The plumbing industry is highly competitive, according to statistics, 129,517 plumbing businesses were operating in the US as of January 2022. That being said, customers tend to have options and will go where they offered the best services. An answering service for plumbers can help you improve customer satisfaction. Like any other entity, repeat business for plumbing works often depends on client satisfaction. When your clients are satisfied, they will return to your services. On the other hand, a dissatisfied customer will likely hire another plumbing company the next time they need such services.
If you are considering hiring an answering service for plumbers, you have come to the right place. This article will discuss the benefits of an answering service for plumbers and the factors to consider when hiring an answering service for your plumbing business. Keep reading to learn more.
Challenges Facing Small Plumbing Businesses
Even the most successful businesses face various challenges, so your plumbing business is no exception. Running a plumbing business can take a considerable amount of time, planning, and effort. You will often find yourself trying to improve your business in many ways, and one important area may be providing high-quality customer service over the phone.
One of the common complaints that customers raise about most plumbing companies is being unable to reach them over the phone. This makes sense because most plumbing companies are small businesses with limited resources and staff. In the plumbing business, a missed call could mean a missed opportunity. If your customers’ calls are not answered on time, they will become frustrated and call the next plumber on their list. Besides, unanswered calls and poor customer service could also damage your business’s reputation.
The following are common challenges small plumbing businesses face.
Finding and Keeping Clients
Your customers are key to the success of your business. While building a loyal customer base can take time, it is a sign of a successful business. A loyal customer provides two great benefits: word-of-mouth referrals and recurring revenue. When you first start your small plumbing business, one of the most difficult things to do is gain a consistent following of customers and clients.
The best way to find and keep customers is by improving customer service. However, offering the best customer service may not be possible if you run a small plumbing business. As a plumber, you will usually be busy with plumbing duties, and answering your customers’ calls can be challenging. Retaining valuable customers also requires you to understand in detail the effectiveness of your customer service as seen from the customer’s point of view.
Difficulty Managing Resources
Managing resources is a common challenge for all small businesses, but it is particularly difficult for Field Service companies. Since you are your manager, you will always be on-site most of the time and never in the office to complete administrative tasks.
As the business owner, you are responsible for scheduling tasks, supporting your field workers, and managing leads, invoices, projects, quotes, and other resources. Poor time management can lead to inefficiency. For instance, you may fail to send invoices on time. Poor resource management (not having the required pipes and working tools) could delay projects.
Limited Capacity
Limited capacity or lack of support for your small plumbing business can limit its growth potential. Running a plumbing business means responding to calls 24/7. Managing calls can be challenging if you do not have an in-house receptionist to help you answer them.
As a plumber, you will primarily work with water systems and pipes. However, that does not mean that you will not be working in situations where you will need the assistance of other people to complete your job. You will often have jobs that require you to be able to get behind certain structural materials. Besides, you will require qualified staff to help you schedule appointments and follow up on outstanding invoices.
Benefits of Hiring an Answering Service for Plumbers
The following are the benefits of hiring an answering service for plumbers.
Improved Customer Service
The success of your plumbing business will largely depend on customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer will return to your office whenever they need plumbing services. They can also refer more clients to you and do positive reviews about your business on various online platforms.
Plumbing emergencies can develop at any time. When your clients have plumbing emergencies, they want help, and they want it right away. The first step in getting help is calling your office for assistance. When they contact your office, they expect to speak to a live, qualified person to set up an appointment to resolve their problems. Many people will quickly hang up if an automated voice greets them. If their calls are unanswered, they will become frustrated and call the next plumber on their list.
An answering service for plumbers will help you offer better customer service by ensuring your business is available 24/7. With an answering service, you will be sure that a professional virtual receptionist will manage your calls, whether on a weekend, holiday, or after-hours.
Better Resource Management
An answering service offers more than just answering calls. A reliable answering service can help you with other duties, such as scheduling and keeping track of customer service requests. Answering service providers have professional, qualified virtual receptionists who can help you with resource management.
Provide Additional Capacity
As a plumber, you will often be busy fixing pipes and helping your clients with other plumbing emergencies. This means you may not have the time and capacity to answer all calls from your clients. A missed call could miss a missed opportunity for your plumbing business.
Hiring an answering service for plumbers means you will have additional capacity to run your business smoothly. Virtual receptionists will help you with other duties like scheduling appointments, managing calls, and following up on outstanding invoices. Besides, hiring an answering service will help you reduce the expenses of training and paying a full-time in-house receptionist.
Factors to Consider Before Hiring an Answering Service for Plumbers
While an answering service can benefit your plumbing business in many ways, it is important to note that all answering services are not the same. A bad answering service provider can damage your business’s reputation. Therefore, it is important to choose the right answering service for your plumbing business.
The following are a few things to consider when hiring an answering service for plumbers.
Quality of Service
The answering service you choose can make or break your business. Therefore, it is important to look at the quality of service they provide. The right answering service should have highly-trained, professional virtual receptionists who can provide the best customer service. They should also be available 24/7.
Excellent Reputation
The ideal answering service for your plumbing business should have a good reputation as it will represent your business. You should check if they have received positive reviews, references, or testimonials. You will also want to check if they have received any awards and the number of years they have been in the business.
Utilizes Technology
An answering service for plumbers should have the latest technology to ensure seamless integration with your existing systems. Ask about their telephony platform and what capabilities are available. Look for features like secure data storage, real-time call reporting, and call recording.
Bilingual Capabilities
With a bilingual answering service for plumbers, you expand your customer base. Ensure that the company you are considering can offer your business bilingual answering services in fluent Spanish and English.
Conclusion
An answering service for plumbers can benefit your business in many ways. It can help improve customer service by ensuring 24/7 availability. An ideal answering service can also help you with better resource management and provide additional capacity.
Whether you run a large plumbing business or you are just a one-man team, if you want to make running your business easier, consider hiring an answering service for plumbers. Contact us, and we will be happy to help you.
