Making Your Brand More Human (Personal Experience Edition)

Recently, I wrote a blog about how skilled trades businesses can build trust with their customers based on human experiences—and in turn, build their brand.

Ironically, as I was writing that piece, my home heat pump began malfunctioning, so I got to experience the process firsthand. And fortunately, to see how it’s done right.

A note before continuing: I can’t name the firm involved, but I can say that it’s not affiliated with The Graphite Lab, ServiceTitan, HouseCall Pro, or Jobber.

I’ve numbered the good service points from here on. 

The problem cropped up on Sunday afternoon. I called the company and got their answering service, which referred me to the tech on call (#1). He had me text pictures of the unit directly to him (#2).

It was reassuring to talk with a tech within a matter of minutes. That’s a huge factor when you don’t know what the problem is, how much it will cost to fix it, or whether (shudder) the whole thing will need to be replaced.

The tech suggested several possible problems, but said someone would have to see the heat pump to diagnose it. He offered a Sunday visit, but gave me a choice (#3). I opted for the lower weekday rate and got the first available appointment at 10 AM on Tuesday.

I appreciated the choice, because the weekend rate was (understandably) twice the weekday rate. 

On Tuesday, the lead tech arrived on time (#4), and found the faulty part. He gave me a concrete estimate for the repair (#5), said they had the part in stock, and could install it Wednesday at the latest. 

Major points for being on time. How many horror stories have you heard about customers losing work hours because their tech didn’t arrive on schedule—or at all?

He then called back (#6), said they’d been able to find the part from another supplier (#7). He had also located two techs who could do the job just after noon on Tuesday (#8). 

Excellent communication. The tech not only kept me informed of each step, but made an extra effort to solve the problem on the same day, even though they had numerous other service calls. 

Never underestimate the value of keeping the customer informed. A customer who has to call you will almost always be an angry customer. 

The second crew arrived on time (#9), made the repair, and gave me a clear invoice for exactly the same amount I was quoted earlier (#10).

Vague estimates and surprise charges are a major customer irritant. This estimate was right on the penny. 

Finally, the lead tech gave me his card with a QR code that would let me leave a Google review for the company (#11). 

This is a step many companies overlook, but it’s a wise one—I was very pleased with their service and will leave a 5-star review. 

It all seems so basic, but many companies lose customers because they miss one or more of the steps above. 

And to put in a plug here, The Graphite Lab offers automations that help you communicate better with customers, provide clear, accurate estimates and invoices, manage online reviews, and alert customers to their techs' progress in real time on their day of service.

As I said, the company I called doesn’t use The Graphite Lab, or any of the three major platforms mentioned at the beginning of this blog. But they did demonstrate how vital people skills are in the skilled trades.