Not all answering services are the same. Some are specific to certain industries (such as a call center for plumbers and electricians). Some can only handle calls without access to additional customer information. While very few others – such as the answering service provided by Contractor in Charge – can offer the same level of service as a fully functioning office. They miss out on providing services such as accounting, industry-specific knowledge, working with your technicians, and following through with customers. It’s important to decide what services you will need before searching for the answering service that is an exact fit. A complete-service answering service for electricians and plumbers may end up being your solution.
To find that exact fit, it’s a good idea to ask a few questions first. Take the time to understand what they provide before signing any contracts:
“What functions can you perform?”
Find out what they can perform with their current software and what their limitations are. At a minimum, an answering service for electricians should be able to book appointments, accept cancellations, and reschedule when possible to avoid cancellations becoming permanent. Additional services, such as those provided by Contractor in Charge, may include bookkeeping, invoice creation, dispatching urgent jobs, and contacting workers in the field as needed.
If relevant, explore if any of your current software can be integrated into theirs for a smoother customer experience and information sharing between your company and the answering service.
“Can you dispatch urgent jobs?”
Not everything can wait until the next day. Especially when it comes to plumbing and electricity, problems can arise that need immediate attention. It is likely that answering service for electricians and plumbers will have customers, or potential customers, calling with emergencies. The experts at Contractor in Charge recommend making certain that your answering service is up to the task of effectively and quickly doing what is necessary to get the problem solved. At a minimum, they should be knowledgeable on how to advise customers in an emergency, be capable of contacting technicians to dispatch immediate jobs, and have the capacity to follow through with the customer to make sure their needs have been met.
Image credit: Anil Karakaya
“What questions do you ask callers?”
Ask any potential call center for plumbers and electricians to provide you with the questions used to qualify a job appointment. Also, explore their understanding of your field. It’s best to choose a service, such as Contractor in Charge, that knows about the type of work that you do. You will want an answering service that can:
- Be courteous
- Be thorough in what they ask customers
- Have a conversation flow that leads to appointment booking
- Handle basic customer questions
- Give practical advice (such as where to locate water shutoff valves). This will help customers to prevent property damage until a technician arrives
- Be able to accommodate common customer problems and refer customers with more complex issues
You and your customers deserve the best. It’s worth the small amount of time invested in doing the research and choosing an answering service that is a perfect fit for your needs. It’s important to always have the right tools for any job.
Image credit: Kindel Media
