When I think about great leaders, instinctively I think of people who are fearlessly driven and inspire greatness in others. Leadership can show itself in different forms and span a variety of industries. Fortunately for me, working with residential construction professionals, I’m surrounded by leaders who focus on service excellence.
All the remodelers I work with are fearlessly driven to deliver the kind of quality to their customers that can make their company stand out. Working with these remodelers has taught me that customer service is the line in the sand that truly separates excellent from average.
With those remodelers in mind, the following ten tips were created to inspire greatness for those companies who are ready to commit themselves to quality and become service excellence leaders.
1. Create a Culture of Quality
In order for excellent customer service to be delivered in all avenues of your company, you have to have a culture that emphasizes its importance. How customer service is conveyed begins at the top and funnels down to the team members on the front lines. It’s essential for those in leadership roles to develop clear customer satisfaction goals that outline exactly what you expect from your team. Create a company culture focused on delivering the best client experience possible.
2. Communicate with your Clients
Communication builds trust with customers. Provide your clients with your contact information, or appoint them a point of contact at your company they can reach out to with any questions or concerns during their remodel.
3. Be Transparent
Avoid causing distrust among clients and be transparent on everything from pricing, products, and schedule. Honesty can go a long way, and especially save your company from receiving negative online customer reviews.
4. Set Realistic Expectations
The best remodelers understand the importance of under promising and over delivering. Work with clients to set attainable goals. Providing great service is contingent on meeting and exceeding the expectations of your clients.
5. Add Value
Service excellence leaders stand out in the industry by adding value to every project they take on. Bring value to your customers by providing the most efficient and cost effective solutions to their remodels. Make it your company’s mission to go the extra mile on all projects, pay attention to detail, and provide quality craftsmanship.
6. Share Updates
Keep your clients in the loop on all critical aspects of their project and provide progress updates. No one will accuse you of over-sharing. Communication breeds trust and dependability among clients.
7. Measure your Satisfaction
Be proactive and identify how well your company pleases clients. Survey your customers to begin gathering feedback on your performance. Review customer survey responses with your entire team. Discuss impressive work and find solutions for weaknesses, use this as an opportunity to learn and grow as a company.
8. Own Up to Mistakes
Even the best remodelers make mistakes. It’s the way they recognize and learn from them that make them great. As remodelers, if your company makes a mistake, it’s important that you hold yourselves accountable and make things right for your customers.
9. Show your Appreciation
Show gratitude toward your customers and continue to nurture your relationship with them even after their remodel is complete. Send a thank you note, email over relevant articles that can help them maintain their home, and check-in with your customers a few weeks, or months after the project to see how everything with their home is sustaining.
10. Empower your Customers
Empower your customers to talk with neighbors, friends, and family about the experience they had with your company. Think of these customers as your brand ambassadors. Equip them with your company’s business cards, web address, and especially social media links to make sharing your excellence easy.
