1. Set customer expectations correctly

A few years ago, the expression‘ sticker shock’ came into use in America. It came from car sales where there had been a big and unexpected rise in prices. The point is this. Whenever we start thinking about buying something, we have a rough price in mind. We experience a shock if the price quoted doesn’ t match up to what we had in our heads.

No one likes a surprise and if they get one, they tend to react badly. Trying to set expectations correctly can avoid this pitfall

Many residential customers will have a wrong expectation of what a new heating system or rewiring project may cost. It’ s our job to guide them into the right ball park before we send the quote to them, so they won’ t experience‘ sticker shock’. It also means that if they aren’ t prepared to pay the price needed for a quality job, we can both save each other’ s time before anyone invests more.

Matthew Stevenson of The Landscape Company puts it this way:“ I always tell customers that we won’ t be the cheapest, but we will be the best value.”

No one likes a surprise and if they get one, they tend to react

badly. Trying to set expectations correctly can avoid this pitfall.

2. Get your quotes out quickly

A while ago my company, Powered Now, conducted a survey of over 1,000 home owners. One of the questions was about getting quotes from trades companies. This turned out to be a major frustration for the typical homeowner. Ideally, they would like several quotes to compare. In practise, they often found it hard to get one.

That’ s why there is such a benefit in turning quotes around quickly. Doing so demonstrates

your efficiency and putting a time limit on acceptance helps you to beat the guys that are still looking up the parts.

If you are busy, you can always negotiate on the start date. Being straight with the customer helps to build trust. Being busy suggests that you are good because you are in hot demand. It all helps the relationship with the customer and makes them more reasonable when you start doing the job.

3. Be professional in the little things

We recently employed some decorators. They were good. They came when they said they would. They did a professional job. They charged a reasonable price. But we will never use them again. Why not? They were a bit too fresh with my wife and she felt uncomfortable.

When you do a residential job, you are invading your customers’ most personal territory. That’ s why making sure you leave the toilet clean, take off dirty shoes, clean up and treat customers and their families with total respect is so important. Failing to do this can often explain the apparently inexplicable behaviour of customers. That’ s what happened in our case as we have ignored every contact we have received from those decorators.

4. Do what you say

You said that you would start on Tuesday. You didn’ t turn up and the next time you contacted the customer they were fine about it. So that’ s OK? I’ m afraid not. Lots of people dislike confrontation but every time you say one thing and do another you undermine that most precious commodity – trust. Undermine this enough and

they won’ t trust you at all. You will then wonder why they seem uncooperative and don’ t believe anything you say.

My sister recently had a new boiler fitted. She had asked for a particular model and the installer said they didn’ t normally supply that one. Under pressure they said they could. When the job was completed she noticed that the wrong model was installed. Emails pointing this out went unanswered. That was until she said she was getting someone else to rip out his boiler and replace it with the right one. Was this all deliberate? It’ s hard to think that it was a mistake. The installer in question is going to end up with a second-hand boiler and will have done two installs and one uninstall to be paid once. He would have been better off saying he didn’ t want the job in the first place.