Keeping competitive in the home services industry means maintaining communication with your customers throughout the buying process and beyond. Providing updates—from setting the initial appointment all the way through completion—is a great way to keep your customers engaged and informed while providing great service.
The problem, however, comes from balancing those communications with the rest of the work that must be done. Prospects and customers are often hard to reach by phone or email, and your teams are busy managing and executing on projects.
Instead, home services businesses are turning to more intimate and accessible forms of communication, such as text messaging. Texts have an average 99% open rate, with most of those getting opened within fifteen minutes. Emails, on the other hand, only average around a 30% open rate. Switching to more effective communication can help prevent misunderstandings, improve your reputation, and increase customer loyalty.
Here are some specific ways you can incorporate business messaging into your home service business.
1. Confirm Initial Appointments
Your customers are busy. Scheduling conflicts can happen to anyone, but as a business owner, you know how disruptive a calendar change can be.
Keep things on track with automated appointment reminders. Texts should be sent between 24 and 48 hours before the appointment—if it’s sent too far in advance, customers might forget! Use the message to confirm the time still works for them and include reminders if anything needs to be prepared.
“Hello [Customer Name]. I’m excited about our appointment on [Appointment Date] at [Appointment Time]. I just wanted to confirm that this time is still good for you?”
2. Provide Updates and schedule Work
Depending on your business, there may be a waiting period between when a sale is made and when work can begin.
For example, a customer has requested a specific paint style for their deck. You’ve quoted them on the work, but the stain will need to be delivered—and you’re not sure when.
In this case, engage your customer while you wait for the product to come in. Let them know that they are still top of mind and you’ll reach out as soon as the product comes in.
“Hello [Customer Name]. I just wanted to check-in. We are still waiting on your products to be delivered, but we are excited to get a time scheduled soon. In the meantime, check out our blog on what to expect in your appointment here: bitly.com/0173”
After the stain arrives, your team can notify your customer and schedule the work:
“Hello [Customer Name]. I just wanted to let you know that we received what we need to complete your project. I would like to schedule a time for our team to come out and complete the work. What time might work well for you?”
