3 Ways Home Services Companies Can Improve the Client Experience
To build a loyal customer base, home services such as pest control, repair, cleaning and maintenance companies rely heavily on the client experience.
Often, the outcomes of services among competitors is similar: a clean home, no more ant infestations or a repaired washing machine. What makes people come back again and refer their friends and family is not necessarily the outcome of the service, but the experience they had.
Was the frontline employee friendly and accommodating? Was the service completed promptly and done thoroughly? Was the communication on point or completely lacking? All the micro-moments in the client’s experience add up to determine whether they’ll be back again, or look for an alternative provider.
So, how can you most effectively improve the customer experience and ensure your clients stick around? Here are three proven methods.
Win on Web
Often, the first time a customer will encounter your home services business is online. If you need a handyman, your dishwasher suddenly goes kaput or you’re in need of a deep clean, what do you do? You Google it. “Handyman near me”, “Dishwasher repair service”, “Best commercial cleaner in Portland”…and just like that you're inundated with options. To stand out from the crowd and get your customer experience off to a good start, you need to make sure their web experience is seamless, user-friendly and drives action.
Web best practices include:
Clear Service Standards: Having your service standards publicly available means customers know what they can expect from your business. Making this clear from the get-go sets yourself up for a winning customer experience.
Transparent Information: A common complaint with home service businesses is confusion around what’s included and hidden costs. Get everything out in the open in a clear, digestible way for your customers to understand exactly what your service is and how much it will cost them.
Include Reviews & Customer Stories: 72% of consumers say positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business. If you’re measuring NPS you’re half way there, you already know who your promoters are, and who you can ask for shining reviews or customer case studies.
Easy Online Booking: Make sure customers can book in for their service or request a quote using an easy, user-friendly online system. In a few clicks, your customers should be able to book in on a time that works for them, fill out any relevant Qs and be on their merry way.
Invest in the Frontline
An awesome client experience is heavily reliant on your frontline employees. The cleaners, exterminators, repairers – the one’s actually providing the service are the ones that can sprinkle the magic dust on the experience. If they have the tools, knowledge and support they need, they’re more likely to provide 5-star experiences. An investment in your frontline teams is an investment in your client experience.
To help your teams deliver winning experiences, make sure your frontline teams have:
Access to Customer Feedback: Sharing customer feedback with your frontline teams will help them understand what they’re doing well (making them feel seen and appreciated for great work) and what they can do to improve (making them aware of tangible changes to make based on actual customer insights).
A Supportive Company Culture: The happier your team is, the better experiences they will deliver. It is the organization’s job to foster a company culture where employees feel seen, valued, listened to and appreciated. Make sure your employees are connected to your company vision, bonded as a team, have close relationships with their managers and are encouraged to speak up. As Global Frontline Experience Summit guest Yvette Mihelic said “Culture will eat your strategy for breakfast.”
Make Personalization a Priority
When it comes to home services, it’s all about the personal touches. Just one element of personalization can take an experience from average to awesome. The truth is, consumers value feeling special. In fact, 80% of consumers are more likely to use a service from a brand that provides personalized experiences. That’s an overwhelming majority.
Royce Ard, owner of My Amazing Maid, says it’s the small details that make the biggest impact. My Amazing Maid cleans over 200 hundred houses a month. Ard says, “Even though we’re a larger company, we want to appear to be a small company”. That small company service is characterized by speed, convenience and knowing a customer beyond their invoice number. Something as simple as knowing the names of household pets and bringing them a treat can win over the loyalty of your customers.
Using a good CRM system and keeping track of customer feedback can help you personalize the experience and deliver on the little things that matter most to your clients.
Recap: The 3 Must-Dos
Step 1: Get your website absolutely right. You only have one chance to make a good first impression. If it’s confusing, hard to book or unclear, customers will simply click out and try another provider.
Step 2: Invest in your frontline teams. Connect them to customer feedback, recognize them and support them in their work. They are the ones responsible for improving the client experience, and they can’t do it without full backing from their organization.
Step 3: Personalize wherever possible. Get to know your customers and go the extra mile to make them feel special.
