No matter what you call them—call-backs, warranties, or disruptions—these calls from potentially upset homeowners can actually be an opportunity. That’s a shift from the thinking of most contractors. Normally, a call-back is met with a response along the lines of, “Now, I have to take care of this, and what’s it going to cost?”
Needless to say, most companies don’t put them at the top of their to-do list. On the rare occasion that a company does put a call-back at the top of the list—as they should—it’s with a whole lot of resentment. Typically they rush out, take care of the problem as quickly as possible, and down the road they go, leaving the customer very little if any attention. This can build even more resentment from the customer, feeling as though the contractor really doesn’t care.
Over the years, everyone has been guilty of this. It’s understandable—at face value, call-backs appear to just suck up time and money. A call-back means pulling someone off of a profitable job to go to a call-back client’s home. And typically, the problem really isn’t something your technician did wrong—it was another problem.
Regardless, most people believe in just fixing it, making the client smile, hope they refer you, and move on because every call-back means an increase in direct cost. That’s money that’s just bleeding out of your company with really nothing to show for it. Call-backs are just an opportunity to lose money. That feeling is absolutely incorrect!
If you change your philosophy, you can actually see call-backs as an opportunity. But you must have a system in place! When a call-back comes in, go to the client’s home, discover the problem, and see it as a chance to utilize your communication skills with some incredible results.
Of course, the main component of every call-back is to handle the problem at hand. However, this is your chance to show the client how routine maintenance can keep other problems from occurring, which saves them from future headaches.
Instead of sending a technician to the job, send someone from your management team. You will find what you thought all along was the truth: it really wasn’t anything your tech did wrong. The home just had another problem, which caused a new problem. In the rare occasion that it does result from your work, with a manager on the scene, you’re able to see it firsthand, so you can train your technicians not to make the same mistake again.
No matter what the case, you’ll likely find the customer thanking you and happily paying for additional services that you’re providing. And with that change in philosophy, you can take an area of your company from bleeding red to the black!
Don’t resent the warranty calls that come into your company. Look at them for what they are, an opportunity. Your customers will thank you and your bottom line will improve. A win–win for everyone!