N’Ts Are For Losers
By Nexstar Training Manager Keith Mercurio

In this week’s video blog, Nexstar Training Manager Keith Mercurio talks about the power of what we do inside our minds and how that translates to the outside world. He shows you how to find what you are looking for by changing your thinking and vocabulary. Stop using the N’Ts:  CaN’T, WoN’T, DoN’T, ShouldN’T, etc.  Click on the photo to play the video. To learn more about Nexstar’s results-driven training: http://www.nexstarnetwork.com/Pages/SureFireSystems.aspx.

“Translate The Jargon”
By Nexstar Master Trainer Dave Boduch

Nexstar Master Trainer Dave Boduch discusses technical jargon and how using words that your customers will understand will help you build trust and better relate to your customers. Click on the photo to play the video. To learn more about Nexstar’s results-driven training: http://www.nexstarnetwork.com/Pages/SureFireSystems.aspx.

Online Reviews Attract Customers to PHCE Contractors
By Bryan Martin, Business Enhancement Specialist

Online reviews continue to increase in importance with consumers. The recent Nielsen Global Survey reports that 70 percent of consumers trust online consumer reviews, an increase of 15 percent in four years. And, according to the Local Consumer Review Survey 2012, 52 percent of consumers say that positive online reviews make them more likely to use that local business.

Today’s residential plumbing, HVAC and electrical service customer wants a simple way to research a potential service provider and they are increasingly turning to review sites to do so. So, what does this mean to you? How do you manage your company’s online reputation?

First, it’s important to remember, like with any review function, if you are providing the best customer service, you should see this reflected in your reviews, even online reviews. If you have invested in technician training, call center training, and you have implemented business systems that allow your business to operate effectively, like our Nexstar® members, then that’s a good thing. However, if for one reason or another, you miss on a customer service opportunity, and a negative review appears online, how do you manage that?

I’m sure you know that responding to the review and attempting to follow up with the customer to amend any issues is your first step. Then you need to look at an online reputation management tool that will help you generate new reviews and on the right review sites. The goal is for your satisfied customers to post their positive reviews on popular review sites, such as Google Places, Yelp and Facebook to offset the occasional negative review.

This does not mean you should create or buy unauthentic positive online reviews.  Since online reviews can play a positive role in your company’s search engine ranking, the social media giants are cracking down on fake reviews and “review impersonation.” According to Google, this practice is sufficient cause for getting your company banned from their listings, thereby losing access to 60% of the online search market. Think about managing your online reputation as you are creating your marketing plan. Making a mistake in managing your online reputation or SEO could be extremely costly for your service business.

As online reviews become even more critical, our Nexstar members have come to us asking for guidance. So, we partnered with a company called ReviewBuzz™ to create StarBuzz™, an exclusive program combining our Nexstar Customer Satisfaction Survey with ReviewBuzz’s public online customer review generator and technician recognition program.

With StarBuzz, you know what percentage of your customers is influencing other potential customers, and where you need to train and improve. It capitalizes on the one-on-one relationships your staff builds directly with your customers, resulting in positive reviews on influential websites, so you out shine the competition, authentically and ethically. In addition, StarBuzz increases staff engagement by rewarding your “Customer Service Heroes” for sharing their glowing reviews to build trust and close more sales.

Take the time to think about your online reputation. As a service business, your success depends on providing the best customer service then for potential customers to find you. Ask potential online reputation providers a lot of questions about how they generate reviews and ask them about their commitment to authenticity. I would be happy to help you get started. Call me at 888.240.STAR (7827).

“World of the Call Center-Insight for Technicians ”
By Nexstar Master Trainer Dave Boduch

Nexstar Master Trainer Dave Boduch gives technicians insight into understanding how a well-oiled call center works and how to use that to a technician’s advantage. Click on the photo to play the video. To learn more about Nexstar’s results-driven training: http://www.nexstarnetwork.com/Pages/SureFireSystems.aspx.

Preparation is Key

By Jodi Peter, Nexstar® Network Business Coach

It’s March and the calendar, and our clocks, now say it is spring. But if you are the owner or general manager of a successful air conditioning business you may already have a distinct summer glow. Air Conditioning companies make up to 70% of their profits during the summer months. You are undoubtedly working hard to find employees, review your business systems, and execute your marketing plan in advance of the most important 13 weeks for you this year. You know you need to grow revenue during this short window to make your goals for the year. You know you have one chance this summer to build customer relationships and provide the customer service that makes a positive first and lasting impression. You know one mis-step or unplanned event can have a tremendous impact on your ability to increase profit.

You also know the need to prepare for your busiest season does not change year to year. You know the time to prepare for summer is now, before customers start calling. Here are the top five areas to focus on ahead of time to ensure you maximize your earnings potential for the entire summer season.

1. Pricing – In order to meet your profit goals, you need to make sure you are priced correctly. Calculate your break-even and desired profit and know what you need to charge.  Your pricing needs to be strategic and not just what you believe your market can bear or just a dart on a dart board.  Set realistic goals for the company and every revenue producer in your company.
2. Installation Processes – Review your entire installation process with your staff. Revisit the technician training your staff has had or still needs. Include a close look at your transfer process for handing off an installation from Comfort Consultant or Installation Manager to installer if needed. If you don’t have a good process, or if your staff is not comfortable in how to communicate with homeowners, it can be awkward and unsettling to customers.
3. Hours of Operation – Establish before the season if you are going to extend your hours of operation or how you are handling emergency service calls. Then make sure you have staff trained in customer service working the extended hours. A good place to start is to role play scenarios from call center training with anyone who may answer the phones during regular or extended hours. Customers should never feel like they are talking to your “B” team, no matter what time they call.
4. Fleet & Equipment – Nothing can stall a good summer like having a truck break down. Make sure you have your entire fleet serviced ahead of time to prevent or fix any minor problems. Inspect your current equipment and make plans now to bring in any additional inventory or equipment you might need.
5. Staffing – At the end of the day, the biggest key to a good summer is having the right people doing the right jobs. Quality technicians and installers have completely different jobs and skillsets to support what they do. Your job is to make sure your employees are in the right jobs so they can be successful. For more about preparing your staff for the busy season, see my article in the March issue of The Reeves Journal.

If you take the time to focus on these five areas now, you will be well prepared for summer when the customers start calling!

By: Denise Swafford, Nexstar Network Training and Development Manager

I’ve seen a lot of activity about the recent Super Storm Sandy and the devastation she has caused. I wanted to share my personal experiences in dealing with these types of natural disasters in hopes that it might help someone that is going through struggles wondering what to do now. 

First, try to stay positive. Your attitude as a leader is so important. Every move you make is being watched by the rest of your team and your community.  They need reassurance that everything is going to be OK.   By now, hopefully you’ve heard from your team, but if not – your people have to be your first priority.  Make sure you know what your peoples’ needs are.  You need to take care of your people so that you can get your people back to work with their head in the game as soon as possible.  If they need help cleaning up their yards, repairing roof damage, etc. – hire someone to help them with that stuff so they can get back to work. 

Second – if your facility was flooded or damaged- reach out to vendors or relationships you have your community to see if they will allow you to use space in their buildings to operate out of until you can get back up and operational. Vendors have been generous enough to allow some companies to utilize office staff, offer extended terms, utilize office equipment such as phones, copiers, fax, computers, etc.  Third, if you lost trucks due to flooding, reach out to leasing companies such as Enterprise to lease vehicles on temporary basis.  They have been known to work with companies in the past that have experienced Acts of God and offer generous payment terms which allowed companies to get back up on their feet quicker. 

Next, get involved with FEMA – offer to help them set up their trailers, run their plumbing, electrical, hook up their HVAC units. Make friends with them. They can’t refer you exclusively, but they can put you at the top of their list of companies they recommend. Also, remember, cash is king – once customers start calling – they will ask you to bill their insurance company – instead offer them financing through a company such as GE – perhaps even use 12 months terms.  This gives the homeowner up to 12 months to resolve any issues with their insurance company and you get paid right away. 

Once you are in a neighborhood – be prepared to stay there the entire day if necessary. Have flyers or door hangers that you hand out (hand out – being the key word – don’t just put it on the door – knock on the door and talk to people letting them know you are in the neighborhood). Remember to show empathy that you understand what they are going through and you were just at their neighbor’s house and wanted to stop by and see if they could use any help as well. 

Be prepared to maximize every day. I’ve seen other members post very generous messages that they are willing to fly in equipment, they are even willing to fly in licensed technicians to help out.  Remember once a work day is gone, it’s gone forever.  Make the most of each and every day and minimize backlog as much as possible. 

In terms of marketing, remember radio is probably best for a captive audience until power is fully restored.  Offers of safety inspections provide tremendous value to your community. 

 If you have any questions or want more information, please feel free to reach out to Nexstar Network. We’re here to help.

By: Tom Merriott, Nexstar Network Call Center Excellence Coach

How many of you can tell me the difference between the role of the CSR and a DSR? If you haven’t been to Nexstar’s Call Center School–this is something that we spend some time focusing on.

The main purpose of a CSR is to book calls. When the phone rings, they need to convert incoming calls into appointments. Most CSRs have an outbound component to their responsibilities as well.

An excellent CSR has to put customers first and actively work to understand and empathize with thier situation. They then need to proactively offer solutions to solve the customers problem. Qualities to look for in a great CSR are: Sales Aptitude, Empathy, Organization and Task Management, Compassion and Consideration for Others, Team Player and Problem Solver.

Your DSR, or dispatcher, is your money hunter. The bulk of the dispatcher’s day should be consumed with making sure that the best technician is dispatched to the best available call. As more calls come in, they should be evaluated against the calls currently on the board, to see if they should be run instead. Qualities to look for in a great DRS are: Highly Organized, Successful at Multi-Tasking, Big-Picture Oriented, Analytical and Problem Solver.

As you can see, there is a distinct difference between a CSR and DSR. I know that some shops are not able to hire for both positions–but if you are, you should. Successful contractors know that having the right people with the right skills in the right roles, will really drive your business. Remember the big picture for the call center is: providing excellent service, booking calls and successfully getting the right technicians to the right jobs.

By: Jim Hamilton Nexstar Network Business Coach

Here’s a quick tip regarding managing labor in peak season. I speak from experience.

I like to load my install trucks up in preparation for the upcoming peak season with install teams.  Why? You can never have enough installers during the peak season. 

During peak season you need to measure the production of each install team. Why?  Because come shoulder season, the slackers are going to be hacked.  I tell the install crews this at the beginning.  If they slack when I need them the most, I will cut them when I need them the least. 

After implementing this process, I had less crews take vacation in the summer months and take less days off. Overall productivity improved.

By: Tom Merriott, Nexstar Network Call Center Excellence Coach

I had the great opportunity to teach at Nexstar Network’s Call Center School last week. One of my favorite parts of this class is when our attendees share their “AHA” moments with the class. Our group last week, had some wonderful insights, and I thought they were worth echoing.

“Don’t rush through calls.”

“Learn something personal about your customers when they call in.”

“Take the time to measure your call stats to gain insight and to see where you can improve.”

“Our goal is always to book the call.”

“If at all possible, don’t transfer the customer or put them on hold.”

“My smile will come through on the call.”

“Be patient and listen.”

“Empathize with the customer and make them feel important.”

I hope that you find these as inspirational as I do! I can’t wait to see the great things in store for our recent call center graduates—they are now prepared to provide incredible customer care!

By: Ed Cerier, Nexstar Network Marketing Strategist 

Nexstar Network members set the standard for professionalism. When your customers see how your techs are dressed and groomed and how your trucks sparkle, they think “clean and proud.” When your customers speak with your CSRs and techs, they think “intelligent and friendly.” When you make happy calls, they think “caring and complete.”

This might not describe your shop exactly, but it’s probably close.

Your people, procedures and products all paint a consistent picture that communicates you’re raising the bar. Why do you attend to so many details? Because you know that everything matters. It doesn’t do any good for your techs to be friendly if your CSRs are cold.

As you’re thinking about the details, make sure your marketing messages are consistent with your overall operation.

Your people, procedures, and products all paint a consistent picture.

If you want people to think you’re a proud, intelligent, professional company, then your marketing has to communicate those things. It’s not enough for your people and vehicles to communicate excellence if your marketing communicates average or even below average.

To be a successful marketer, though, every aspect of your marketing must communicate professionalism. If your copy states that you’re professional but your visuals don’t reinforce this, your copy won’t ring true. Professional marketing communications are particularly important to attract prospective customers, because prospects don’t know anything about you. All they know is what they read and see and sense from your marketing communications. These communications provide the critical first impression. Make sure your marketing communications reflect the quality of your entire operation. That’s good marketing.