Ah, Summer. After a fairly brutal “Nashville” Winter and fickle Spring, I couldn’t wait for the warm temps to creep in this year. They did, and it was glorious. And then, we had our first heat wave. No big deal if you have a working air conditioner…if.
In this neck of the woods, you can always get a lower price for an HVAC – it’s a competitive industry. In fact, I had my own action plan in place to see how far I could stretch my dollar, but, in the end, one of the higher estimates won out. Why?
Unparalleled Customer Relationships.
That’s the thing with competition. You might not be the cheapest option, but you can win out by bringing an offer of unmatched customer service to the table.
In “The Great AC Catastrophe of 2015”, the winner was the company who did in-house financing, a value I learned at a young age as my family incorporated this same attribute into their retail business. Knowing that the company had a heavier-than-normal vested interest in on-time payments, I had no trouble believing (though I did fact check) that they once helped a woman finance an AC unit over 10 years time, and would do it again. 10 years – that’s a risk, and that’s a committed relationship.
Why It’s Worth The Risk.
Is offering close relationships with your customers also a risk? Sure. What if said customers go off the grid? What if your target demographic changes? What if your company faces tough financial times?
The reward of a relationship – one that makes you feel better about what you do on a daily basis, presents the possibility of glowing referrals, and provides accountability for your own integrity – is worth more than the loss of money and time.
What kind of relationships do you have with your customers? How can they be improved? What are you willing to risk?
The sooner you establish guidelines for forming these committed connections, the sooner your reputation as a company will soar. And that’s worth it.