Paul Riddle
Contributing Writer
Success Group International
No matter what you call them – call backs, warranties, or disruptions – these calls from a potentially upset homeowners can actually be an opportunity. That’s a shift from the thinking of most contractors. Normally, a call back is met with a response along the lines of, “Now, I have to take care of this, and what’s it going to cost?”
Needless to say, most companies don’t put them at the top of their “to do” list. On the rare occasion that a company does put a call back at the top of the list, and they should, it’s with a whole lot of resentment. Typically they rush out, take care of the problem as quickly as possible, and down the road they go, giving the customer very little if any attention. This can build even more resentment from the customer, feeling as though the contractor really doesn’t care.
Over the years, everyone has been guilty of that. It’s understandable—at face value, they appear to just suck up time and money. A call back means pulling someone off of a profitable job to go to this client’s home. And typically, the problem really isn’t something your technician did wrong—it was another problem.
Regardless, most people believe in just fixing it, making them smile, hope they refer you, and move on because every call back means an increase in direct cost. That’s money that’s just bleeding out of your company with really nothing to show for it. Call backs are just an opportunity to lose money. That feeling is absolutely incorrect!
If you change your philosophy, you can actually see call backs as an opportunity. But you must have a system in place! When a call back comes in, go to the client’s home, discover the problem, and see it as a chance to utilize your communication skills with some incredible results.
Of course, the main component of every call back is to handle the problem at hand. However, this is your chance to show the client how routine maintenance can keep other problems from occurring, which saves them from future headaches.
Instead of sending a technician to the job, send someone from your management team. You will find what you thought all along was the truth: it really wasn’t anything your tech did wrong. The home just had another problem, which caused a new problem. In the rare occasion that it does result from your work, with a manager on the scene, you’re able to see it firsthand, so you can train your technicians not to make the same mistake again.
No matter what the case, you’ll likely finding the customer thanking you and happily paying for additional services that you’re providing. And with that change in philosophy, you can take an area of your company from bleeding red to the black!
Don’t resent the warranty calls that come into your company. Look at them for what they are, an opportunity. Your customers will thank you and your bottom line will improve. A Win–Win for everyone!
About the Author: Paul Riddle, Vice President, Success Group International
Paul Riddle has over 25 years of hands‐on experience as GM, COO, CEO, and owner of service companies specifically in the mechanical and restoration segments. Throughout his career, he has personally trained the owners and employees of hundreds of businesses, including several turnaround situations. His hands‐on training for owners and their employees has been in the areas of business planning, sales & marketing, and company culture. Paul enjoys applying his knowledge and experience working directly with business owners and their employees to increase profits, improve the company’s present value, and unlock the intrinsic value of the business when sold. Paul joined SGI in 2009 as the VP of Operations.