By Pete Gardner

In a world where it seems that everything is fast paced and people are in a hurry to get the job done quickly and collect their pay, we often forget to pay attention to the little things that might matter to someone. Focusing on small details, caring and having a positive attitude is the basis of a good business practice. Your attention here and making your customers feel comfortable is what can make a difference as to whether or not they will call you again for service on their HVAC system.

Through my own experience, I have had service people come into the house and track mud, leave debris, use bad language and left me confused on what the problem was and what they did to correct it. I thought to myself, I won’t call them again.

It’s a good practice to make sure the customer is happy with your work and that they would want you back again. If you have done a diligent job working on a system, you might want to check to see if you have cleaned up the work area, making sure all scraps, tools, debris, etc. has been cleaned up.

It is also a good idea to have the customer visit your work area and explain what you did, that the area should now look the way it was when you started work and that the equipment is now working properly. If you have a sticker, ask them if you can place it on the furnace or air conditioner so that they might call you first. Give them your business card.

In addition, it is a good idea to do a follow up call to make sure that the customer is still satisfied with the work and that everything is still working properly. If you can offer discounts on future parts or service make sure you make that point and give/send them something in writing.
If you are involved in any local activities such as Little League, Boy/Girl Scouts, Church events or community events, let them know. You might wind up in a conversation about their experiences and have a shared interest.

With competition being enormous these days, these things might help in keeping your old customers and generating new business through word of mouth and recommendations. Trying harder has its benefits.