Plumbing business is challenging to run. Unlike other businesses with straightforward marketing structure, your revenues depend on two niche markets; the panicked homeowner with a burst pipe or someone who needs a plumber as soon as possible in your area; or the routine install or maintenance clients who research and compare different plumbers before hiring.
So with an unclear market to operate in, you need well-thought marketing strategies in order to reach both sets of customers.
The best way to start is by finding out what process consumers use when hiring a plumber. Here are the ways how consumers choose a plumber.
They look for reputation
Consumers usually go for a plumbing company that is well-known and reputable in the plumbing community. They just don’t settle on a plumber. Rather, they do some groundwork before settling on someone.
Today is even easy for consumers to decide which Frisco plumber to hire since there are numerous review websites that they can use to get real feedback about your company’s services from satisfied or dissatisfied customers.
So if you want to grow your plumbing business, make sure you occasionally check what people are saying about you on Yelp, Angie’s List, Google reviews and others.
A few negative reviews are enough to make a customer have second thoughts about hiring you, therefore, clean up your online presence.
Sometimes they use education background and qualifications
Nobody wants someone with no qualifications to work on their burst pipes. Consumers know that for you to become a certified plumber you would have undergone the required training and got the necessary education. There are a lot of plumbers out there operating without qualifications, but I doubt they get regular clients.
If you have the required certifications, be sure your present it so that consumers can see.
Word of mouth
Most consumers don’t have the luxury of performing an online search to find a plumber. Instead, when their toilet erupts all over the house, the first thing they do is phone a friend or the next-door neighbor.
If the friend has good things to say about your plumbing business, you have just acquired a new client. But if you do shoddy jobs, you will struggle to get customers for your business.
Due to the power of the word of mouth, make sure you treat all your customers like they are your best, as you don’t know how wide this person’s network is.
Transparent pricing
Any vagueness in your pricing and you lose credibility in the eyes of your customers. You need to be willing to provide free, upfront quotes for the job at hand. In the plumbing community, transparency is everything.
Insurance
Consumers know a skilled and responsible plumber takes all conceivable precautions to ensure that they fix the problems instead of creating more.
Accidents happen and even clients know this, so as a plumber, you need to have measures in place to offset any damages that occur during plumbing.
Consumers usually go for plumbers with general liability insurance as well as workman’s compensation. This cover protects you and your home.
Consumers search online
The easiest method consumers use to choose a plumber is doing an online search. For this reason, you should create a simple website to serve as the first point of contact between you and your potential customers.
Consumers are also likely to hire a plumbing company with an informative website that contains all the information about the services that they provide; as well as business hours, emergency services they offer, and the areas they operate.
They go for quality
There are a lot of plumbers out there, and the market is highly competitive. Consumers know that there are real and fake plumbers, so they will do research to ensure they hire someone who can offer quality services.
Clients usually look for plumbers who are licensed, insured, and offer upfront, transparent pricing. Another thing they look for is a plumber who can offer a warranty to guarantee the work they do.
The area of service
Consumers also use your location to decide whether to hire your company or not. Local companies are usually the most preferred since they can send a plumber quickly and at an affordable price. While national plumbing companies have stellar reputation and years of experience, they are likely to be way beyond the budget of the client. Also, they may take longer to reach a client’s home.
Communication
The first contact with a prospective customer will likely be through a phone call. If or when a potential customer calls you, they are likely to be armed with a number of questions including how long you have been in the plumbing business, whether or not you have insurance, and so on. So you need to be able to communicate well to your potential client and answer any question that they may ask.
The moment you hesitate on your answer is the moment the customer will red-flag you.
You may also be asked about your references, so be sure to always have a pre-qualified list of all your references ready.
Customer support
Customer support is essential to all kinds of businesses, including plumbing. Consumers will go for a plumber that guarantees to offer support after they are done with the project. Mistakes are inevitable, and a client wants to know that in case something goes wrong after you have finished the work, they can contact you and you can claim accountability, and either fix the problem or refund the money.
Customer support should be one of your selling points as a plumber. This gives your potential customers a lot of confidence as they know in case of anything wrong, or if they have any questions, you will be readily available to address it.
Final Thoughts
Running a plumbing business is not an easy task. To be able to stand out from the crowded market, you need to have a strategy. Knowing how consumers choose a plumber is one of the strategies that can help you position your business appropriately and attract clients regularly.
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