Afew days ago, I received an invoice for work my friendly neighborhood excavating contractor performed at my house. At the bottom of the bill, he scrawled a note that said, “Thank you for choosing us for your project. We appreciate your business!’’
I’ve known this hardworking fella for years and I’ve hired him several times to perform one dirt-moving task or another. From his great attitude to his usual responsiveness, I already know he values our business relationship. And he knows I know how much he appreciates the work.
But the point is, he never takes that good business relationship for granted. He always personally thanks me for hiring him. I’m a satisfied customer, but he makes me feel all the better about writing that check.
My contractor friend exhibits what business-building authors Joseph and JoAnn Callaway call a “clients first’’ philosophy. He doesn’t rest on his good service laurels, but is constantly reinforcing the message that he cares about his customers. But the Callaways, who wrote Clients First: The Two Word Miracle (John Wiley & Sons), argue that many small businesses are not putting the customer first – even though they think they are.
In a recent interview about the book, Joseph Callaway said many well-meaning business owners are putting their customers last, not by doing bad work, but by “putting so many other things first – their own bank accounts, comfort, convenience, even their own pride. I’m talking about those who do have good intentions – who try to be polite, fair and offer a good value – but who allow deceptively small aspects of their day-to-day decisions and habits to take precedence over the customer’s well-being.”
Callaway developed a list of subtle ways small businesses fail to put their customers’ interest first. Some of them struck a chord with me when thinking about my discussions with portable sanitation contractors over the years. Here are a few points from his list, his reaction and my thoughts on how they can impact your restroom business:
You believe your number one business goal is to make money
“Taking your focus off the bottom line may feel uncomfortable at first,’’ Callaway says. “But you’ll soon find that when you focus on how best to serve clients, tough decisions make themselves. If it serves the client, you do it. If it doesn’t, you don’t – even if you make less money.’’
Sometimes you have to do what’s right, not what’s most profitable for that moment in time. I recall a PRO telling me about a customer who failed to order enough restrooms for an event and refused to pay for an extra service to ensure the units stayed clean over a weekend. Sure enough, a few of the units became overfilled and a technician was sent out on an extra service run at no charge to the customer.
“It’s my name on the side of the restroom, so it’s my reputation at stake,’’ the PRO told me. His hope was that the customer would recognize he went the extra mile to provide quality service and the gesture would pay off in the long run.
If it’s not “broke,” you don’t fix it
“You should make it a priority to stay familiar with the way your industry is growing and changing,’’ Callaway says. “Always question the status quo, and ask yourself how you can make it better.’’
A few months back a contractor told me he finally broke down and bought routing software and GPS units for his service trucks. The resulting savings in time and fuel was a revelation. It’s tough to stay on top of all small business technology advances or tools designed to help PROs, but the more you track and adapt to the latest trends in equipment and efficiency the better. How do you do it? By networking through a trade association, sharpening your skills through certification for services you provide and attending tradeshows like the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo to see the latest products.
You subscribe to the idea that the customer is always right
“Allowing a customer to be ‘right’ when you know he isn’t may pacify him temporarily,’’ Callaway says. “But in the end, it won’t be good for either of you. Putting clients first sometimes means politely but honestly disagreeing with or disappointing them.’’
Do you ever go along to get along with a customer? For example, sometimes you know restrooms should be placed a certain way at an event, or that a bride and groom would be happier if they spent more money for an upscale trailer for their backyard reception. But you don’t want to force the issue for fear they will take their business elsewhere. Remember that you are the portable sanitation expert, and most customers want the benefit of your knowledge and experience. Your frank communication could save them embarrassment and ensure a successful event.
You don’t know your client’s daughter’s name or what he likes to do on the weekends
“People want to do business with individuals they like – and they like people who like them! Make a deeper connection with your clients by asking about their kids, their pets, their hobbies, and their jobs or businesses,’’ Callaway says. “You’ll find that most of them are just like you: filled with worries, hopes and dreams.’’
You might think it’s smart and professional to be all business on the job. Get to the site, pump and clean the restroom and get out. Of course, quality service is your first obligation, but businesses flourish based on personal relationships. If a customer truly likes you, they’ll find ways to recommend your service to friends and acquaintances. And the better they know you, the more likely they’ll be to cut you some slack when the inevitable service snafu happens. It’s just nice to be nice.
You feel your main obligation to employees is writing their paycheck
“Your job is to serve others, period. You can’t do that by making distinctions between the people who work for you and the people to whom you provide a good or service,’’ Callaway says. “Realize that you set the tone for your company’s personality, and that you’re creating a tribe of people who will beat the drum for your message.’’
If what you pay employees and how you treat them day to day is substandard, then substandard employees is what you’ll get. And employees who aren’t committed and happy to be at your company are poor performers who will never put the client first.
Every now and then I hear from a PRO who says he can’t afford to pay an employee enough or offer the kind of benefits he would like to. I would tell that contractor that perhaps he can’t afford not to offer a competitive wage and benefits package to his crew. Would you keep working for a boss who didn’t appreciate your work? And if you did, would you be inclined to bend over backwards for the customer?
A good reminder
You have to get paid for your work, and in the vast majority of instances you need to turn a good profit on restroom placements to stay in business. But the Callaways argue that you can grow and build the business by thinking less about your needs and more about pleasing all of your customers. The idea of putting the customer first is nothing new, but it’s always good to remind ourselves about what that means.
