Most project managers don’t need to be convinced that customer service matters in the construction industry. At the same time, many industrial companies still suffer from lackluster client experiences. What gives? Well, the going wisdom is that a big smile and a cooperative attitude are all you need to make customers happy. In reality, it’s a little more complicated. Transforming your customer service experience requires some in-depth rethinking and reorganizing.
Create a customer service strategy.
The pursuit of transforming your customer service begins where all projects on the job site start: the drawing board. You’ll need a clear and concise customer service strategy before you can implement any meaningful changes. It varies between companies, but most customer service plans include:
- Vision – This statement summarizes how you want your business to interact with clients and how you want customers to feel. It’ll act as a guiding light to keep all customer service efforts working towards the same goal.
- Customer Journey – Your company needs a clear outline of the various touchpoints along the customer service journey. This way, you can assign responsibilities while giving your customers a clear path for getting their needs addressed.
- Goals – Setting clear and achievable objectives makes it possible to measure progress when improving your business’s customer service. Be sure to get as specific as possible when setting goals!
Work with clients that make sense.
You have to juggle a lot of considerations when choosing clients. There are profit/loss calculations, budgeting, timeline, staffing demands, and much, much more. If you’re looking to transform your customer service experience, you need to throw another factor into the mix: compatibility. In other words, how a potential client would jive with your business. You can make things a whole lot easier for you, your team, and your clients by picking customers that align with your business’s vision and goals.
Further Reading: Why You Should Be Picky About the Clients You Choose
Hire the right craftsmen.
Customer service exists at all levels of an organization from the head honcho to the newest recruit. That’s why it should be an important consideration in the hiring process. You need the whole team on board to promote and uphold your customer-service strategy. Easier said than done? You bet! Especially considering you still need to screen for work history, practical skills, and compatibility with company culture. You can bypass all of this work while improving the talent you acquire by outsourcing your hiring needs.
Ask for feedback (and respond).
There are a number of insightful metrics you can (and should!) use to measure your customer service progress. However, no metric will ever be as informative or crucial as what your clients actually think. Actively encouraging feedback is the most accurate way to keep your finger on the pulse of the client experience. Sound a little time-consuming, complicated, and expensive? Check out the hapigood marketing tool. They source testimonials, separate negative feedback to improve customer service, and post positive messages on your website and social media.
Make changes when needed.
Remember those goals you set when planning your customer service strategy? Your business should be constantly monitoring these insights and customer feedback to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. When you pinpoint an area that could use improvement, make the required changes. Sometimes, you’ll have to make changes as your business pivots toward new goals or focuses on a new client base. Customer service isn’t a set-and-forget strategy. It requires ongoing adjustments to reflect the evolving needs of your business and its clients.
Finding it difficult to attract the right talent for your team? The industrial staffing experts at Madden Craftsmen are here to help! With decades of experience pairing qualified and eager craftsmen with leading employers, we know what it takes to build high-quality teams. Take a few minutes to fill out a job order to get paired with dozens of best-fit candidates.
