In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim Flynn, Owner of Winters Home Services, and Dan Dowdy, Founder of Built for the Trades, offer some tangible advice. These home services experts highlight actionable ways your business can build strong customer relationships during today’s challenging times. 

Steps You Can Take Right Now

During this unprecedented time, Tim and Dan offer some straightforward steps you can take right now to protect the safety and health of your employees and customers.

1. Create a clear plan for how you are going to continue serving your employees and customers.
2. Try to have at least three months' worth of expenses in your savings as a cushion if you have not already done so.
3. Separate inside staff and outside staff. See if some of your Customer Service Representatives may be able to work from home. Maximize technology for communication. Cancel in-person training sessions or meetings with more than 10 people.
4. Screen customers and employees for their health to minimize exposure.
5. Sanitize! Everything from tools and trucks to payment technology and uniforms.
6. Step up your communication with your team and customers and use this as an opportunity to educate on the precautions you are taking to help ensure health, safety, and sanitation.
7. Don’t slow down on your advertising and marketing. Social media is where your audience is right now. Connect with them!
8. Increase your outbound calls. Even just calling to check in on the health of your customers’ families is a great way to build authentic relationships.

While challenging financial times like this are pushing business owners everywhere to see where they can cut down costs, Tim and Dan emphasize the importance of prioritizing your marketing and advertising. 

“I would add more money to my marketing and really ramp that up to ensure my team has some work because customers are still going to need us. And the second thing I would do is get on social media… think of all your homeowners sitting at home on their phone looking at social media. You could actually be communicating with them pretty easily through video or posts, letting them know that you’re open, the precautions you’re taking to serve them.”

Handling Cancellations

During this time when most people are spending more time at home, you may be experiencing an increase in calls. However, you also may be receiving cancellations. When communicating with customers, be prepared to share the precautions you are taking to put them at ease. For example, you can offer to enter the basement through the backdoor to work on the unit and only communicate by phone while in the house to stay compliant with social distancing. Let them know you’ll wear protective gloves, use booties, and sanitize.  

“We need to rewrite the playbook on how to handle customers’ needs as we go forward in the next three weeks.”

However, if they still want to cancel, make sure you have a script prepared to let them know that you will check in with them to reschedule in the future when things calm down.

Take This Opportunity to Educate

Now is not the time to sell. Now is the time to educate. For example, online searches for air filters and how to keep your home healthy are skyrocketing. Offer your audience an informational video on how having clean air filters can support your customers’ health in their home. These are the kind of opportunities home services businesses should be taking advantage of to educate and provide value. Be human. Be honest.

Retain Employees

The home services industry is considered essential, but decreases in demand as other non-essential businesses close may still be hurting your business. Tim and Dan recommend taking a strategic approach to retaining your employees.

• Consider splitting the week with your staff instead of having all hands on deck all of the time. This also decreases interactions to slow the spread of the virus.
• Take this opportunity to cross-train employees and be creative with positions and responsibilities.
• Lean on your company values, vision, and mission.
• Communication is key. If changes and reductions in work need to be made, being transparent and honest with your employees will show you care and support them.

Your business has an opportunity in these challenging times to serve, protect, and support customers and employees in an ethical way. Stay positive. Stay healthy. This too will pass.