Why is earning customer trust so important for HVAC service providers? When your customers trust you, they return to you again and again for all their HVAC needs. Companies get repeat business and increased revenue. Technicians get job satisfaction along with more job security because valued customers are asking for them!
But the fact is, earning customer trust is not easy. Here’s what’s behind that challenge, and what you can do to overcome barriers to trust and build long-term relationships with your customers.
Customer trust: why HVAC service providers struggle to earn it
Why is it that customers seem to have trouble trusting HVAC service providers? There are a couple of factors contributing to this problem:
People don’t understand how HVAC equipment works, and what you’re doing when you maintain or repair it. It’s like taking your car to a mechanic when you know nothing about cars: it would be very easy to get ripped off. Customers have no way of knowing if you’re telling them the truth or giving them a reasonable price for your work.
They may have experienced poor service from a vendor who failed to fix their problem or overcharged them. Or they heard stories from others who got poor service (through word of mouth or in the media). Either way, when they know there are service providers out there who put profit before customer satisfaction, that can make people suspicious.
To earn customer trust, it takes a sustained and intentional effort. Here’s how to get started.
5 strategies for building customer trust and loyalty
1. Provide consistently great service
This is the name of the game! Without outstanding service customers can count on, everything else you do to earn customer trust is going to fall on deaf ears.
So your first priority is to respond quickly, solve customer problems correctly the first time, do a thorough job with maintenance and installations, and otherwise do everything you can to deliver a great customer experience.
But your efforts to build trust should not stop there.
2. Be a strong communicator
Many times customers end up unhappy not about the work you do, but because of poor communication. So this should be your next priority after the quality of your work.
Start by setting expectations. Let customers know exactly what you will do and when, starting with their scheduled appointment. Giving accurate information about who is coming and when they will arrive is very much appreciated by customers. If possible, keep them informed on the day of their appointment with ETA information so they know you’re on the way.
Technicians need to be trained on how to communicate with customers during their visit, including how to listen and avoiding the use of technical jargon that tends to confuse customers.
Also, it’s important to be transparent. It doesn’t help the experience if you tell half-truths and people wind up with unpleasant surprises.
Learn more >
5 Customer Communication Tips for the HVAC Technician
How to Manage Customer Expectations for Repair Service
3. Do what you promise
Every time you deliver on your promise to a customer, you build trust. Conversely, every time you fall short of what you promised, that trust erodes.
That’s why everyone from dispatchers to technicians to estimators needs to be realistic about what they promise to customers. And, especially for technicians, be clear about the process when you speak to people about what to expect.
Then, work on your internal processes so that things don’t fall through the cracks or take much longer than expected. And, if unexpected delays do happen, go back to step 2 and communicate clearly to the customer what has happened and why.
4. Be respectful
Technicians, remember that your customer is trusting you with more than their equipment.
They are trusting you to be in their space and not make a mess or damage anything. They are trusting you to interact with employees or family members with respect and consideration for their time. You may be exposed to personal or confidential business information and they are trusting your discretion.
Always remember to be respectful of the trust your customer places in you by allowing you into their home or business space.
5. Ask for feedback and take it seriously
The only way you can really tell if you’re earning customer trust is to ask for feedback.
Ideally, after every service experience the company should send an email asking for feedback about how you did. You can ask specific questions about the issues you are most concerned about, but always provide an open-ended question so customers have the ability to tell you what’s important to them.
Technicians can do this more informally at the end of the service call. Ask the customer if they are satisfied with the service they received. If you hear complaints, let the customer know that you will report their feedback to management.
When customers share their feelings, someone in management should thank them for taking the time to do so and let them know that you are taking action to make things better. Then make sure you go back to step 3 and do what you promised!
More advice for improving customer relationships
Here are more helpful articles for improving customer experience and building long-term relationships:
What to Say to An Angry Customer
How to Get (Positive) Reviews Online
Improve Customer Satisfaction by Boosting Workplace Attitude
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