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?
