Running a local plumbing company involves a lot of oversight, not to mention trying to be competitive and stay in-demand in the market. Plumbing is always going to be a service that people need, but you also want to maintain an edge against competitors, as well as keep your customer base growing, and returning.
To help you reach these goals, we’ve included the best ways to keep demand high for your services
Have emergency options
Emergency plumbing can be a lucrative service to offer because you’re receiving cash in hand for a customer that needs your services. Some, but not all plumbing professionals are on call for 24 hours a day, which means they’ll receive more business than competitors. It’s not as easy as simply offering an emergency call option though, your customers need to be aware of the service. One great way to advertise your emergency plumbing capability is letting any current customers know if there’s ever an emergency that they can call you. Listing the service on your website is mandatory, if you don’t have an online presence, you should start on this immediately to keep yourself in demand.
The easier it is for customers to find you online, the more readily they’re going to call you in case of an emergency. Leave a business card with your customers, and have it include the emergency call number. If they have friends and family suggest they take a few cards in case they ever need a plumber. Don’t be too pushy, but use your desire to help those in need as your marketing platform.
Having a strong online presence
Almost every business needs an online presence in order to remain competitive in the modern market, and plumbing is no exception. Create a Google My Business account with all of your business information, this will help local customers find you online. Creating a Facebook or Instagram profile is also a great idea, Facebook is slowly acquiring an older demographic, and Instagram is an awesome way to stay in touch with the millennial crowd.
These pages are free and they offer you more exposure. You don’t need to spread yourself thin over multiple applications, but becoming specialized at a few allows you more time to respond to customer’s comments. The more engaged you seem with customers, the more you’ll seem like a trusted plumber.
Word of mouth is still important
Word of mouth from person to person is still one of the most important ways that knowledge of a business spreads. In order to keep your plumbing service in-demand, you need to treat every customer as if they were relatives. Many plumbing services don’t offer charisma and empathy to customers’ needs, and this impacts their ability to acquire a larger income base. Even doing home calls after service isn’t far-fetched, ask customers how their experience was, and if the problem was resolved. This is a great method of providing quality assurance as well.
The internet is also an important place where word of mouth can spread like wildfire, especially if it’s a customer’s bad experience. You can’t remove a bad review or two from review pages, but what you can do is respond to customers’ complaints. People who see a plumbing service that is eager to right any wrongs will envision you like a more trusted contractor and it will see any worries they have aside. Replying to a few complaints apologizing for the experience and offering a resolution doesn’t take more than a few minutes and it can go miles in building a good reputation.
Referring customers
Customers aren’t just avenues with which to generate income, they’re also sources of future customers. Many plumbing services will offer a referral program where an initial service fee for an inspection is either discounted or removed. You can inform your customers about this referral program, and if they have any friends or family they’re going to remember you. It also means that your next customer might be able to refer you to other customers, and so on and so forth. These forms of programs can help keep your service in demand when compared to other plumbing companies because you’re offering something they can’t after you’ve provided them the service.
If you’ve made any pages on social media, you can always ask friends and family to share pages in order to reach a larger audience. You might keep this information on your business card, or tell your customers that you have a presence there. Try talking to your employees and make sure everyone is on the same page regarding customer service, even if you’re dealing with difficult customers. Following these steps is going to increase your chances of being able to stay in-demand in any market.