7 a.m. to 7 p.m. is Normal Service

Question: Who is typically your ideal client?

Answer: People who have jobs and value their time as much as they value their money.

Today, those ideal clients come from dual-income households. That means they work long, hard hours and they tend to be first coming home late in the day. If you can serve them the right way and on their schedule, you will win.

Think about it. When these choice customers come home and find issues at their home that require calling a contractor, what is it they’re most likely to get starting around 4 p.m.? An answering machine! Maybe you have a professional answering company — surely an improvement. But it’s not anywhere as good as answering your own phones. That’s because you have a vested interest in the outcome and they don’t.

Also, you have more power to convince a Tech to either stay late or come out and do a call when they are more likely to blow the call off altogether. The Tech might just mail in their effort when they field the call, especially when the message is from an answering service. When this happens, it’s the customer and the company who are poorly served.

So, what’s the answer?

You need to energize shifts. The first shift to be energized is the 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift. That’s both for a Tech who is working those hours vs. being on-call, and a well-trained CSR [a.k.a Customer Service Rep] or manager who can screen the call and book it the right way and see the job history. This gives you, the company, the best chance to run the call the right way and maximize the results.

Okay, why should the Techs be happy about this new rotating shift of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.? What’s their WIIFM [a.k.a What’s In It For Me]?

Here are some great WIIFMs for Techs when energizing this program:

• They can have breakfast with their kids.

• They can book appointments like taking their car in for service.

• They can book a doctor’s appointment in the morning.

• It’s a “Gravy Shift’ when you show up after 4 p.m. prepared to run the call the right way because the competition falls away.

• It takes the pressure off the “On-Call Tech” because they can go home and have dinner with their family while the 10-7 Tech covers things.

Here are some additional tips on energizing the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. normal service hours:

1. Make sure whoever is booking the calls confirms that we’re going to the right customers using the CSR Manual and that they hold the Techs accountable to doing the calls right and right now!

2. Make sure the rotating 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tech is still attending meetings or at least brought up to speed on what’s going on.

How do you turn this 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. strategy into a sales and marketing advantage?

1. My suggestion is to do it quietly at first by setting up the Tech and the CSR/Dispatcher rotations and shifting late afternoon calls to this person. This will allow you to work out the kinks.

2. In a very short time, you huddle up and then make it known to your customers in:

• E-mail blasts

• Ezines

• Newsletters

• Direct-mail

• On-hold message

Then, once again, we can then begin to promote this approach in your marketing to prospective customers.

Unleash the power of serving customers the right way and on their own schedule. Separate yourself from your competition in a powerful and helpful way that will rightfully put more money in your own pocket!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

What’s the number one question I get asked?…“How do I get my phone ringing NOW?”

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