Illustration of a live receptionist on a phone, assisting a customer
Illustration of a live receptionist on a phone, assisting a customer

Contractors are Bad at Nailing the Customer Experience. Here's Why.

If you have a contracting business, you’ve probably had experience with this — contractors struggle with customer service. There are many reasons why this is the case, including staffing issues, a lack of expertise, and a simple lack of overlap between customer service and contracting skills. This doesn’t mean that you have a bad business. After all, as the famous quote goes, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

The challenge is that it can be easy for contractors to fall behind on calls without the support provided by a solid contractor answering service. Running a contractor business can be a massive challenge, but you can’t let these calls fall through the cracks. Here’s the good news: Abby is here to help.

Customer Service Cannot Be Overlooked

You can have the most skilled craftsmen and produce the greatest work in the world, but if a customer has to call you three times to get an appointment, they’re gone, and you are never getting them back. If your customers feel disrespected or their needs aren’t being met, you will never hear from them again. It may even worsen thanks to social media. A customer may blast you on their Facebook feed or leave a negative review, and there is no question that these reviews will matter.

Here’s the good news: The reverse is also true. Consider the following:

  • In a survey about customer service, 81% of all respondents said that a positive customer service experience made them more likely to do business with a company again.
  • 68% of customers said that they would actually pay more to have better customer service.
  • 95% of customers said they had to have positive customer service to build brand loyalty to the company in question.

So, what does good customer service actually mean?

  • Customers have their phones answered promptly by a live person who understands their needs, is respectful, and sets them up with an appointment right away.
  • If a message must be left, that message is returned quickly.
  • Any questions are answered promptly and friendly, be it over the phone, by email, or by social media.
  • Appointments are kept, and any delays are explained and corrected quickly.

How Our Live Receptionist Service Can Help

There is no question that even a high-quality HVAC live receptionist, contractor answering service, or plumber answering service pale in-comparison to the live receptionist services we offer, which can be the difference between the success and failure of your business. Why? Because a dedicated live receptionist team knows what your customers are looking for and how to handle them. Abby Connect can help you in the following ways:

  • We are skilled, trained professionals who know what to ask, how to ask it, and how to be as polite and respectful as possible when dealing with your loyal customers.
  • We have set-up systems that integrate with your office, ensuring that you work together to coordinate who answers customer service calls, when they are asked, and when a follow-up may be necessary to ensure that no customer is ever forgotten about.
  • We can provide marketing and sales support, ensuring that you have access to data necessary to make informed decisions about where to spend your limited marketing dollars.
  • We can ensure that you save money by outsourcing a potentially expensive function. This reduced expense will save you big-time on staffing and benefits.
  • We can learn the ins and outs of your business, ensuring that a customer gets a personalized, customized, and valuable experience.
  • We can be an excellent answer to the ongoing staffing shortage: After all, the responsibility of staffing our team is entirely on us, and you will always have a team ready to assist around the clock. Even offering 24/7 live receptionist services!
  • Not to mention our comprehensive AbbyGO app to give you more control over your calls than ever before.

Abby’s live receptionists can serve as your world-class alternative to a contractor answering service, plumber answering service, HVAC answering service, or whatever service you provide and take your customer experience to the next level. We have the skills and experience to understand your customer service and have developed the tools and technology to ensure all of your calls are handled and that your customers feel valued.

Looking to give Abby a shot? We’ve got great news: You can experience the Abby difference with our FREE 14-day Abby Connect Trial, completely risk-free and tailored to your needs!

Written by

Hope Holland

Hope Holland

Hope joined Abby Connect in 2016 as a receptionist. She now leads the Sales Team in their efforts to help small businesses with their communication needs. Hope has always valued the customer experience and understands how crucial it is for businesses that want to succeed. With this mission, she strives to help businesses connect with their clients and improve the experience their business offers.