Anyone can learn how to build houses and buildings given the time and training.

However, not everyone has the attitude needed to become a builder that customers want to work with.

You might wonder why some builders, although they don’t have the fanciest, most high-tech tools, still get clients flocking to them. While others, with all their newest gadgets and impressive looks, have people hating on them (especially on social media.)

Regardless of what you’re trying to sell people, customers remember you more by how you make them feel.

In other words, customer service is just as important as having the skills and tools for a builder to become successful.

Even in other industries, you see customers leaving behind big brands because of how a representative made them feel. As a customer, if you were treated badly by a representative, you don’t dislike that representative alone but you tend to dislike the company as a whole.

So here are some tips on how you can provide better customer service as a builder or contractor.

 

Build a Relationship

If you want a customer to work with you, you have to build a relationship with them.

That means, you have to gain their trust.

How can you gain their trust?

By being honest and clear.

Be clear about your pricing, be accurate with your quotes and provide your customer with a report on what’s happening with their project and where their money is going.

Imagine you were the customer, would you trust you?

 

Be a Good Communicator… and Listener

Become a good communicator by taking the time to answer the customer’s questions and concerns.

If you have to, you can practice speaking in front of a mirror. Your actions when speaking, your eye movements and how you look overall, helps to make customers want to listen to you.

Use terms that they understand and make sure that you address their questions, instead of just blabbering nonstop.

The same also applies when you’re communicating with your customers online or on social media.

Even if you’re not facing each other physically, you still need to keep in your mind that you speak for the whole company.

Answer comments, (whether good or bad,) with respect, clarity and real concern for their issues.

 

Be Reliable

Would you call a person that is always late?

No matter how impressive your words are, if your actions don’t show it, then it’s all for nothing.

If ever you are running late and you can’t do anything else about it, then call your clients as a courtesy.

Inform them what’s happened, if you’re still coming or if you could meet at a later time that would still be good for them.

This applies only if there’s an important reason why you can’t meet them on or close to time (not because you woke up late.) As much as possible, NEVER reschedule or cancel meetings.

It also works if after finishing their project, you come up to them and confirm if everything’s just how they wanted it to be.

This shows that you really care about your work and more importantly, about them.

Customer service serves as the first line of interaction that you have with a customer. And since first impressions last, it’s better if you provide them with a service they could not easily forget.