All customers are going to have expectations about any home service they receive. One of the most important things to remember when you arrive at a customer’s home for any type of service call is that the customer probably didn’t immediately call for professional help. In the experience of our coaches at Service Excellence, they likely tried to fix the situation themselves using their own knowledge or tips they found online.
Forming Expectations
No matter what the situation is, your customer will have formed expectations before you even arrive. Those expectations could be wrong, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t present. They’ll have an idea of what you’re going to do, how much it will cost and what your service should look like.
How To Combat Previous Expectations
When you arrive at a customer’s home, the first thing you need to do is set the expectations you want the customer to have about your visit. If you let them do it themselves, they will revert to the misconceptions they have learned from other sources. This could cause massive trouble as the visit proceeds if your actions don’t line up with their expectations.
Discover Expectations
You can’t just blow past the customer’s thoughts and get straight to work – you have to take the time to reveal what exactly the customer’s expectations are in order to meet or exceed them. Once you’ve built rapport with your customer, you should ask to see the area of the home in question.
Maintain your demeanor as you continue to gather information about the customer and situation. Avoid rapid-fire questions that put the customer on the spot. Keep the conversation going as you inquire about the problem. Gather information, don’t interrogate.
Reset Expectations
Continue to find out how much the customer knows by asking questions about the age of their appliance, the quality of the unit or the filtration system it has. Some homeowners may know these things, and some may not. All of this information can tell you if you should keep pressing to find out if other areas of their home need service.
Work with your customer – don’t just lecture them. Go over their options and take time to answer any questions they may have about your services and offers. It’s more important that they understand their options and the benefits that come with them than to rush them into making a decision.
Create New Expectations
It’s also important to set the expectation that appliances need maintenance every year. Some homeowners don’t know this, and some may learn from your knowledge that they need to start giving proper attention to their home systems. Tie this service visit in with an opportunity for your customer to join your service plan.
Yes, you are there to take care of the clogged toilet, but because you are credible and thorough, you’ll need to check the whole plumbing system to make sure all elements are working together properly. When you’re done, you’ll clearly explain your findings to the homeowner and allow them to decide what actions they want to take.
Reset the expectations ahead of your actions if you want to avoid the immediate “no” that customers are likely to give if you spend a long time finding problems they don’t want you to find. Since you’ve taken the time to build rapport and educate your customer on proper home care, it’s easy to transition into helping them decide what’s best for their space.
Reset Your Expectations With Service Excellence
Learn more about setting expectations for your customers so your service call progresses smoothly. Perform your job without confrontations or confusing your customer. Check out all of our resources – including classes, blogs and podcasts – to help you IGNITE THE POWER WITHIN.
