KickStart: Build solid, trusting Reciprocal Relationships with Strategic Partnerships to dramatically increase referrals for your Residential Maintenance Plans.

Let’s play Steve’s Multiple-Choice Quiz game!

Question: After “employees” (which is always #1 on every entrepreneur’s problem list!) what is the second-worst challenge facing residential service companies? (Choose one)

a) Increasing costs

b) Maintaining consistent cash flow

c) High taxes

Not to diss the issues of rising costs or high taxes but if you chose “b”, “Maintaining consistent cash flow” it’s WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER time! 🐔🐔 After all…

When you think about it, while no one is happy with “a” or “c”, if your home services business has a consistent, “guaranteed” cash flow these other problems resolve themselves! Soooo…

Dream with me: Instead of constantly scrambling to fill your techs’ schedules (and pay your bills) a high percentage of your daily jobs have been pre-paid and yes, even pre-scheduled by loyal, long-term, “pre-trained” clients!

Are you swooning with rapturous delight? 💖 You should be! Making the above dream a reality has transformed many of my clients’ businesses and yes, even their lives! This same “guaranteed cash flow” can be yours IF you focus on…

Residential Maintenance Plans (RMP’s)

I highly recommend you develop a subscription model for the services you already provide homeowners. (This is a whole ‘nother KickStart!) But how can you tap into RMP’s for the systems and equipment installed by retailers?

🗝️ Here’s the deal on homeowners: They obsess over pre-planned maintenance as their shiny new system gets installed. BINGO! Install day is the perfect time to sign them up on a Residential Maintenance Plan!

But the guy doing the install? He just wants to pack up his truck and head to the next job. And it’s not just the installer…

Think about it. If a contractor just sold Mrs. Jones a $14,000 HVAC system, the last thing he wants to say on install day is, “Remember, these coils are going to get nasty, the condensate line will clog, and you’ll need to pay someone hundreds of dollars a year just to maintain it!” Talk about killing the honeymoon buzz! 🙄💖🥰😍😘

Ditto on swimming pools, patio paving, tree pruning, granite countertops, hot tubs, new carpets, ceramic tile, garage door openers, home security systems, and the list goes on…

Installers don’t want to be a Debbie Downer 😠 by delivering the “ongoing maintenance” news to an excited homeowner. This means the retailer (or their install crew) won’t pitch your maintenance services unless you give them reasons to do so…

Steve’s Takeaway: Want a reliable pipeline of business referrals for home services? You must first build solid, trusting relationships with the contractors who are already inside your future customers’ homes.

Here are some B2B marketing options to get installers and retailers to actively promote and send maintenance work your way:

1. The “Cold Beer or Donuts” Routine

Dropping off a Monday morning box of donuts or a case of beer 🍻🍻🍻 on a Friday afternoon is the classic “Bubba” approach. This “down-home” strategy can still work great!

🗝️ Friendships in the trades are built MUCH faster over a cold brew than a slick brochure. But sugar and alcohol will only get your foot in the door and they fade fast! What do local contractors really want? For you to make their lives easier!

2. Stop Being a Liability

Let’s be brutally honest: Many (most?) home service companies are a nightmare to deal with. This sad track record means your local plumbing company or swimming pool contractor has been burned before. 😡 Here’s how it went down…

They referred a guy to their client, he didn’t return phone calls, showed up late, tracked mud inside, and basically made the referring contractor look like a clueless idiot! 😮

👍ProTIP: If you want contractor’s leads, you must provide impeccable, 5-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ service. Referral Partners are lending you their reputation. Guard and protect it or you won’t get a second chance!

3. Prove Your Worth on Their Turf

Don’t just promise you’re the best—prove it! Offer to do a free maintenance run on the contractor’s own home.

Whether it’s a free AC tune-up, a complimentary termite inspection, or cleaning their living room carpets, let this contractor (and their spouse) experience your stellar Customer Cheerleader reputation firsthand. Once you prove how your techs treat their home, they’ll feel safe referring your company to their precious clients.

4. Feed Their Ego (and Cover Their Back)

When you get a referral, follow up immediately and consistently.

A) Reach out before the job and sincerely thank your contact for their trust in your company.

B) Then after you finish the work, send your Referral Partner the glowing 5-star reviews you received from their client along with a sincere thank you!

C) If you stumble across a minor mistake the install crew made—like a sloppy caulk line or a loose fitting? Fix it cheerfully, keep your mouth shut, and never, ever throw your Referral Partner under the bus to the homeowner. Instead…

D) Send a heads-up email to your Referral Partner with before-and-after photos you took of the issue, how you resolved it and of course include “at no charge because we really appreciate your referrals!” 😁

To sum this rant up? “Reciprocity” works! Who knew? 🎊🪅🎉🎈😁

PROVE to your referral partners that recommending your services will make them look like a hero! 😎

Want more ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews? Customer delight is the TRUE engine of sales! Teach your team to generate referrals and stop complaints before they start. Register for Live Stream Technician Service Training on October 22. Qualifies for 7 IICRC CECs. No exam required.

Next Week: Delivering Residential Services in Winter: Keep the “Yuck” Outside

KickStart: Use my focused Customer Delight techniques to them win them at the start of the job.

I feel your pain. Every fall as my dreaded home services winter slow down approached, my fears stacked up. How do I keep my techs busy? What about my ever-present business overhead?

But then I accidently learned about “complimentary seasons”. For many residential service providers, normally slow winters become prime time for emergency callouts and/or working with insurance claims adjusters.

Hey, don’t diss winter emergency work! Here’s why. A) You keep your crew working during slow times, B) cash flow keeps coming in and C) these grateful emergency service customers will become regular clients!

Do winter-time emergency services sound better now? If so, you must recognize that emergency work is a whole new emotional (and logistical) landscape!

Let’s talk emotions first. (No surprise to anyone who knows Steve Toburen!) 🙄 At HFS, we teach a fundamental truth re: emergency services:

🗝️ In emergency service jobs NO ONE involved is a “Happy Camper”! 😎

Insurance adjusters: These stressed-out folks dread phone calls. Can you blame them? Absolutely no one calls an adjuster to say, “Everything is going great in my life!” So, the primary emotion of an insurance adjuster? FEAR!

Homeowners: Remember, this unplanned emergency crisis popped in on top of your new client’s already hectic life. So, insureds are nervous, confused, vulnerable and very traumatized, all of which combine to create… FEAR!

GULP! 🫣 This is the emotional landscape your techs will be dealing with! (So they’re not happy campers either!) And yet, the solution to “win over adjusters and insureds plus your techs” is very simple …

🗝️ Guarantee—and prove—that your company will bring PEACE and RESOLUTION to all parties’ lives.

Remember, adjusters lean heavily toward residential service companies that reduce THEIR stress! How to deliver on this “less adjuster stress” promise?

🗝️ Convert the traumatized homeowner into an ecstatic, raving fan Cheerleader immediately! Here’s why you must do this…

Homeowners who appreciate (dare I say “love”?) your team simply will not complain to the adjuster. The job runs smoother, is finished faster, and everyone (especially you as the home service provider) wins!

The Playbook for Instant Relief

When a homeowner is standing ankle-deep in a plumbing leak or sweating through a 100-degree weekend with a dead AC, they’re totally panicked! 😮 Can you blame them? My secret?

🗝️ You make a Cheerleader out of a stressed-out homeowner by focusing on their raw emotions right from the git-go. Here’s how to do it…

During your initial walk-through, follow this three-step LET acronym:

1. Listen attentively: Let your client vent their frustration.

2. Empathize: Validate their stress (feel their pain) without making false promises.

3. Tactfully take control: Shift their focus by interviewing them about their most pressing immediate concern(s).

Take “Immediate Action”

In the plumbing, HVAC, pest control or flood restoration world, this Immediate Action technique puts the customer’s mind at ease and builds massive trust. For example…

• If you’re dealing with a flooded basement, don’t just hand the insured an estimate and walk away. Show concern by asking what irreplaceable items they are most worried about. Then have your techs move those boxes to dry ground right then and there.

• If their AC just fried during a searing mid-July, wheel in a temporary portable cooling unit for their master bedroom while you wait on parts.

• If the homeowner has a massive pest infestation, seal the primary entry point to their kitchen. (Before you even write up the quote.)

REAL LIFE: Heck, in my emergency services restoration business I would offer to launder some “immediate needs clothing” for the homeowner or set up a temporary fix at no charge, even BEFORE the big loss was approved. Here’s why…

As I tell every HFS training class: “Once I had the homeowner’s underwear… I knew I’d get the job!” 😮

This sincere attitude of care and concern creates a massive, positive Moment of Truth balance with the homeowner. So now you’ll have emotional credit banked up for the inevitable job hiccups that will happen later. 👍👍 Plus…

BONUS: A grateful homeowner will actively fight to keep your company on the job even if the insurance adjuster tries to bring in a cheaper, cut-rate contractor later.

EXTRA BONUS: Truly helping people out of a jam is a fantastic feeling for you and your staff! 😁 In an industry clouded by transactional thinking, proving to homeowners that you will solve their nightmares (and not just take their money) is a big win for EVERYONE involved.

“Everyone, Steve? What about the adjuster?” Simple. Adjusters are graded by how quickly they close losses! Therefore…

When you create a Raving Fan cheerleader out of an insured, every loss becomes an easy, simple, fast and drama-free transaction for the adjuster! BINGO! You become their go-to emergency services company!

Plus, it never hurts when your delighted homeowner client gratefully tells the adjuster, “Thank you so much for referring (insert your name) to us. He is a wonderful human being!” 😎

Want more 5-star reviews? Customer satisfaction is the TRUE engine of sales. Teach your team to generate referrals and stop complaints before they start. Register for Live Stream Technician Service Training on October 22.
Qualifies for 7 IICRC CECs. No exam.

KickStart: Help your prospects to focus on the end result of your pre-inspection quote and NOT on how you got there!

You (hopefully) price your residential services based on your specific “profit metrics”. After all, if you know your production rates, you can set prices to actually turn a profit. (This is a whole ‘nother KickStart!) 🙄

But here is the reality: Your average residential customer is completely clueless about what you will be doing in their home OR how you calculate their job numbers to arrive at your final price.

Because homeowners don’t understand your business, they get anxious. This insecurity leads to micromanaging your entire “pre-inspection” process. NOTE: Click HERE to see why I hate and despise the word “estimate”!

Next thing you know, a homeowner is hovering over you, asking, “Are you going to deduct the square footage for the kitchen island?” or “Do you really need to include the space behind the furnace?” Sound familiar? 🤔

NOTE: The above scenarios do NOT mean you’re necessarily dealing with a so-called “price shopper”. Assuming you are marketing correctly (yet another KickStart topic!) your residential prospects can easily afford your services. BUT even wealthy people don’t enjoy feeling taken advantage of! 😠

CORE CONCEPT: Never, ever bicker with a client over how you measure or calculate a job. Instead, smoothly take control of the Emotional Dynamics of the visit. Here’s how to do it…

Simply redirect (detour) the homeowner’s anxiety into “productive action”.

This is how my home services company handled the initial pre-inspection to create Raving Fan clients that trusted our skills and (more importantly) our ethics…

1. The Guided Tour

After introducing yourself and reviewing the purpose of your visit subtly put the homeowner to work by saying, “Could you please give me a tour and point out any areas of special concern.”

ProTIP: If your “walk through” is inside the home slip on some shoe covers before you step in. This simple action sends the silent message that your crew will care for their home and is a huge positive Moment of Truth!

Whether you are inspecting a struggling HVAC unit or tracking down a pest control entry point you have one goal: Get the homeowner talking about THEIR concerns AND the specific results they want from this transaction.

The result? When you focus the homeowner on the end goal of this process (for example a comfortable house or a bug-free kitchen) they won’t fixate on your tape measure!

2. The “Polite Deflection”

If a homeowner still tries to nitpick your material costs or asks if you subtract pricing for areas you aren’t touching, don’t get defensive. Instead, with a smile give them a calm, professional, and final response:

“Understood. Let me make a note of that (jot it on your clipboard) and I’ll factor this into my final recommendations.” (Be sure to bring their concern up when you review your proposal.)

3. Sell the Result, Not the Method

When you hand over the proposal, focus on outcomes.

HINT: Do not itemize every single square foot, linear inch, or specific technical method. (The only thing worse than arguing over square footage is debating with a homeowner about which plumbing snake or chemical treatment you plan to use!) 🙄

Instead, simply list the areas covered, the frequency, and the solutions provided. Focusing on the results your solutions will provide (and consistently delivering them) is what turns one-time customers into loyal, raving fans.

🗝️ ProTIP: Want to instantly eliminate measurement bickering? Ditch the manual tape measure and use a Laser Distance Meter. Measure quickly, quietly, and authoritatively. Write down your measurements on a separate calculation sheet or tablet screen. When you look and act like the professional you are, your customers will treat you like one. 👍

HINT for B2B and/or Adjusters: If you work with insurance adjusters or commercial property managers, almost all pricing disagreements stem from poor upfront communication. Or your contact may feel insecure, out of control or simply ambushed by complaining tenants. Here is my solution…

With larger jobs and/or ongoing accounts set up a “shared cloud folder” for each client. Load it with for-their-eyes-only photos, measurements, and equipment plans. Then keep it updated with a heads-up about any potential concerns coming at them! They’ll love you forever! 💖

Want more referrals in property damage restoration? We just re-released our updated Healing the Loss! MP3 program. This 5-hour audio course teaches restoration soft skills for the entire company. Unlimited training use!

Next Week: Winning Over a Panicked Customer (And Their Adjuster too!)

KickStart: Tie your techs to your company emotionally to dramatically reduce turnover. Intrigued? Then read on…

Can I be honest? “Well, Steve, why change now? You’ve always been kind of a bull-in-a-china-shop-type-of-guy! So go ahead.” 🙄 OK, if you run a residential services business…

🗝️ Your employees will always be your biggest challenge—and yet also be your greatest joy… and sometimes on the same day! Am I right… or am I right?

Over the years in the home services industry, I spent a lot of time down in the trenches with my crew. I thrived on this stuff! (Not so sure my techs felt the same way!) 🫣

However, I was (and still am) genuinely humbled by the trust my employees placed in me. 💖 (Even when they drove me slightly crazy!)

Most days were an absolute blast. We made great money, solved massive headaches for homeowners, and went home feeling fulfilled. You too?

And yet, the very real challenge? Keeping this exciting “emotional momentum” alive in your team day after day. So, here is your million-dollar question:

How can you keep your residential services business profitable, deliver 5-star customer experiences, and still reduce (or even eliminate) technician turnover?

Here’s the recipe: Your production staff must a) feel appreciated and b) fulfilled while still c) having FUN too! (“Paying people more” 💲💲💲is important too!) Here’s one essential concept…

Your Employees will Blossom in a Family Atmosphere

Yep, you must cultivate a close-knit, even exuberant “family atmosphere” in your residential services company. One great way to do this?

🗝️ Get your techs out of the trucks by sponsoring a monthly company outing.

I’m not talking about an awkward “rah-rah meeting” with your techs rolling their eyes at each other while you sermonize! 🙄 I mean spending some relaxing, down-to-earth and FUN time together! For example…

🗝️ Host a company-paid barbecue at a different team member’s house on a rotating basis. You’d be surprised how proud your guys are of their homes and their grilling skills. Or…

Sponsor a fishing charter, organize a casual golf scramble, or rent a block of seats at a local sporting event and then pick up the tab for burgers 🍔🍔🍔 and beer 🍺🍺🍺 at the local tap house afterwards.

ProTIP: Be sure to include your employees’ spouses and kids in these events. I found when mama liked me her husband stayed with us a lot longer!

NOTE: Don’t sweat the cost of these outings. The benefits of keeping a fully staffed, motivated employee roster far outweigh the price of a few dozen hotdogs, baseball tickets and/or some adult beverages.

Naturally, building loyalty is MUCH easier when you start with great hires in the first place. But once you have them, anything you do to promote that family vibe becomes a massive reason for your people to stick around.

Let’s face it, residential service work can be incredibly lonely out there in the field all day. But when your techs feel like the boss cares for them and their family, they will crawl over broken glass for you!

As the old (or is it new?) saying goes, “Girls (people) just wanna have fun!” 🥳🎉🎊🪅🎈🪇

Steve’s Golden Rule: Techs will start working for you because they need a paycheck. But they stay with you long-term for emotional reasons. 💖

Your real mission as an owner or manager? Convince your workers to buy into your company’s future emotionally and the rest is easy!

BonusTIP: Employee rewards and Public Recognition fit synergistically into the above mix. Learn how! 🎊🪇🪅🎉🎈

Folks, this stuff isn’t rocket science, and you don’t need to be everybody’s best buddy. Just set the stage, handle the logistics, and let the good times roll! 😎

The result? Your people will naturally bond with each other, and your customers will feel your company’s positive energy the second your tech knocks on their door.

Alright folks, break time is over! Time to get back to work! (Like this topic? Then click go here for: 4 more tech retention strategies!)

Next Week: Why and How to Convert Traumatized Homeowners into Raving Fans

KickStart: Set up (and enforce) routine systems to make sure your trucks are stocked and sparkling at every service call! Here’s how to do it…

Like me, when you first started your residential services business, you probably agonized over the big stuff…

You lost sleep over naming the company, designing the perfect logo, and when to hire your first employee. And good for you! 👍

These were huge decisions that set the trajectory for the rest of your life. They deserved deep reflections. However, I finally learned what I should obsess over…

The “Devil is always in the details” of your client’s perception of your company! For example…

Your marketing may be totally dialed-in, but if your company lurches up to a home in a filthy, beat-up van? You’ve lost the homeowner’s trust (and their 5-star review) before your tech even rings the doorbell!

🗝️ Every home service provider’s #1 obsession should be transforming the everyday residential services they perform into a 5-star review machine. This means that…

The Moments of Truth (MOT) in a service call start the second your vehicle pulls up to the house. If your client sees a “rolling dumpster”, they subconsciously assume your techs will treat their home with this same level of disrespect! 😮

Establishing clear service van appearance standards isn’t just about stroking your own ego—your focus 1) sets the emotional stage and 2) helps your team be proud of their job and the work they do. 👍👍

🗝️ Ensuring that your trucks always look their very best is an essential part of Service Engineering your residential services operation!

😁 Steve’s ridiculously simple ProTIP: Carry a can of tire foam in the cab of every truck. Seriously. After lunch or while pumping gas you or your tech should wipe down the tires. With the right routine all four tires will take less than 60 seconds!

The result? Even if the van collects road dust during the morning route, shiny black tires “trick the eye”. This hack makes your entire rig look fresh, clean, and professional which creates 100’s of great MOT’s every day!

But don’t stop now! If you want to create fanatically loyal, “raving fan” Cheerleader clients, implement a mandatory daily and weekly maintenance routine:

• The 5-Minute Daily Cab Clear-Out: No fast-food wrappers or empty energy drinks on the dash. At the end of every shift, the cab gets completely “de-trashified”. (Is this even a word?) 🤷‍♀️

• The Weekly Wash: Make a nightly truck rinse down (or if needed a full-bore scrubbing) mandatory. HINT: Set up a fleet account at a local wash so your guys have zero excuses.

• Tool Triage: An organized back-of-the-van shows homeowners that your techs are “OCD meticulous”. If your tech opens the back doors and a tangled mess of PVC pipe, tools and Jim Beam bottles😮 tumble out, your client will silently freak out!

ProTIP: As you add trucks, make sure each one is set up exactly the same. As in each toolbox, chemical, piece of equipment is placed and secured EXACTLY the same.

🗝️ Your goal here? Every tech can immediately find every item in every truck… while blindfolded!

Critical Mass ProTIP: As my home services company grew into a Critical Mass Business, I loaded less and less on my techs so they could focus on their #1 job- get us more ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews! Soooo…

I hired a sharp, responsible high school kid (Yes, they are out there! 🤔) to come in five nights a week and do all the above tasks. Charlie followed a routine checklist for each service van. The result? My techs were greeted with sparkling clean, restocked trucks every morning!

The Bonus for me? Inevitably all these truck cleaning/restocking tasks pushed my complaining techs into overtime pay. Now Charlie gratefully did a much better job… at less than 1/3 the pay! BINGO! 😁

NEVER FORGET: First impressions are lasting impressions. Sure, your big start-up business decisions carry a lot of weight, but requiring simple, daily “Presentation Procedures” from your team pays off big-time! 😎

Next Week - Stop the Revolving Door: How to Keep Your Best Techs Forever!

KickStart: To convert more first-time callers into booked jobs you’ll need to invest money, time and (most importantly) your focused attention. Read on...

Let me wax nostalgic on my home services business of many years ago. One of our incoming business lines would ring and someone would holler, “Hey, is anyone gonna grab that?”

Or other times when a phone rang? It was a complete circus with a frantic, oxygen-deprived sprint to see who could pick it up first! Aaaahhhh, memories! 💖

Now for the downside. What image does your residential services company send when your staff answers the phone panting, out of breath and totally unprepared? 😮

After years of struggling, I finally discovered how to dramatically supercharge my business profits. Here’s how I did it…

I shifted my team’s focus from just “doing a good job” to building homeowner-focused systems that converted clients into loyal, raving fans.

For example: When a homeowner calls a plumber, HVAC tech, pest control expert, or a carpet cleaner for the first time they are stressed out and just looking for a calm, reassuring, professional experience.

🗝️ First-time callers want a savior, not chaos! (I may trademark this phrase!) 😁

Soooo, if you want to both a) STOP the drama and b) START making serious money, you must implement phone answering procedures designed for contractors serving the residential environment.

Here is the system we used to create a sane, controlled work environment that kept our office staff happy and our customers feeling valued:

The 4-Ring Rule

In a multi-person office, a phone should NEVER ring more than four times. Period.

NOTE: One huge advantage of a multi-person office (I had 4 1/2 office employees) is having the depth to handle occasionally intense call volume. But this only works if your staff is organized.

We programmed our phone system with a simple, cascading ring order:

• Ring 1: The call hits the designated Primary Reception Person (PRP) where it should be promptly (and cheerfully) picked up.

  NOTE: Too many of my client’s teams treat phone calls as an interruption to their “real work” instead of the reason for their paycheck!

• Rings 2, 3: The call bounces to three other designated support desks that compete to pick it up first. And if all three are tied up with callers?

• Start of Ring 4: The caller is automatically transferred to a professional 24-hour answering service. (I tracked how often this happened on a weekly basis. The verdict? Less than 1% of total call volume!)

Implement Phone Dispatch “Shifts”

You can’t expect one person to be chained to the receiver all day without losing their mind. 🫣 Therefore…

🗝️We assigned our phone-trained office workers in dedicated “Round Robin” 2-hour shifts. This simple organizational tweak completely transformed our office culture. Here’s why…

Now my designated phone staff finally had some breathing room. This let them schedule their tougher, high-concentration paperwork during off-hours when they weren’t on the phone or or even on back-up duty.

Why This Keeps Your Team, Customers, and YOU Happy!

Team: When your staff isn’t distracted and/or panicked by a second ringing phone, they can actually focus on the human being on the other end of the line.

Caller: A calm, collected, warm voice builds instant trust with a stressed-out homeowner.

You: A structured shift system provides a controlled work environment that helps you retain great employees instead of burning them out.

ProTIP: Trust me, your Very Best People career candidates hate and despise office chaos!

That said, never forget that 🗝️ there is nothing more urgent or important than answering your business phone professionally.

After all, it is your first, best and likely ONLY chance to convert a so-called skeptical price-shopper into a fanatically loyal cheerleader for your company! 😎

Next Week: Are your service vans secretly scaring off customers?

KickStart: Instead of the annual “Beating of Your Staff” evaluation time, flip the tables. Allow each employee to evaluate their supervisor and… YOU!

We’ve all heard the fable of “The emperor who wore no clothes.” And we’ve all scoffed at that clueless leader parading around while his subjects snickered…

But be honest now! Isn’t it incredibly easy to strut around the shop thinking we are the greatest gift ever to the home service industry? 🤔 Hmmmmm…?

Here’s the hard truth: Our perception of our entrepreneurial skills and our employees’ opinion of our leadership qualities- is very, very different! 🙄

Are you running a business in HVAC, plumbing, cleaning or pest control or any residential services company? If so, you’ve already learned that keeping your best people is critical to your success.

So how can you actually get an honest, unvarnished opinion of your management performance? 1) Take a deep breath, 2) swallow your pride, and 3) examine yourself… through your Employees’ Eyeglasses! Here’s how to do it…

Have each employee evaluate YOU every 12 months. 🫣

Flipping the Script

I always had each employee fill out several evaluations during our annual performance reviews. The first was a detailed self-analysis of themselves. (Which always made for some very entertaining reading). 😮

The other required evaluations? 1) Your employees’ in-depth analysis of their immediate supervisor along with 2) a separate assessment of you as their leader. (These may make for depressing but funny reading!) 😦

But here is why handing out employee evaluation-of-their-manager forms is one of the smartest moves you can make to “Service Engineer” your business.

Kids today (I call anyone under the age of 45 a “kid”!) 🧓🏼won’t work long-term for a dictator. These new generations want to be part of a transparent, collaborative culture.

These younger workers crave a voice in your company and a clear career path forward, NOT just a paycheck.

When you give your workers a safe, structured way to provide upward feedback—and actually listen—you instantly win worker buy-in. Even better…

You prove that you value their boots-on-the-ground experience, which is exactly how you keep the Very Best People in today’s tough hiring market. 👍👍

The Golden Rule? NO Recriminations!

For this “upward feedback” to work, it must be 100% anonymous. No names, no handwriting analysis, no trying to figure out which employee called your new dispatching system a “pathetic failure.” 💀

🗝️ You must promise—and strictly adhere to—a policy of zero recriminations. Here’s why this is so important…

When you remove the fear of retaliation, the opinions of your staff will open your eyes to blind spots you have totally overlooked… for years. (This is priceless!) 😁

This humble, trusting vulnerability on your part stops the drama, boosts your staff retention, and ultimately helps transform your crew into a 5-star review machine out in the field.

Give it a try. Just make sure you wear thick skin (and real clothes) 😁 before you start reading your employees’ opinion about… YOU! 😎

Next Week= Stop the "Mad Dash": A Sane Strategy for Answering Your Phones

Kickstart: Track previous job information and small details to personalize the client’s experience on future service calls.

I’m just gonna say it: Nobody likes paperwork. And yet, it is the necessary evil of our industry.

My techs? They tolerated it, mostly because if they didn’t play ball, it cut onto their Worker Efficiency Bonus!

But what if I told you that this same boring paperwork can be an incredible secret weapon to create fanatically loyal Cheerleader clients? Yep, I eventually learned that…

🗝️ Keeping track of (and using) the right information is key to personalizing the homeowner’s experience.

NOTE: I’m not talking about creepy tracking here. Nobody wants to feel like Big Brother 😠 is fixing their AC, cleaning their carpets or spraying for ants.

What I am talking about is capturing the small, harmless details that make a customer feel seen. For example…

If a homeowner mentions their golden retriever is named “Buster”, jot that down in the job notes. Next time your plumber, cleaning or pest control tech shows up, they can say, “Hey, with your permission I brought Buster a treat!” 🐶🦴

Or if the client jokes about their kid’s obsession with baseball, a quick note means your tech can ask, “How’s Billy’s Little League season going?” at the next service call.

🗝️Lighthearted, fun details like this are massive “Moments of Truth.” They build instant client familiarity and trust without crossing any weird boundaries.

Tech BONUS: These fun conversations also make the day go a heck of a lot faster for your techs. Don’t make your workers feel that they are just “grunt labor”. Instead, your staff should view themselves as “relationship builders” which will transform your residential services business into a 5-star review assembly line!

What else can your staff note down? 🤔 Clients’ pets are always a safe detail along with hobbies, upcoming projects or planned vacations, and of course details about their last service call.

If your tech was on the job last time these details will remind them to ask, “How was Scotland?” Now if it is a different tech, they can say, “Charlie mentioned you folks were going to Scotland when he was here last year. How was it?”

Add-on sales TIP: These details allow your tech to give follow up, “I was reviewing Charlie’s job notes from last May. Evidently your corner posts were showing some age. Would you like me to check them while I’m here?”

Disclaimer: Before you start documenting “details”, remember that we live in a world of strict privacy laws. Be sure your procedures follow all local, state, and federal personal data laws. Only note observable, harmless details and NEVER sensitive, protected personal information.

NOTE: Not positive what the legal boundaries are on personal information? Then invest the time and money to research it! Based on your homework, develop sample procedures and submit them to an attorney specializing in privacy laws.

Steve’s FrugalTIP: You doing the grunt work for an attorney, as in you visualizing and coming up with the rough draft, will be much cheaper versus dumping it all on your lawyer.💲

BTW, to gather, store and share these customer details Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can be invaluable. Check out simple, well-regarded CRM software designed for your industry sector. 👍👍

When you give your team the tools to build these personal connections safely, you will be able to stop competing on price. Why? Because you will be building fanatically loyal referral machines out of your clients! 😎

Next Week: Sincerely and Humbly Ask Your Staff How You Can Be a Better Boss. Then LISTEN!

Sioux allows me one daily “stating the obvious” so here goes today’s “DUH, Steve” statement: “The internet is a double-edged sword.” 🙄

The POSITIVE? Yep! You LOVE the free advertising and “instant credibility” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews offer!

DUH again, Steve! “I already know that an ecstatic, local 5-star review can generate 100’s of calls from new, “pre-converted” residential prospects!”

The NEGATIVE? “Easy come… easy go”! 🫣 Even one slightly disgruntled homeowner can instantly trash your hard-earned reputation with a bad review on Google, Facebook, or Yelp. And the kicker?

My coaching clients tell me they’re getting bushwacked with nasty, 1-star reviews from homeowners that they didn’t even know were unhappy! YOUCH! 😠

Getting surprised by a bad online review is devastating for your company’s reputation and future profits. Plus, nothing tanks morale faster than a hardworking tech getting publicly blasted online after they left an apparently happy client! 🥹

🗝️ Steve’s solution? Head these trigger-happy homeowners off at the pass BEFORE their fingers can hit that computer keyboard!

Enter my Immediate Quality Check (IQC) call. 👍👍

I know, you (occasionally?) phoned a few days later with the old “Just checking that you’re happy with the job, Mrs. Jones?” call. But no more…

NEWS FLASH: With the “immediacy” (is this even a word?) of online reviews and social media you’ve got to put this “just checking in” call on steroids by calling every client IMMEDIATELY after your tech’s departure.

Here’s how my IQC Call system works:

1. The Handoff: The second your tech pulls out of the customer’s driveway they call in to the office and give a brief rundown of the job. (Including any issues they’re aware of with the client or the finished job.)

2. The Intercept: Your office immediately makes the IQC call to the client to verify they are absolutely delighted.

ProTIP: Always have a “neutral” third party in the office make this call, not the tech who just left!

With this IQC Call, one of two things will happen—and they are both good!

Scenario A: The client confesses they are slightly miffed and/or even unhappy. Be incredibly thankful! 😁You just smoked out a dissatisfied client before they post a venomous review that could cost you 1000’s of dollars in lost business.

Solution: Your client vents over the phone, your CSR listens empathetically and uses “Emotional Judo” to resolve the complaint!

Result: You’ll likely convert a nasty 1-star review into a gratified homeowner that just might leave you a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! (Or at least be a loyal client!)

Scenario B: They are super happy! (Which they certainly should be!) You’ve just created another fantastic Moment of Truth(MOT) with an already delighted homeowner.

Heads up: Now deploy your after-job follow-up call script to gently remind your happy client that your Billy, their technician, would “really appreciate an online review”. 🙏🏼

ProTIP: Personalizing your request with “Billy would really appreciate an online review” is much more effective than generically asking, “We would appreciate…”

☠️WARNING: Remember, NEVER specify a “five-star” review when asking—let your “Service Engineered” work determine your ranking.

Bonus Tactics for Your On-site Crews:

• The Preemptive Strike: If your tech spots a tiny issue, have them show the client and then ask permission to fix it. (Mention this fix will be at no charge.) This is a tactful (OK, it IS a bit sneaky) 🙄 way to create yet another positive MOT without bragging!

If the client isn’t home: Have your tech do a before-and-after photo of the issue and then mention on the IQC Call, “I hope it was OK, Mrs. Jones. Billy noticed the corner of your furnace had a sharp edge on it and taped some yellow safety padding there. I’m sending you a before-and-after photo and by the way, there’s no extra charge.”

· The Mid-Job Check-In: If your crew is on a longer HVAC, pest control treatment, cleaning or plumbing project test out doing a quick “Initial Quality Check” Call.

Something simple like: “Hi Mrs. Jones! This is Sara from the office doing our Initial Quality Check. We call every client during our first hour to make sure everything is going well with your service today.” BINGO!

You want even more sneaky phrasing? By saying above, “We call every client…” you subliminally reassure the homeowner that you’re not worried they are angry or upset.

Steve’s nostalgia time: Before adding this “We call every client…” phrasing I literally had customers respond, “Why are you asking? Should I be upset?” People can be weird. It’s really a mental chess game out there!

It’s true, a miffed client can act happy during the IQC Call and then roast you on the Internet. But 98% of your “silently unhappy” clients will vent to your warm, caring CSR and then can easily be salvaged.

Steve’s TAKEAWAY: Please, STOP 🚫letting the internet dictate your reputation. Create a great MOT with every client by making an Immediate Quality Check Call. 💖 Then for the very few homeowners who aren’t delighted? Proactively resolve the issue BEFORE it goes online! 😎

KickStart: Encourage 2-way communication with simple paperwork. Then instead of blowing up, praise your people when they give you a “heads up” before things hit the fan! Read on…

Normally, I love a good surprise. In fact, I keep dropping heavy-handed hints about a surprise anniversary party! 🎈🎊🎉💖

So far... absolutely zero takers. My family and friends are clueless! 🥹

But in a residential services business? Surprises are your worst enemy! 🫣 Here’s why I hated surprises in my company…

Too often an employee would sandbag me with a problem right at the end of the day. Worse, I’d get bushwhacked with a surprise call from a furious homeowner. 😠

Or disaster would strike 💀 when I (and potentially 1000’s of potential clients) learned about a pissed off client (that had never complained to us) from their nasty 1-star review on Google! 😡

Just like in a healthy family, success in a residential services business boils down to Clear, Honest, and Open Communication between… your customers, field techs, office staff, managers and YOU!

Steve’s BTW: This “Clear, Honest, and Open Communication” principle even helps in marriage. 😦 (Sioux and I call if “C-H-O-Colate” and we’re still working on it after 51+ years together!) 😍

Therefore, I would appeal to my employees: “Folks, there is nothing we can’t overcome IF you let me know about the issue AHEAD of time.”

And yet, the nasty surprises kept popping up due to our lack of communication! It was time to search for answers along with some tough, self-introspection on my part…

I discovered the nasty surprises in our company were due to a 2-part problem. The first issue? My staff was frightened to share problems and bad news with me since I would blow up! OUCH!

My solution? I made a painful 🥹 and very heartfelt apology to my employees and promised I would no longer “shoot the messenger” bearing the bad news!

I also begged everyone to help me get proactive in solving not only the immediate problem but also the systemic failures that led to the issue.

In other words, I needed every employee to focus not only on the “HOW do we get out of this?” but also “WHY are we here?” and most importantly, “WHAT can we change to make sure it never happens again?”

NOTE: This HOW-WHY-WHAT equation deserves its very own future KickStart!

So, when your employees give you a heads-up on a problem, immediately thank them! Even if they were the ones who screwed up and you really want to rip some heads off! 😡

At least you’ve been warned and can perform damage control BEFORE the customer goes nuclear with a 1-star review. Now for my second solution to my 2-part “ugly surprises” problem…

I realized to bake this open 2-way communication into my company’s DNA, I needed to “Make it easier to do it right than to do it wrong”! You can follow my lead when you…

Implement a simple “Production Day Sheet” (PDS) dispatch form.

First, do me a favor. Ditch the complicated software and develop a “day at a glance” Production Day Sheet (PDS). Heck, I scrawled out my first PDS prototype with pen and paper! (I still do this for the forms I create.)

Whether you hand your crew a clipboard or pull it up on a tablet, your Production Day Sheet (PDS) needs the basics: addresses, arrival windows, and any special non-inventory equipment to load up for the job.

But the real PDS magic is in the customer intel before your tech drives up to the job. Special requests or access info should always be front and center: “Put the ankle-biter dog in the backyard,” or “Mrs. Jones at Apt. 2C works night shift, do NOT ring the doorbell.”

This “heads-up” info helps your techs respect the sanctity of a customer’s wishes and their feelings. In turn, clients’ defensive emotional walls come down, trust goes up and a positive relationship blossoms! 💖

NOTE: Remember, the PDS only gives your employees the “big picture.” It’s your core document for daily communication. The nitty-gritty job details and pricing should always live on a separate Work Order for each stop.

The Rule of “Follow Up, Not Freak Out” Your techs use this sheet to jot down any potential hiccups or promises they made to the homeowner, so the office can follow through. However...

The PDS dispatch form is NOT for emergencies! With residential work especially, any quality problems or accidents like denting a drywall corner (don’t even ask!) 🙄 should be phoned in immediately upon leaving the job! Here’s why…

You want to address the issue with an Immediate Quality Check call. (Ideally you can bring the concern even before the homeowner notices it.)

Either way, the goal is to solve the problem before the client even has time to get mad and/or post a nasty 1-star review! 👍👍

A Quick Tip for Commercial Accounts If you run regular commercial routes, each account should have its own Commercial Account Profile (CAP).

Develop a separate CAP list of all the alarm codes, gate access info, and specific cleaning tasks for each building.

Then, simply attach all the CAPs for that shift to their daily (actually “nightly”)😁 PDS sheet so your tech is never left standing in a dark parking lot at 3:00 AM… calling YOU! 😎

KickStart: Respectfully but firmly pull the plug on non-performing employees for the sake of ALL concerned. Read on to review the stakes involved…

Come on, admit it. Sometimes you accidentally hire a semi-marginal employee. I’ve been there! Suddenly, you recognize you’ve got nothing more than a warm body taking up space in one of your trucks.

Sure, if an employee is actively toxic, completely negligent, or stealing, you cut them loose immediately. (I HOPE.) But then there are the folks in between…

I call them the “not bad enough to fire but no chance of ever becoming a key employee” people. And no, not even Steve Toburen, the King of Acronyms is going to convert this one! Instead?

Simply put, deep down inside you know these poor folks are never going to remotely grow into the Very Best People your business desperately needs. Come on, you KNOW what you must do… 🫣

And yet, what happens? We all dread confrontation. Plus, nobody wants to pay unemployment! So, you just “hunker down,” avoid daily contact, and secretly hope/pray your loser quits on their own! 🛐

Steve’s TRUE confessions: I played this “waiting game” for years with marginal workers. However, I finally realized my strategy was a massive trap. Read the next paragraph closely…

NOTHING (and I do mean NOTHING) is more critical to your financial future—and your personal sanity—than constantly recruiting stellar employees who buy into your shared vision! 🎉🎊💖🎈

In a residential services company, you aren’t just selling repairs; you are managing the Emotional Dynamics of a nervous homeowner. So, how do you convert this mess into an ecstatic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review?

It all comes down to the relationship your tech forges with their client. Focus on this- when you send someone into a customer’s home, you are trusting this tech with your brand, your reputation and yes, your family’s financial future! 😦

You really are staking everything on one young, insecure and likely very immature person! Make you bit nervous? If so, GREAT- you should be! So, let’s get started!

Remember, in a small company, your roster is limited. I call it your “Employee Totem Pole.“ Every single person on this pole MUST at least have the potential to grow with your company.

You simply can’t afford to let this “totem pole” be plugged up while you wait months—or even years—for a loser (or even mediocre) tech to finally leave on their own

NOTE: Once someone quits could you hire yet another loser? Sure, absolutely! But the longer you put things off the longer it will be till you just might land a superstar!

So, when my coaching clients ask me how to handle their low-performing employees, my answer is simple: “Respectfully and gently help them move on with their life!”

Think about it. Having this difficult conversation quickly is better for everyone.

1. Your “just-not-working-out” employee deserves to find a job where they can actually excel. More importantly…

2. Your A-players want to work with other A-players. Working with slackers drags down the whole team including you! (Remember, running your business should be an absolute joy!) 😁

3. The longer you postpone this process, the more everyone (including your poor marginal worker who is in over their head) suffers.

HOWEVER...

If you’re going to fire fast, you better have your house in order for the next hire. New employees need—and deserve—to know exactly what is expected and how to do the physical work the way you want it done.

• Build a System: You must develop a day-by-day, written Fast Track Training system. If you don’t, you’ll just repeat this same sad “hire/ fire/ hire again” cycle over and over. This employee revolving door exacts a brutal financial and emotional toll on everyone involved.

• Test Drive Your Hires: Institute a Trial Interview where your best candidate rides along with you or your best tech before offering them a full-time gig. (Be sure to pay your candidate for their time.)

• Use Strategic Partnerships: Partnering with a temporary staffing agency is a brilliant hack here—keep this candidate on the agency’s payroll and Workers’ Comp for the Trial Interview period to lower your risk.

And for your great employees who DO stick around? They need performance feedback along with public recognition and rewards for their superb efforts.

The ultimate formula to sum this all up? Hire slow, train well, praise constantly... and if they just aren’t getting on board, FIRE FAST! (I’ll share the exact working to use to “gently terminate” an employee soon!) 😎

KickStart: Cell phones are addictive. Accept it! Be reasonable, but set boundaries to avoid negative reviews and win customer cheerleaders.

When your tech rings the doorbell, this homeowner is already on edge. The red wine has spilled on their carpet, their AC is blowing warm air, they’ve got ants in the pantry, (better than in their pants😦) or their toilet is completely blocked. (I’ll spare you the photo!) 🫣

This means our clients are inevitably stressed, vulnerable, and now they have a complete stranger in their inner sanctum, their precious home! Due to this high-emotion environment…

🗝️ Never forget, every action of your tech is being subconsciously watched, judged and tallied by the homeowner!

I call these often-subliminal impressions “Moments of Truth.” Create tons of POSITIVE Moments of Truth and you’ve got yerself an almost guaranteed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! 🎊🎉💖🎈 But WAIT!

It is time now to cue up the menacing sound score from Jaws…

Negative Moments of Truth will sneakily, silently doom your company!

“Seriously, Steve?” Silently’?” Because most clients that have been turned off by your tech will silently “fade away”. They just won’t call you again… and tragically you never will even know! 😢

NOTE: The above paragraph brings up a host of issues we’ll touch on in future KickStarts. So if you haven’t subscribed yet… sign up HERE!

Right now? There is a hidden cancer in our industry that is creating massive negative Moments of Truth in your home services business every day!

☠️ I’m talking about cell phones!

LISTEN CAREFULLY: The cell phone issue is a minefield! Today’s employees (including your residential techs) are totally addicted to their phone screens.

NOTE: Young cell phone users ages 18–24 (likely the age range of your techs)) average 109.5 total messages sent and received daily. (Many of them during working hours!) Let’s analyze this…

Productivity Analysis: Suppose your tech gets 1/3 of these messages while in your clients’ homes. That’s 36.5 messages and if each one requires 3 minutes (likely more) that’s one hour and 49 minutes (almost 25% of their 8-hour day) when your tech isn’t working! But it gets worse… ☠️

🗝️ Picture this: Your customer feels they are paying top dollar. They walk into the kitchen and see your tech leaning against the counter, furiously texting with a goofy smile on their face. Or worse, a wildly inappropriate, loud ringtone goes off at the same time!

Boom. Instant HUGE negative Moment of Truth! The homeowner immediately thinks, “I’m paying $493.00 for this guy to text his girlfriend?” Not to mention the obvious—if they are texting, they aren’t working!

So, how do we fix this problem without causing a full-blown employee mutiny? After all, your techs ARE “addicted”, and addicts need to get their fix, right? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Draw a firm line in the sand by creating a rock-solid home service technician cell phone policy. Here is how you handle it like a home services pro:

• The “Truck Only” Rule: Personal cell phones stay in the truck during a service call, period. If techs need a device for invoicing and/or checking in with dispatch, provide a locked-down company tablet that only runs business apps.

• Sanitize their ring tones: If a tech absolutely must have a phone on them for safety reasons, mandate that it stays on vibrate. No loud music, and absolutely NO offensive custom alerts that will offend clients. (Imagine the 1-star review!) 🥹

• Schedule “fixes” for their addiction: Give your team designated times to check their personal phones—between jobs, on lunch breaks, or while parked safely in the van.

Steve’s Takeaway: Want to transform your everyday service calls into a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review machine? Then you MUST manage the small (that really can be HUGE) Moments of Truth! STOP 🛑 allowing a palm-sized piece of glass to silently ruin your company’s hard-earned image!

Next Week: How to handle your "meh" employees. (Without going crazy!)

KickStart: Door-to-door marketing WORKS! Try my step-by-step (pretty funny, huh?) system! Read on…

We’ve all been there. Your Google ads aren’t performing, the dispatch board is empty, bills are piling up, the phone isn’t ringing and your bank account is in freefall!

NOTE: A wise mentor once told me, “Steve, the hardest door to make it through is your own!” Yep, quit staring at your phone praying for it to ring! 🫣 NEWS FLASH: It isn’t going to ring!

Sooo... what to do when your business line quits ringing? Two words: STOP WAITING! 🛑 Hit the pavement and literally start (wait for it) … knocking on doors!

Sure, I know. Knocking on strangers’ doors conjures up some very uncomfortable feelings but work with me here. Here’s a few reminders:

🗝️ Reaching out and talking to people face-to-face, belly-to-belly 😯 is the simplest, quickest and certainly the cheapest way to drum up work when the phone isn’t ringing!

BUT, you must do it right! Do it wrong and you’ll waste time, energy and flame out quickly. Even worse, you will turn off homeowners that, handled correctly, would have become loyal, profitable clients! 🥹

Here’s the deal! Knocking on a stranger’s door can be downright intimidating! 🥹 Trust me, I know! Here’s what I discovered…

I needed an intuitive door knocking script to immediately transition the homeowner from an irritated “Who are you and why are you intruding into my day?” 😠 to a slightly surprised, grateful “Well, wow… thank you!” 💖

🗝️ STEVE’S SECRET SAUCE? Break the ice by immediately handing the homeowner a small, useful gift the second they open the door!

Steve’s Doorstep Gift Strategy

What should you hand the homeowner? A practical gift that they’ll actually keep and use around the house. For example…

A branded refrigerator magnet, a sturdy notepad, a kitchen gadget, or even a specialized drain-maintenance packet. The item itself isn’t the magic—it’s the gesture. 💖

BONUS POINTS if you come up with a gift that is related to the service you offer. For example, in my carpet cleaning company we handed out logoed bottles of free carpet spotter.

BINGO! Even better, we included “FREE Lifetime Refills” on the carpet spotter labels! This was genius and our bottles were a HUGE hit! 🎉🎊🎈😁

Now let’s continue forward sticking with the carpet cleaning sector. You’ll just need to change a few words to make it fit the home services you offer…

Step-by-Step At the Door

Dress sharply in your company uniform, make sure your photo I.D. badge is easily visible, have their free gift in your hand, ring the doorbell, and take two steps back.

While waiting, take a deep breath, RELAX, and don’t crowd the door. You want to give the homeowner plenty of “personal space”.

ProTIP: Remember doorbell cameras are everywhere and likely the homeowner has been watching you from the moment you set foot on their property. (Obviously don’t cut across the lawn! DUH!)

So, as you wait no fidgeting and paste a big smile on your face. When the door opens, smile even bigger, look the homeowner in the eye, and enthusiastically follow this script:

“Good morning! I’m Steve Toburen with Home Front Cleaning, and here is a free gift to help you ...” explain what the item does as you hand it to them. As they accept it continue…

“When you need us, just give us a call—no obligation whatsoever! Here is my card. We take a lot of pride in our work, so please let me know if we can ever be of service.”

The homeowner will almost always let their guard down and reply with a somewhat relieved, “Oh, thank you!” 🙏

This is where you can casually pivot:

“By the way, our company also offers guaranteed “No dirty carpet ever” maintenance plans where we clean your dirty carpet twice a year for basically the same price as a one-time yearly cleaning…”

You’ll be amazed at the response. Quite a few homeowners will say, “You know what, we’ve been talking about getting the carpets cleaned. Do you have time to take a look?”

Even if you don’t book a job on the spot, remember that every interaction is planting a seed. When the Kool-Aid gets spilled or a friend’s dog poops on the carpet, your branded carpet spotter is sitting in their utility closet!

Your HOMEWORK assignment: Copy and paste the carpet cleaning example above into a Word document. Then translate it over to your industry.

BONUS: Email your final homework results from above to steve@homefrontsuccess.com and I’ll reply with my suggestions- NO CHARGE!

The Commercial Approach

Don’t ignore the businesses in your area, either. This small gift approach works incredibly well for getting past the “gatekeepers” at office buildings and retail shops.

SMILE, hand the receptionist their gift, introduce yourself smoothly, explain why you’re stopping by and ask if they arrange the (services you offer).

If not, ask who handles their facility maintenance or property management. If they’re not available hand the receptionist your card and ask for your new contact’s card or email. DONE!

Stop waiting for the work to come to you. Grab some business cards, a pocket full of giveaways, and start knocking! You can thank me later…

Steve

The one thing I’ve heard on repeat lately from my coaching clients? “Steve, finding good, OK, actually ANY employees out there is a total nightmare!”

You too? 😦 If so, I’ve felt the exact same knots in my stomach that you’re feeling! I really do feel for you. 🥹

And even more so if you’re facing that terrifying jump 🫣 from working alone to taking on your first full-time employee.

OR are you tempted to stay small as a solo “Lone Wolf” owner-operator? I went down this road. But I found the alternative of growing old alone, chained to my truck wasn’t very appealing either! 😦

NOTE: IF you decide to try staying small (or even downsize) puhleeeeease 🙏read my “Five Start-up Moves for a Lone Wolf” NOW! And then reflect carefully on this KickStart…

But I get it. With your first full-timer you are virtually doubling your overhead and financial liability overnight!

And yes, I really feel for you larger home service business owners. No matter what your size, adding even one more full-time position is a huge, long-term commitment.

It’s incredibly tough to justify the crushing overhead—and the heavy moral responsibility—of taking on yet another employee. 🥹

“Moral responsibility, Steve?” Sure. Unless you’re a heartless jerk you’re making an ethical and moral long-term commitment to provide for your new F/T employee’s family too! 😯

YIKES! Talk about being “between a rock and a hard place”! As a residential services entrepreneur are you doomed? Wait for the answer as I slowly let the suspense build… 😯

Allow me to share a perfect “in-between” hiring solution! Strongly consider my lower-stress, yet highly profitable alternative to full-time hires:

🗝️ Hire part-time and/or on-call techs instead of ONLY hunting for full-time employees.

Doubt me? Let me count the massive advantages to breaking out of the F/T employee hiring rut! With part-time workers:

• You Tap into a Better Talent Pool: Many fantastic, reliable people already have a solid F/T day job. But they want extra income to pay off debt, save for a house or heck, a fun happy hour on Fridays!
  Seriously? Most of the time the guys walking in off the street begging for 40 hours a week are “unemployed for a very good reason”! 🤷

• Zero “Moral Pressure”: Because part-time workers usually have F/T job, you don’t feel the soul-crushing pressure of being their sole provider. Think about it…
  Steve’s, “Let’s be brutally honest” time: For those of you with full-time crews, how often have you desperately invented “busy work”—like sweeping an already spotless shop floor—just to justify handing them a 40-hour paycheck on Friday? With part time…

• You Only Pay for Profitable Hours: When the shoulder season hits and the phone stops ringing, you don’t have to invent that busy work. You simply tell your part-timers not to come in tomorrow… or even next week!
  BONUS! 🎉🎊🪅😁🎈 Because your part-time staff is only doing revenue-producing work when they’re on the clock, you can pay them 💲a very desirable hourly rate. (Heck, I may apply!)

• The Ultimate Proving Ground: Part-time employment is a brilliant, no-risk way for you to “audition” potential full-time help. If a part-timer crushes it on the job then you can confidently offer them a full-time position on your time-table. 💖
  WARNING: Please just 🚫 STOP “Desperation Hiring” ! Instead, break out of this toxic cycle by testing out part-time people over time.

• The “Hunger” Factor: When my home services company was absolutely slammed, my P/T workers were always eager to pick up extra hours. They wanted cash! Our F/T folks who were already burnt out after 40 long hours? Not so much.

• You Spread the Risk: If your one and only full-time tech walks out on a Tuesday, your business is instantly crippled. With a roster of three or four solid part-timers, you aren’t keeping all your employees’ eggs in one fragile basket.

Steve’s ProTIP for the Weekend Warriors: Full-time techs that put in late-night or weekend emergency hours usually burn out, get resentful, and quit without notice.🥹 Even worse…

Who gets to fill that gap when a F/T emergency services tech suddenly quits? YOU DO! As in working day and night! But well-paid, P/T and/or on-call employees (working one or two 6-hour shifts a week) absolutely love their supplementary income.

NOTE: Those high-profit weekend emergency calls in HVAC, plumbing, water damage, or pest control are perfect for a hungry part-timer who wants to make great money.

Steve’s Takeaway: Stop losing sleep over the “inflexible overhead” baggage full-time employees bring. Start small, hire smart, use part-time (or on-call) workers when possible and watch your profits explode!💲💲💲

KickStart: NEVER reply with the phrase “no problem” to a client’s “thank you”. Instead, keep your response positive (and appreciative) with “It has been my privilege”!

Let’s set the scene. Your tech just wrapped up a two-hour job. Everything is working perfectly. The homeowner is thrilled, and says, “Thank you so much, Joe!”

Your tech, Joe, smiles, wipes his hands, and replies...

“No problem!”

Eeeek! 🫣 Cue the screeching record sound!

I know what you’re thinking. “What’s wrong with his ‘no problem’ reply, Steve? Joe was just being polite!”

I used to think the same thing… back when I was a home services rookie. But after years of studying the Emotional Dynamics of the residential environment, I realized something crucial:

🚫The word “problem” is a bummer of a word, laden with negativity and guilt.

Let’s put on our “Customer’s Eyeglasses” and feel the pain of your homeowner client:

When you reply, “No problem,” you are subtly implying that your client’s home, their broken equipment, and/or their mere existence could have been (or even is) a… PROBLEM! 😯

Plus, if a client assumes their job actually has “problems,” they may immediately start fretting that you’re going to charge them more!

Remember, the homeowner feels they are simply thanking the tech for the good job they hired your company to do.

The Simple, Profitable Fix

Instead of making our customers think they’re an inconvenience, we want to help them feel valued. Sooooo…

When a client thanks you or one of your techs, here is a much better response:

🗝️ “It was my (or our) pleasure!”

I stol... I mean “learned” this years ago from my tire dealer. When I thanked Bob for a fast turn-around on one of my trucks, he’d gently correct me:

“No, Steve, it is we who must thank you for your business!” 👍👍

What a brilliant way to remind your customer that their loyalty (AND their referrals) are much appreciated! 💖 (Read on for how to supercharge your online reviews.)

Now folks, I realize swapping out a two-word phrase might seem like small potatoes. But the old saying is still true: “Success is in the DETAILS!”

Building a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reputation isn’t about one genius marketing gimmick; it’s about a thousand tiny, intentional interactions. (I call them “Moments of Truth”!)

This is exactly why you need rock-solid, intuitive customer “Service Scripts” for technicians.

SORRY but you can’t just cross your fingers and hope your guys say the right thing when they’re standing in a stranger’s living room. Instead…

You must arm all your employees (especially your front-line techs) with the exact words that build homeowners’ trust and elevate your clients’ experience.

Here’s How to Turn Your “My Pleasure” Response into Pure Gold!

Once your team masters this simple, two-word “My pleasure” shift, take their polite response and turn it into an incredible lead-generation machine with…

• Steve’s “Residential Review Ask”: When the homeowner says, “Thank you,” your tech replies with a warm smile:

  “It’s been my pleasure. 😁 Now, if you REALLY want to thank me, Mrs. Jones, a quick online review would be wonderful. I’ll include a link in your receipt email. Thanks in advance!”
  

• My Commercial/Property Manager Ask: Working a B2B service call? Have your tech reply to the manager’s “thank you”:

  “My pleasure. It really is our privilege! Now, Sam, if you would refer us to your neighbors here in the complex, I’d really appreciate it! Here’s a few of my business cards and thanks in advance!”

🗝️ ProTIP: When you call someone by their name, they will hear and take action on the next five words. (Notice the above underlined words after calling the client by name.)

Once again, small, intentional improvements help to create a superb Critical Mass Business. Ban the word “problem” from your company’s vocabulary today and start making it “my pleasure”! 😎

KickStart: As your tech starts their work explain to the homeowner WHAT they are doing and WHY this step is important. Read on to discover how to implement W/W…

Look, I’ve built (and sold) enough residential service businesses to know one absolute truth: the average homeowner has no clue what constitutes a “good job.” Seriously.

Whether you’re unclogging a drain, balancing airflow, cleaning their carpet or spraying for ants, you can take the next paragraph to the bank…

🗝️80% of how a homeowner judges your work quality (and their online reviews of your company) will be based on how they FEEL about the tech(s) doing the job!

IF the above is true, why do techs act like secret agents in customers’ homes? They sneak in, do their work in dead silence, and sneak out. And yes, this sad scenario is happening far too often now in your company! 😯

If so, you are blowing a massive opportunity! When your techs (or you) get face-to-face with a first-time residential client, there is a golden opportunity to give them my “what/ why”. (W/W) Think about it…

A nervous, unsure homeowner will be on “high alert” at the very beginning of the job. So, if your tech does a friendly, quick in-home demonstration while they work it pays off big time because…

1) The tech is displaying personal interest in the client while establishing a professional relationship plus…

2) They can define and educate the homeowner on exactly what a “good job” looks like. Yep, YOU get to establish the rules of the game! This is HUGE! 👍👍 And yet…

Here’s the crazy part: Most technicians are terrified of talking to the customer so they basically ignore/ avoid them! The is very sad because…

Your quality, hardworking but clueless tech is leaving money, client trust, and many five-star reviews sitting on the table! 🥹

Therefore, your mission is to orient and train your crew to 1) build relationships, 2) educate the client which will 3) transform homeowners into raving Cheerleaders for your home services business! (That was a real mouthful of a 31-word run-on sentence!) 😁

🗝️ How do you get started? Simply give your techs a few simple, practical “opening lines” to use when they begin working.

Let’s look at a few in-home “opening lines” and demos for some home service trades…

• Plumbing: “Mrs. Jones, do you see how I’m using this video inspection camera? This lets me look deep into your main line to get the exact location of the blockage. It’s important we clear it completely because...”

• HVAC: “Mr. Smith, notice I’m using this dual-port manometer to check the static pressure in your ductwork. We need to make sure the airflow is perfectly balanced so that...”

• Pest Control: “I’m applying this specific granular bait around the foundation right now. Notice how it targets the nesting areas? We use this approach because...”

• Carpet Cleaning: “Mrs. Green, you’ll see I’m gently agitating this pre-treatment to work it into the carpet fibers where it will loosen the soil. This extra dwell time means we’ll have much better results when we rinse…”

Got it? Give your team their very own “What and Why” as in WHAT they are doing and WHY it will make for a better job with simple, intuitive opening W/W lines.

BONUS: Once you implement W/W in your home services business, your employee retention rate will dramatically increase. (Techs secretly love feeling like an ultimate expert!) 💖

Even better? W/W will completely transform your customers’ experience AND your ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews, which means more profits for all concerned! 💲💲💲

KickStart: Develop and implement an “Enforced Accountability System” to stop missing tools AND increase your 5-star reviews! Here’s how to do it…

Humans use tools. Or maybe better said, we do when we can actually find them! 😯

Back when I was running my residential services company, I dreaded this phone call from a technician in the field:

“Hey Steve, now don’t scream at me... but I can’t finish this repair because my pipe wrench isn’t in the van. I think one of the other guys took it…”

GRRRR! 😠 I absolutely despised inefficiency! Not only did it kill our daily schedule, but rummaging around an empty van made us look completely unprofessional in front of the homeowner.

Steve’s True Story: Even worse was when my shamefaced tech had to ask the homeowner: “Uhhhh, I guess I don’t have a (you fill in the missing item) on this van. Do you happen to have one I can borrow?” AARGH! 😡

The root cause of this madness? My workers simply weren’t being held accountable. My team had no “enforced accountability” system.

Therefore, my loose-cannon (or worse) employees could lose, leave behind, “borrow,” and/or sadly—sometimes even steal— our company tools with total impunity. 😦

This steady drain of “lost” equipment and tools was hurting our reputation with clients, eating into our profit margins and destroying my sanity! It had to STOP! 🚫

Here is exactly how I solved the missing tool epidemic in my business:

Assign each technician their very own basic hand tools in an organized toolbox that follows them between trucks. Then, “hold their feet to the fire”!

First, buy a comprehensive set of high-quality, pro-grade tools for every production employee, along with a heavy-duty plastic, numbered toolbox. (I spent a bit more than $6,000.00 for eight techs.)

ProTIP: Always go with a plastic or composite box. Metal toolboxes rust, and the last thing you want is a rusty box leaving a permanent ring on a customer’s pristine kitchen floor!

Every individual tool was etched with our company name and the specific toolbox number it belonged to.

Next, the technician put their name and their own personal combination lock on “their” new toolbox.* (The office kept a master record of the combinations for emergencies, of course).

Each morning, the tech retrieved their personal toolbox from their locker, and it traveled with them to every single job site.*

* NOTE: To add accountability only the tech should be able to access their toolbox!

This setup was great, but where did the actual “Enforced Employee Accountability” come in?

Upon receiving their shiny new toolkit, the employee signed a detailed Inventory List. Then, we instituted a monthly tool inventory by management.

If any tools were missing, they were of course immediately replaced to ensure the tech could do their job.

But wait! Remember my “Enforced Accountability” system? Philosophically, I strongly believed (and I still do) that a worker should pay for the replacement cost of a tool they control and/or have agreed to be accountable for.

But then, my lawyer got involved.😦 “Steve, in this state you cannot legally deduct funds from an employee’s salary even for damages or loss that they are responsible for.” (This is still true for most states and yes, it drives me nuts!) 😠

Here’s the deal: It almost always is illegal to withhold an employee’s base wages for breakage or loss—no matter how much you feel they deserve to have their pay docked!

HOWEVER, you generally can deduct the costs of lost tools (and other acts of pure carelessness and stupidity) from their Worker Efficiency BONUS! (WEB) 👍👍

On the positive side, your employees can add funds to their WEB for superb performance and a perfectly maintained toolkit and van! 🪅🎊🎉

🗝️ Remember, your ultimate goal should always be to reward your team, not punish them and here’s why: When a WEB is properly set up, when your employee makes more WEB money, you make more money too! 😁

Never underestimate the value of public rewards and recognition when a tech takes pride in their work and their gear. Your Very Best People will LOVE this stuff!

Yep, at the end of the day, we all need accountability to thrive and excel… including the owner. (We need to talk about this “Owner Accountability” very soon!) 😎

KickStart: At time of booking confirm how your client wants to be reminded of their appointment. Then include a simple “reply mechanism” to confirm they will be there.

Let me guess… you want to make more money. I mean, who doesn’t? And yes, you should be charging more… lot’s more! 💲💲💲

NOTE: We’ve talked before about why and how to raise your prices. Plus, I share HERE how to charge more without losing your previous clients. (Trust me, I’ll keep beating this drum!) 🙄

But even BEFORE you hike your prices, let’s focus today on “plugging the holes” in your business bucket first.

Yep, your residential services company needs to become relentlessly efficient!

One of the biggest efficiency killers in the home services game? Scattered and/or just plain rude “No-Show” Clients forgetting and/or blowing off appointments!

There was absolutely nothing that boiled my blood faster than paying a tech to drive all the way out to a house… only to return to the shop empty-handed. Talk about a profit killer! GRRRRR! 😡

You too? If so, how can you fix this bleeding sore in your home services business? Simple…

Implement an effective home Appointment Reminder System. (ARS)

🗝️ When you’re booking the job, don’t just tell them when you’ll be there. Ask the customer how they prefer their 48-hour to arrive:

1. A quick phone call?

2. An email?

3. A text message two days before the service? (Most clients will choose texting.)

Once they pick their favorite, grab a backup method just in case your first ARS try ends up going nowhere. And here is your ARS confirmation Golden Rule…

When you send a text or email reminder, always ask for a confirming reply. Nudge your clients to commit! (With texting just include, “Please reply with a Y if you will be there or N to reschedule.”)

Why does this ARS work so well? Because you’re A) holding the homeowner accountable and B) giving them choices.

In my Service Engineering training, I call these choices “giving the ‘Illusion of Control’!” The more options you give a homeowner, the more comfortable and invested they feel in the process.

NOTE: And of course, send an ARS confirming email immediately after you finish booking the job.

Now, what if your spidey senses are tingling? You know the type—the customer giving off serious disorganized “flake” vibes?

If we were worried the homeowner would ghost us, we invented a “pre-contact excuse” for the day of the job.

For example, our CSR would call the client an hour or two before arrival just to ask, “Hey, Mrs. Jones, am I calling at a good time? We’re making great time—is it okay if we show up five minutes early?” (Or late, if that fits the schedule).

This pre-contact excuse” call forced contact, subtly helped them remember and pretty guaranteed they would be home waiting for us.

Commercial Work Bonus: If you do any regular, contract commercial service agreements, meeting a client just to get let into the building is a massive, frustrating time-waster! (Including your client’s employee!) Soooo…

👍 ProTIP: With regular contract work include a substantially lower “Open Access Price” in your proposals.

If the prospect balks at giving you a key or entry code, just hit them with a cheeky, “Ouch! This super low price I quoted relies on ‘Open Access.’ If we have to coordinate meeting someone to let us in, it slows us down and bumps up your price.”

Guess what? You will be stunned by how fast they miraculously find a spare key for you! 😁

Now, don’t you have some residential (or commercial) jobs to book AND remind? 😎

KickStart: Conquer your normal Fear of Rejection by laughingly replying with Steve’s “Hail Mary Question”!

I know. You are a Home Service Pro and proud of it. Me too! I’ve always LOVED the profits (and joys) of working with homeowners! 💖

And yet… for most of us the residential services we provide also fit perfectly into the commercial sector. Heck, I’ll take a business owner’s money all day long! In fact…

Let’s talk about the holy grail for a minute: regular, contract commercial accounts. Every home service pro tells me they fit perfectly into their residential focused business. They did for me too!

Why? Those two magic words: 1) regular and 2) contract! Magically, with commercial service agreements you will now have 1) predictable cash flow, and 2) routine work you can actually pre-schedule without tearing your hair out.

NOTE #1: I’m not suggesting you change your company’s residential focus. Instead, consider adding regular, commercial service agreements to smooth out the peaks and valleys of a home services business.

Looking back, in my residential services company commercial service agreements accounted for almost 30% of our total volume. But they let me sleep at night (and kept our techs busy) when homeowners’ calls slowed down.

In fact, while I would consider servicing a commercial establishment on a one-time basis that wasn’t our focus. What we wanted was the regular cash flow and predictable scheduling of a service agreement.

NOTE #2: Service agreements can work great with homeowners. And in future KickStarts I’ll do a deep dive on residential service agreements. But I’m feeling quirky today 😁 so let’s detour into commercial!

ProTIP #1: For both commercial and residential did you notice how I earlier sneakily changed the word “contract” into “service agreement”? Same thing legally but “service agreement” (SA) is a less threatening phrase and makes it easier to get a signature!

ProTIP #2: Instead of forcing the client into a set time period leave the SA “open ended” and continuing to run unless either party wants to change the terms. Numerous studies say your retention rate will be much higher!

All good? Nooooo! Here’s your challenge: Most residential work is initiated by the homeowner calling you. And yes, I’ve made a science of converting this lead into a booked job! 😁

However, with commercial you’ll likely have to git out there and actually walk through the intimidating door of a business. 😦

Sadly, I see so many talented residential entrepreneurs failing big time in landing these golden regular commercial SA’s. The culprit? Our old, pesky fear of rejection!

Steve’s Secret Sauce? Face up to this very normal rejection fear by expecting to be rejected! Seriously, ASSUME your prospect will say “no”!

There, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Once you take the sting out of the “no,” you can stay upbeat and keep pitching.

My favorite tactic? Keep a lighthearted sense of humor during those sales calls. 😃Let me give you a real-world example.

Often, you’ll hit a classic smokescreen objection. (These are common in residential too.) You know the drill—most facility managers can hire whoever they want, but if just don’t feel like chatting, they’ll blow you off with this old chestnut:

Manager: “Sorry, you have to be on our Preferred Vendor List.”

❔ Steve’s “Hail Mary Question”: Instead of slinking away with your tail between your legs, try adding a little cheeky humor with this You-Got-Nothing-To-Lose Question...

You: “I totally understand. Let me ask you though—do I have to be on your ‘Preferred List’ if I’m not actually a ‘vendor’?”

Manager (usually looking bewildered): “Huh?”

You (with a joking grin): “Well, last time I checked, a ‘vendor’ is someone who charges you for a product or service. Right? (Shrugging with outstretched hands.) 🤷

Manager (slowly): “Well, I guess that’s true…”

You: So, how about this? You pick out your biggest, most annoying maintenance headache, and we’ll tackle it for FREE!

And since we’re not charging you you’ll have a no-obligation chance to see if we deserve to be a Preferred Vendor. All I ask is that you come check out the results while we’re working.”

Manager: “Well, hey... what have I got to lose? Our back loading area does have some issues. Let me show you…” 👍👍

BINGO! You just broke through the smokescreen barrier! Congratulations! 🎈🎉🎊🪅 (Asking this “Hail Mary Question” landed me so many commercial S/A’s!)

Or when a property manager hits you with the “You gotta be in our network” routine, try this pivot:

“I completely understand. But I also know sometimes your preferred guys just can’t get out to you quickly enough. Or maybe you have a tricky property way out on the fringes of your territory. Just keep us in mind. Let me write my personal 24-7 cell number on the back of this card...”

Now, is this “funny stuff” going to work 100% of the time? Of course not. But it will break through the smoke screen some of the time.

And honestly, what have you got to lose? You’ve already invested the time, money, and effort to get in front of this prospect. Throw your Hail Mary!

And hey… don’t forget to have some FUN out there too!😎

KickStart: Every employee in your company should receive their very own personal business cards… immediately after hiring! Read on for why!

As a home services entrepreneur, you face a multitude of challenges every day. Your biggest problem? Unmotivated employees! I could go on and on, but I won’t and here’s why!

I’m getting PTSD flashbacks just reflecting back on my years down in the residential services trenches! And this industry has gotten infinitely tougher since I sold my business!

However, Steve Toburen doesn’t throw Pity Parties. Heck, I’ve even rejected the old “it is what it is” saying as a negative downer condemning me with no way out.

Instead, my favorite motto now is, “Well, here we are” 🤷 as in recognizing the current situation while using good, old entrepreneurial creativity to go forward! Sound good? 👍 Then LET’S GO!

What if I told you that your lethargic, unmotivated employee challenge could be dramatically helped with a little piece of cardboard that measures 2” high by 3.5” wide?

YEP, properly implemented the venerable business card will help rescue you from your employee problems!

NOTE: I’ve dissed before on why business cards are so great and how they can transform your residential services company. Click HERE to review these tips and then today let’s focus on your…

Challenge? Unmotivated employees- Absolutely! After all, this same lack of motivation and self-esteem is why they came to you for a (forgive me) “low-prestige job” as a home services technician!

Lots of applicants is GREAT… until you hire one. 🥹 Because now you must transform this poor, low-self-image, young person into an alert, dynamic and positive “take-charge” technician! 🫣

SOLUTION: It’s complicated. “Well, DUH, Steve! I know this. Give me some practical ideas!” Fair enough. Write this down…

“Begin with the end in mind” and “stage manage” a new employee’s onboarding path into your business.

NOTE: It starts with your “curb appeal” as in does your home services business look, speak, perform and yes, even smell like a Very Best Company? (VBC) It certainly should since homeowners will only leave ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews for VBC’s!

🤔 Steve’s Introspective Question: Be honest with the two questions below…

Does your residential services business even remotely resemble a company that as a young person you would have wanted to work for… long term? If not, why would you expect a Very Best Person to stick with you? But I digress since our focus here is on business cards so…

Remember, every single employee in your company should have and carry (more on why below) their very own personal business cards.

WARNING: My coaching clients often tell me, “My new workers don’t get their own cards till after six months with me!” But read on for a different take…

MotivationTIP #1: IMMEDIATELY after hiring a new employee do a rush order of their new personal company business cards (with their photo) to their home address.

Remember, your new hire likely has NEVER had their very own business cards so now they’ll be pumped about their first day with you!

I can hear the nay-sayers as I type this. “Steve, what if I spend $XX.00 on their business cards and then they quit in two weeks?” Yeah, this may sadly happen. 🥹

But wait! What will someone with their first ever business cards do? Hand them out to everyone they know! So even if my new employee quickly quits, I’m more than ahead thanks to all my business cards they handed out… for free!

🗝️ Meanwhile, reflect on the positive impact of being surprised with their very own business cards will have on ALL your new hires! 😁

ProTIP: Choose field technician photo ID badges that come with a handy pocket for their business cards on the back.

Now your techs will always have clean, dry business cards available. Way better than a soggy, crumpled card pulled from a sweat-drenched wallet! Talk about a negative Moment of Truth! 😦

MarketingTIP: Print two different business cards. One design will be a standard, high-class card, employee photo, company logo, etc. (Don’t cheap out. This is an investment that will pay off for years!)

Your other card design? It looks the same except it includes a special “Gift Card” offer for new clients on the reverse side. (This can be 15% off their first service, on optional item included free or an actual dollar discount.) Under the offer put a signature line with the sentence below: “Confirming signature”

MotivationTIP #2: Now when an employee finds a new prospect, they show the homeowner the offer and then say, “Here, let me sign off on your special gift.” But wait- it gets better!

When this business gift card is redeemed at your new staff meeting surprise the employee with huge applause and a gift card bonus! (I suggest at least 50.00 CASH to my coaching clients. After all, what’s a new client worth!) Wow, even more motivation for all your staff! 💲💲💲

Cards on the table time? I’m not suggesting the above tips will solve all your employee issues. But hey, an employee Recognition and Rewards program will go a loooooong way in motivating your staff.

NOTE: Going forward I’ll share other business cards tips. But meanwhile let me know your results on the above ideas! Let’s “git ‘er done”… together! 😎