earn you positive online reviews and your past clients will be more willing to refer you to their friends.
Exceed the Expectations You Set:
To win any job, you need to showcase why you’re the best contractor. In doing this, you’ll be setting expectations. Meeting or better, exceeding, those expectations is a sure way to put a smile on a client’s face.
Setting expectations starts during the discovery phase, when the client is browsing your website, looking at jobs you’ve completed. Quote generation is an important phase as well. Clients hate it when contractors review prices upwards in the middle of a job.
If you’re in construction, find the best construction estimating software and use it to generate quotes, all while keeping your clients involved in the process.
Put Client Satisfaction First:
As a contractor, you know how fierce the competition for clients can get, regardless of your niche. Putting client satisfaction at the heart of what you do is an ideal way to stay ahead of your competitors and ensure your business thrives. These strategies will help you keep your customers satisfied.
Stay tuned to our blog for more contractor advice and tips.
