A home service contracting company’s reputation is its lifeline for growth. This is true no matter which trade you have chosen for your business. A homeowner-customer’s opinion of quality is subjective and maintaining superb ratings among reviewers requires consistent performance above their expectations and above your competitors’ reviews. It's common for homeowner-customers to post bad reviews when they are not satisfied. Bad reviews can severely ruin your reputation.
If you consistently receive low ratings or disappoint customers, growing your revenue and margins will be especially difficult. Even if you discount your prices, dissatisfied customers can make it difficult for you to get new and maintain profitable accounts.
At RectorSeal, we are strong advocates for a proven model that favors using reputable, branded equipment and ancillary parts from trusted wholesalers, distributors, and sales representatives who will help you develop your business to its highest potential. Join us as we explain five perspectives on why this model can work for you.
1. One and Done = Growth
When an experienced technician properly installs high-quality equipment with top-grade accessories, it is far less common to have to return for a call-back. This is not to say that sometimes things just don’t go well with an installation, but these situations should be the exception and not a common occurrence. When things do go wrong, it's often easier to provide a solution with quality parts and accessories
If you have to go back to a recent installation without being able to charge for the visit obviously impacts your business, your time and your reputation. Every non-billable trip siphons away time that could have been invested finding new business opportunities or performing work that makes your company money and gets you paid. These occurrences cost more than just your mileage and labor; they can cost a hit to you and your company’s fine reputation. What if this drain on your time and resources could be reduced or nearly eliminated?
By properly installing high quality equipment and parts and dealing with a reputable supply house, you greatly increase your chances of providing an excellent customer experience and staying focused on looking forward. A stocking distributor who provides outstanding service to you will save you time, minimize your frustrations and keep you in the mode of doing profitable work.
2. Help When You Need it
Choosing a supply partner is a much more important decision than you might initially think. Today’s internet options might appear to provide many bargains which can be shipped right to your door within a few days. The prices may be tempting, but a few things that are not provided by this method include local support, immediate service, professional expertise and inventory when you most need it. And don't forget shipping costs that can significantly add to the initial price!
Contractors with access to local inventory and a trusted industry professional have the ultimate competitive edge. Many reputable supply houses will assign loyal customers an account rep, territory manager, or outside salesperson to help design, quote and problem-solve their installations. When this resource is considered, any additional expense may be considered a cost of growing and operating a successful business. Wholesalers and contractors who work in partnership can both win big together.
3. Customers Talk
We live in an incredibly connected world. Almost all of your customers own a computer and a smartphone and they can easily contact friends, look at reviews and voice their personal opinions, good and bad, as the wider world looks on.
This can actually be very beneficial for businesses who invest in maintaining a sterling reputation because significant trust is not only transferred from family and friends, but nowadays it is also conferred among complete strangers who write reviews about you and your company online. When the products you install work as promised and look attractive, the customer relationship is strengthened and additional doors will open for you - - opportunities for new and profitable business will arise for you to consider.
Conversely, when reality happens with an installation, as it invariably sometimes will, it is important to have a supplier advocate who will support you and your job, help you out of a jam and assist in safeguarding your reputation. For this reason, we recommend only working with quality products and wholesalers who offer exceptional support and who stand behind the products they stock and sell.
4. Looks are Important
While no one can deny how essential HVAC systems are to businesses and residences, the utility of HVAC can often be ugly, bulky, and often loud. It doesn’t have to be this way.
There are ways to make things perform better, look cleaner and sound quieter. Whether it is condenser placement or something as simple as covering the linesets, it’s all part of a thoughtful installation. We've greatly expanded our manufacturing by applying this business model to helping contractors protect linesets and insulation, helping hide them so they perform better and by helping them in solving installation challenges faced by HVAC installers and technicians. It seems to work!
Customers care about what the finished product looks like, so you should too. High quality installation accessories look more appealing and are less likely to fail or have maintenance issues. Aesthetics matter, even in HVAC installations.
5. The Paradox of Lowball Pricing
There is an odd paradox of offering low-quality parts: it can turn out to be more expensive in the mid-range and long-run
If you lose sales due to a bad reputation, or if you have to replace something that you don’t get paid to replace, the costs can add up quickly - both tangible and intangible costs. This is a huge part of running a successful business that many owners often fail to grasp.
Saving on costs only works if you're actually saving when all is said and done. You cannot solely look at the up-front price to determine the final cost. Installation accessories like our Cover Guard lineset cover solutions offer labor-saving features and functionality while providing a value-add that can be used to attract more sales. Even at a marginally higher cost, it is always worth the added initial expense.
6. Quality Matters
Consumers care about quality, especially when the product they paid you to install is of low quality and it doesn’t perform well or look good. HVAC products are often considered a major purchase by your customers; paying slightly more to a reputable contractor who installs attractive, reliable products is a worthwhile investment in most customers’ eyes. Customers expect the HVAC system to last forever without fail. Using quality components, tools, accessories, and parts will help extend the life of the HVAC system.
When you work with manufacturers and suppliers you can trust, everyone wins. Your installations and service will be higher quality. The customer will get a better long-term value. You might even adjust pricing upward and make more profit than if you had chosen a cheaper option.
If you're interested in reviewing the broadest selection of high quality lineset cover systems, visit RectorSeal.com and be sure to utilize our distributor-finder tool to help you select a stocking, wholesale distributor who sells the best products available on the market today!
Please visit www.rectorseal.com for additional details, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest product enhancements and news.