HVAC workers are forced to deal with unhappy customers more often than not. After all, their air conditioning or heater isn’t working, and they’re uncomfortable, aggravated and annoyed as it is. Add in having an unknown person in their home, and it’s enough to make them blow a gasket (pun intended).
Just because unhappy customers are fairly common, though, doesn’t mean your employees should just brush them aside. With the right care and attention, your team can turn those unfortunate run-ins into extremely satisfying customer experiences.
Get Ahead of the Problem
Encourage your team to get ahead of potential issues by keeping their customers in the loop. If they think a repair might take longer than originally expected, or a part will cost more than quoted, then they should notify the customer as soon as possible. The more time the customer has to adjust to the changes you’re proposing, the better they’ll take it in the long run.
Don’t Get Angry Back
A customer could yell at you till they’re blue in the face, but don’t let it get to you. Instead, practice active listening, and show them you’re sympathetic to their problems. Nod your head, agree with their sentiments (to the extent possible), and let them know you’re aware of the problem and are actively working to fix it.
Never ever yell back, get mad or ignore a customer when they’re complaining. This will only make things worse.
Inform Them
Most of the time, customer frustration stems from simply not understanding the issue. They don’t know why that repair takes so long to execute or what purpose that new, more expensive part will serve in the long run.
Nip complaints in the bud by being as informative as possible with your clients. Walk them through the steps of your repairs, as well as the reasoning behind your recommendations, your timeline and your estimate. The more informed they are, the more amenable they’ll be to the entire situation—and the easier they’ll be to work with.
Investing in HVAC estimating software is a great way to prevent unhappy customers in the first place. As many disagreements come from higher-than-expected quotes, these tools help deliver more accurate, precise quotes that customers can rely on.
