One of the biggest problems that a client can have with your company is feeling unimportant. It’s too easy to lose a client by not qualifying them correctly. This client could even be a club member that has been with your company for years.
Without proper training, value builders can be skipped causing a reduction in call closing percentage.
Related: PRESS PLAY for CSR Training
Take the example below for instance:
Sally is a CSR for a local plumbing company. She took a call from Ms. Smith for a leaky faucet. Since the leaky faucet was a low priority repair, Sally offered Ms. Smith an appointment 3 days from when the call was taken.
After offering the appointment, Ms. Smith became irate. She said,
“I thought I was paying to be a priority client, if this is how your company does business, you can cancel my membership, and put me on your do not call list.”
Sally lost Ms. Smith as a client because she failed to identify Ms. Smith’s “client category” before she attempted to schedule the call.
Unfortunately, this happens all too often. CSR’s skip vital steps in the call flow and end up hurting not only their call closing percentage, but also the company’s bottom line and reputation.
There are 4 client types that a CSR needs to identify. These can be identified with one or two simple questions in the first 30 seconds of the call.
These questions are taught as part of the PRESS PLAY for CSRs Program.
“Are you a Priority Club member or have we ever been to your home before?”
The follow-up question if they say no, is:
“Awesome, how did you hear about our company?”
The client’s response to those two questions will help you identify which of the 4 client categories they fit into:
The 4 Client Categories
- The Return Client:
This client will be easy to recognize using your software system. She will be familiar with your company and practices. It is still important to ask questions to get the newest history. Also, remind your client of your service practices. If they are members of a maintenance program, thank them and reiterate the benefits.
- Referred Potential Client:
This client may be aware of how your company works. She may mention who referred her, as well as the positive experience the referral had. She will still have questions and needs to hear the value builders about your company. She may ask about a membership agreement or special services you offer.
- Brand Influenced Prospects:
This client knows your company. He has been influenced by your branding materials: vans, trucks, TV commercials, mailers, or heard your radio spots. He is aware of your company but does not have all the information. He needs to be convinced that your company is the best value. He may not be aware of all the services your company provides.
- Cold Prospects:
This client has little brand influence from your company. He found you online or in the phone book. He does not have a lot of information about your company. He is usually calling to see who can get there first, who is the cheapest, or looking for basic information. This client has the potential for the lowest booking rate; but can be won with building value, asking questions, and showing that your company is the best option.
The earlier you identify your client category, the faster you will be able to communicate the features and benefits of your unique services to that client.
This is one of the lessons taught in the PRESS PLAY for CSR Series. We work on this before identifying the evaluation questions for each client type.
One of the most important roles of a CSR is to fill the schedule with highly qualified calls. This leads to the 2nd most important role of a CSR, and that is getting the right technician to the right call at the right time. We call this dispatching for profit. The better the CSR customizes the call to the client category, the better success they will have getting the call on the schedule.
If you would like more information on the PRESS PLAY for CSR Series, CLICK HERE.
