By Michael Williams, Just Drains LLC – courtesy of www.plumbermag.com
You don’t necessarily have to service every customer immediately, but you should keep in mind the tight window you have to respond within before they decide to go to a competitor.
A common factor behind failing plumbing and drain cleaning companies is not responding to customers promptly.Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
I call it the ‘10-minute window.’
That’s the time you must respond within to a phone call from a customer to ensure you don’t lose them. That doesn’t mean you have to service them immediately. But you should at least give them a response.
Say you’re driving when a call comes in. Pull over and find some place safe. Get out a pen and paper and take down all the information. Again, it doesn’t mean you have to go to the customer’s home right away, but you must respond quickly. That can be the difference between you or your competition getting the job.
A common factor behind failing plumbing and drain cleaning companies is not responding to customers promptly. It’s not rocket science. If you have a phone and you have a phone call, respond. I always tell people that one phone call can change your life forever. But if you don’t take the call, you’ll never know. It doesn’t mean you have to drop everything that you’re doing immediately. Just be sure you’re responding to that call in the 10-minute window.
A lot of us don’t stick to that policy, but it can make a big difference. Practice it. The more you practice it, the better you’ll get at always responding to customers quickly. The customer has the money to give to you, but if you do not respond, you can’t get it.
Michael Williams is a high-energy, highly motivated drain cleaner and businessman. He is the owner of Just Drains LLC in Philadelphia, providing drain cleaning and plumbing services in the tri-state area. Williams welcomes calls from others in the industry. If you have questions for him or topic suggestions for this column, he can be reached at 215-879-8459 (US number).
