Customer communication is important in any business. This is especially true in the restoration business. We all know that without good and concise communication with the customer a project can go south in a quick manner. I have listed below the top 5 ways to improve your customer communication:
1. Have a process: I am a big believer in that during the mitigation process a customer should be given daily updates. These updates should outline the drying progress and the next step going forward. The communication during the repair process should be a weekly update with what was accomplished the prior week and what is going to be accomplished the next week.
2. Production Meetings with employees: Production meetings are a wonderful time to go over the projects and to discuss any customer concerns. The meetings need to foster an open communication atmosphere. The employees should feel that they can discuss jobs and issues without feeling that their job is in jeopardy. Once issues are brought to light there needs to be an action items noted, and someone assigned to make it happen.
3. Silos: You must get rid of communication silos. There are certain employees who withhold information or do not share it willingly. This is a recipe for disaster when dealing with customers. Mitigation needs to communicate to reconstruction and vice versa. The company goal should be to satisfy customers not who controls the information.
4. Reports: Most restoration management systems (PSA, Dash, and Restoration Manager etc.) give you the ability to produce custom reports. I have set up a report on DASH that highlights the last journal note. Not only does this assist with customer communication but it can be used to track collection efforts.
5. Problems do not just go away: Once issues arise, they need to be handled immediately. It is always best to face the issue and discuss it with the customer promptly. Restoration is a tough business, and mistakes happen but the faster you communicate the issue and the plan of action to the customer and the quicker it is resolved creates trust with the customer. Customers appreciate honesty and transparency.
Remember excellent communication does not just happen, you must be intentional about it and have a plan.
Author: Jenny Andrawis
