Whether you’re extending a residential property or a new commercial building from the ground up, good communication is vital when you work in the construction sector. It is so easy to get caught up in your day-to-day responsibilities and fail to keep your clients up to date on what you’re working on, but failing to do so can have a negative impact on sales. Below, we’ve put together some tips on keeping them happy throughout your project…
Ensure you’re on-time and on-budget
What separates the good contractors from the great contractors is their ability to deliver on their predefined objectives and goals ahead of time. If you promise that you’re going to finish the job by March for £20,000, then you simply cannot expect to delay the project by six weeks and ask for another £8,000 to finish off the job. Of course, every project has its own set of challenges, but by mitigating risks and allowing for some unexpected issues along the way, you’re more likely than not to always deliver on-time and keep clients truly satisfied.
Depend on technology
The tradesmen payments service PongoPay allows tradespeople and construction companies to update their clients on the progress of their work via a dedicated app, which is consumer-friendly and designed to keep things simple. From build updates to completion statements, your clients can track progress without having to call you for an update, and you can ensure that you’re hitting their targets on or ahead of schedule. Depending on tech is one of the best ways to improve communication; everything is transparent and timestamped.
Be friendly and professional
Although technology makes it easier to keep clients up-to-date on the progress of projects, it’s also vital that you’re friendly, professional and responsive when they get in touch with you. As a small business owner, you must put your clients first at all times, ensuring that they are not waiting to hear back from you for days on end. Respond to emails, calls, and texts promptly and consider customer service training to ensure you’re coming across positively.
Get them involved
We’re not suggesting that you ask your clients to don their hard hat and help you with the groundwork, but getting them involved in your project is a great idea. Scheduling times where they can visit the construction site to see your progress in person can give them a sense of ownership over the project and confidence in your ability. It’s also an opportunity for them to ask questions, make amendments to plans, and ensure you deliver what they want.
Speak in their language
Whether you’re dealing with domestic or commercial clients, it’s vital that you speak in their language and avoid using buzzwords or industry jargon when pitching for your services. Too much jargon can impede clarity, making it difficult for your client to understand what you’re actually saying, and it’s also bad manners. If you’re struggling, describe a recent project to a friend or partner – they can highlight any keywords or phrases they don’t understand and you can make changes to your sales pitches accordingly. If all else fails, try to keep it simple.
Do you have any other tips for keeping clients happy? Let us know and check back soon.
