On this week’s podcast, Chris Elmore and James Walker talk about why you should be using a diagnostic checklist in your business. The diagnostic checklist should be used as a part of any visit you have with a customer. Whether it’s a maintenance visit, the diagnostic visit, or a visit to install a component, you should complete a diagnostic checklist. This checklist should be color-coded with red, yellow, and green. This will engage the customer in the process and help you raise ticket averages. But this week, the guys focus on three main benefits for the customer when using a color-coded diagnostic check list.

 

• A checklist is easier for the customer to understand. By using a printed checklist, especially one with the colors red, yellow, and green, you help the customer understand what you will be doing while in their home. It bridges the technical gap, so the customer can understand the status of their system. When the customer understands better, they are more engaged.

 

• A checklist shows the whole picture to the customer. By having the checklist on one page, the customer can get a quick view of the whole picture. They can gauge the amount of each color. This gives them a feel for how good or bad things are without a long technical explanation. It will also show them not only the items that are broken, but those that also might need to be taken care of before they become a problem. This is the whole picture.

 

• A checklist helps the customer decide to do more. When the customer understands more and understands the whole picture, they make a better decision for their system and home. They learn more so they know more. When they know more and understand how it all fits together, they do more.

 

No matter the reason for your visit, you should always use a diagnostic checklist to help the customer more easily understand what you’re doing, show the customer the whole picture, and make it easier for them to do more.