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If you are an HVAC contractor looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction and new customer acquisition, you need to incorporate text messaging, also known as SMS Messaging, into every aspect of your communications with customers and prospects. Here’s why.
When you communicate with a text message, most customers read it within one to three minutes of receiving it.
The average time it takes for us to open an email is eleven hours. If at all.
Most people do not check voicemails from numbers they don't know.
It’s not even close.
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Nothing compares to text messaging for speed, accuracy, and frictionless customer experience.
It is no surprise to learn that more and more contractors are turning to text messaging to communicate more effectively and efficiently with their existing customers, and to enhance their responses to inquiries from potential new customers.
In the HVAC business, solid processes and consistent execution win.
When considering where text messaging fits into your processes, consider how you currently communicate with customers and prospects about the following:
When I leave my dentist’s office and I’m walking to my car in the parking lot, I get a text message reminding me about the appointment I made with the receptionist on my way out.
You should be sending your customers an email confirmation and an SMS confirmation.
Your text messaging software will allow your customer to respond with a text message should they need to reschedule their appointment. Your software enables you to set up several reminders before the appointment and even allows your tech to give the customer a heads-up when they are en route.
Customers love this and most of what I am describing here operates automatically once you program your software. This removes the human element where mistakes and inconsistencies can be introduced into your process.
Part of any solid process is preparing for the unexpected. So when the unexpected happens, whether it’s the flu sweeping through your shop or a traffic jam on the interstate, text messaging gives you the ability to keep your customer informed about the unexpected.
Yes, you should still call by phone, but depending on the reason for the schedule change, manpower may be limited.
Text messaging gives you the option to quickly communicate with one or all of the customers who will be affected and to receive positive confirmation that they got the message. If you need to place a follow-up phone call, they will be expecting it.
This dramatically improves the experience for your customer, even though things are different from the original plan.
Your contact database contains three kinds of people:
There’s a lot of variety between HVAC contractors when it comes to getting their maintenance plan customers on the schedule in a way that makes the best use of staffing. Whether your current process involves direct phone calling, postcards, or email, a well-designed text messaging process can keep your book full, take a load off your CSRs, and keep your customers happy.
Fifteen years ago when we began converting HVAC contractors over to email for this labor-intensive task, our clients experienced a significant reduction in the man-hours required to fill their book of service and in this new process, discovered who their most loyal and engaged customers were.
Text messaging is even more effective than email for this seasonal task.
Apply the same process adjustment to your non-plan customers and prospects and you’ll see similar increased benefits for everyone.
Following up to get your five-star review is one of the single most important actions contractors take, so it’s critical to have a process that is accurate, and painless and makes it easy for the customer to leave that five-star rating and review.
In over a decade of working with contractors, we’ve tried everything to accomplish this and nothing comes close to sending a text message with links back to your Google Business listing and Facebook page.
When your tech is getting the customer to sign off on the job, they are able to trigger the text message right from their tablet or mobile phone and at the same time, ask the customer to check their mobile phone to confirm that they received it.
This gives your happy (often euphoric) customer an easy path to leave your five-star rating with three quick clicks.
If you are interested in text messaging for your business, we can help get you started. Give Comfort Media Group a call at 215-649-7822, and one of our experts will be able to help figure out the best text messaging strategy for your business.
Nobody likes text messages that are trying to sell you something. It’s the quickest way to get unsubscribed. We recommend staying top of mind by sending text messages designed to help and educate customers and prospects.
Changes in season give you the perfect reason to remind customers about the benefits of system maintenance, the benefits of indoor air quality, advances in equipment technology, and changes to rebate opportunities and financing options.
One of our core beliefs is that a contractor should always be helping, and we recommend every email, blog article, and marketing video be produced in the voice of the Trusted Advisor. The local expert offering friendly advice, person to person. Your personalized HGTV channel.
We carry that same philosophy to the content of this category of text messages. A quick reminder to change your air filter without asking to come out for a service call shows a customer that you have their best interest at heart.
When a customer contacts your business, it’s safe to say they are in a state of discomfort. They are trying to accomplish something in hopes that it will ease their pain. At this stage, there’s nothing worse than a painful or unsuccessful communication process.
In the past, phone calls and mailers were the most popular ways to get in touch with your customers. They are still effective ways but can be more time-consuming and costly. They have also become less effective. 20 years ago, everyone would answer every call. Today, if someone doesn't know the number of who is calling them, they usually don't answer.
Email is still a great way to contact your customer base. We believe in a combination of all of these forms of communication to stay in touch with customers, but more importantly, to give your customers a feeling of security and accomplishment.
Today, everyone texts all the time, and as the younger generations grow older, it's only becoming more popular. For HVAC contractors, this can make it much easier to earn business from your existing customers.
We still believe in using all forms of communication, including emails, phone calls, and mailers, but text messaging should be next on your list of ways to stay in touch with customers.
When someone fills out a form on your website, maybe saying they'd like to schedule an appointment, what is the next thing that happens?
In some cases, an automated email is triggered to go to the visitor's email address they submitted. In other cases, they wait for the contractor to see that a form was filled out, and receive a call.
Today, everyone wants everything right away. If they submit a form, and then nothing happens for 24-48 hours, they may just go submit a bunch of forms until the first person reaches back out. If you have someone contact you on the weekend, or in the middle of the night, you don't want to let it wait until someone is in the office to acknowledge that person.
This is why we recommend:
If they receive a text and then see an email in their inbox that lets them know someone from your office will contact them shortly, it will give them the peace of mind to stop their search and wait to hear from you. This also sets you apart from most of your competition.
But the clock is still ticking, so be sure to have that phone call piece figured out too.
Some text services, like Podium, offer text messaging and live chat with website visitors. Almost every website offers live or scripted chat support these days.
Using this live chat feature can allow you to connect with more visitors, and turn them into leads, and then customers.
If you’d like to explore how text messaging can benefit your business goals, we can help. Click the button below to fill out a form or give us a call at (215) 649-7822. We’d love to learn more about your business and your goals.
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