4 Ways to Improve Customer Experience in Your HVAC Business

If you’ve been in the business a while, you probably know that customer experience can make or break your business. A great customer experience will keep them coming back. They may even tell their friends and write a review, too. But a bad experience could send them running to a competitor — in fact, 73% of consumers will switch to a competitor after multiple bad experiences. Worse than that, bad experiences are likely to result in bad reviews, both online and through word-of-mouth.

As a business owner or manager, you want to keep your customers happy and provide a great experience for both new and returning customers. Here are a few ways you can improve your customer experience.

1. Streamline Communication

Internal team communication is as important to customer experience as communicating with customers themselves. Investing in a customer relationship management (CRM) system is one of the easiest ways to streamline team communication. While it is an investment, it is worth it in the long run.

CRMs allow you to track and maintain a profile for each customer. This profile can host customer contact information, system information, service history, and so on. Basically, everything you would keep in an old file cabinet, but it’s digitized. Your techs won’t have to decipher someone else’s handwriting to figure out what’s going on, and the customer will appreciate the preparedness.

On the surface, it may not seem like a CRM will save much time compared to your current methods. But minutes add up to hours, and so on. Digging around in files for a lost sticky note you know you put in there takes more time than you think.

Some HVAC-specific CRMs also come with dispatch software, or you could invest in a separate program for dispatching. Dispatch software improves communication between your employees and customers. For example, your tech can send an automated text to the customer when they’re on their way. Some programs send a picture of the employee as well, so the customer can be confident they’re welcoming the right person into their home. It’s a small touch that can greatly improve customer experience and their view of your company.

Dispatch software can also help you schedule your techs more efficiently, for example, based on job location. So, not only does your customer get a better experience, but you could also be saving money on hourly wages and gas in the long run.

2. Pay Attention to Personal Appearance

Your techs’ appearance plays a much larger role in customer experience than you may think. According to a survey conducted by Mail Shark, a third of homeowners said that a “‘sloppy appearance’” is the number one reason they wouldn’t use a home services company.

Providing your techs with professional uniforms can increase customer retention and trust in your brand. If you don’t currently provide branded uniforms for your employees, here are a couple of tips to get you started:

• Choose a breathable, durable fabric.
• Provide plenty of pockets.
• Opt for dark colors, as they won’t get stained as quickly.
• Offer additional options, such as hats, for cohesion.

A study by HALO found that employees are up to 22% happier when they have comfortable, functional uniforms, and that happy employees are over 13% more productive. So, while durable uniforms may be a larger investment than company-branded t-shirts, the investment could end up paying for itself in the long run.

3. Ask Questions

Asking questions throughout the process takes away the guesswork and can help you solve the customer’s problem more efficiently. While it may feel like you’re asking too many questions, the more questions you ask can help you more accurately diagnose the customer’s problem.

Let’s explore an example where you’re the customer (or, in this case, patient). You need to go to the doctor due to chronic back pain. You book an appointment online, and the system asks you about the biggest complaint you want addressed. (This is like customers scheduling a service call.)

Then, you arrive at the appointment. The nurse asks questions to confirm the issue and gather additional information to prep the doctor. (This is like your techs asking questions before inspecting the unit.) Finally, you see the doctor, who asks clarifying questions about the location of your pain and your symptoms. (This is when your tech asks clarifying questions to determine or confirm the issue.) Then, the doctor may give you treatment options to choose from. (This is when your techs provide good-better-best estimates that customers can choose from.)

Asking questions along the way builds on the previous information you provided, so the doctor can accurately diagnose the issue and provide the correct treatment plan. Since HVAC systems can’t speak, asking customers questions helps your techs correctly diagnose and fix the issue. This way, they don’t have to return to address the same issue again, saving your business time and money and creating a great customer experience.

4. Offer Multiple Payment Options

Offering multiple payment options is key to improving customer service. Nothing’s worse than going somewhere and finding out they only accept cash or are cashless, and you don’t have the right payment with you. It affects your experience as a customer, and not in a good way.

To accommodate all customers, offer cash, card, and financing options. Not all customers can afford to pay cash, especially with rising prices. Offering to take card payments provides an option for customers who want to keep all of their expenses in one place. And offering financing options helps customers who are looking for a lower interest rate or may not qualify for a credit card. If you don’t offer a customer’s preferred payment method, you may not close that job, which could affect your profits.

Choosing the right financing partner can be instrumental in improving customer experience. For example, at FTL Finance, we offer options that work for almost every customer, regardless of credit score:

• Our standard program is great for those with good credit.
• Our risk-based program helps those with credit that could be improved.
• Our partner programs match those who don’t qualify for our other programs with the right lender.

And the best part is — there’s only one application and one credit pull to apply for all of our programs.

Increase Profits by Being Prepared

Customer experience is an important part of your business — from the first phone call to taking payment.

Streamlining communication, wearing the correct attire, and asking questions ensure your techs are prepared when they arrive at a customer’s house. Showing up prepared saves time and, in turn, money, and provides your customers with a great experience. Customers who have a great experience return to your business and spread the word, helping you grow your business in the long run.