Technology Creates Avenue for Increased Efficiency and Customer Comfort

Without it, contractors and customers alike have a difficult time building an ongoing relationship

Technology is part of everyday life. Today’s home services customers are apt to look to their smartphones to browse social media as well as to search for a local plumbing and heating contractor.

For the consumer, technology provides more control over comfort, health, and safety. For the home services pro, technology also helps the home services professional to be more efficient.

Managing and growing service agreements is the lifeblood of the contracting business by providing year-round profitable work, especially during seasonal downturns.

Countless hours are spent each month by CSRs and dispatchers who schedule maintenance visits, update client records, and complete proper follow-ups on recommended repairs and accessories, not to mention the number of transactions your accounting team completes to accurately record revenue, costs, and collecting payments.

Utilizing app-based products, freeze up your service admin team to focus on better customer care and revenue-centric activities.

Consumer Benefits

For the customer, technology has enhanced communications with the contractor. With social media, emails, and text messages being the currently most used methods of communication, customers can reach contractors easily.

All-in-one service apps keep the customer connected 24/7 while monitoring the progress of a service call. These platforms also help customers receive timely notifications and updates regarding their service, along with highlighting new products the customer may be interested in based on their history of purchases.

With communication continuing to be a focal point of any consumer contractor relationship, technology makes it simple for customers to manage their time and schedule calls when it best suits them. Online billing platforms and mobile apps also provide an efficient way for clients to securely pay any invoice without the need for face-to-face interaction. With COVID-19 still a prevalent issue, this is a major bonus for the home service industry.

The simplicity of modern technology has increased the level of comfort a customer feels when signing a service agreement, giving them the desired amount of control and communication.

Contractor Benefits

For contractors, the service agreement is all about building a relationship with the consumer through ongoing communication.

Educating and informing clients on additional products and services to make their homes cleaner, more efficient, and safer creates trust and builds a “community” amongst their customer base.

With the help of technology, contractors create a steady stream of revenue by putting themselves in a position to close and retain service agreements. This form of revenue tends to be more stable and accounted for with a high degree of certainty. Company looking to grow and bolster their assets, service agreements create a consistent source of income and year-round work for employees by overcoming seasonal downturns.

Using technology is a necessity for a company to thrive and grow.

With the consistent increase in demand for the home service industry, technology is a necessity for maintaining these important client relationships. Contractors will increase client retention, which leads to new sales through referrals from satisfied customers. Efficient, timely marketing communications through email or text messaging through push notifications can also result in increased sales.

Showcasing its ability to create convenience and safety, customer-facing technology also allows clients to make monthly payments without the need for in-person visits and long telephone calls to secure payment information. This increases the chance of a consumer utilizing your services by making it simple and easy for them to do business with you.

Less Intrusive

Clients view apps as less intrusive. Customers feel less pressure to buy because they have the freedom to explore information about other products and services provided by the company.

If a consumer feels more educated about a product, they are more likely to make the purchase, thus increasing the contractor’s sales. Shopping carts in mobile apps also play a major role because a customer can simply place an item in the cart for purchase or use the option to come back and buy it later. With the deployment of this technology, customers can easily spread their annual maintenance agreement costs over 12 months, easing budget and cash flow constraints through smaller, more frequent payments.

Regarding service agreement sales, apps create a step-by-step sales process that navigates the client and the team members through each step of the buying process, making it easier for the team to sell service agreements.

Additionally, apps provide dashboards with key performance indicators to assist the contractor in managing and growing their program. These indicators include:

• Monthly and yearly revenue
• Number of current agre
• Renewals
• Number of new agreements
• Quantity of agreements with maintenance due each month

Without the use of technology, these methods can be much more complicated, likely reducing the ability of a contractor and customer to build an ongoing relationship and decreasing the number of service contracts sold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tammy Vasquez has built a highly successful two-decade career in the HVAC industry, spanning sales, marketing, management, operations-process development, and business management consulting. By applying concepts and techniques learned from training and through the practical education and experience gained by working in the HVAC industry, she has established a long-term track record of success and implementation follow-through.

Read the article by BDR Vice President of Coaching Tammy Vasquez in PHC News!