IT'S ALL ABOUT DAZZLE

这些行之有效的商业策略将帮助你找到, 即使你在竞争激烈的市场中工作，也要赢得并留住新客户

By Rick Howe

让我们面对现实吧，竞争非常激烈. You see the trucks. You see the Yellow Pages ads. 有些公司信誉良好，有些则不然.

How do you compete? By providing fast, professional service. 你不需要对别人的掠夺性行为做出回应. 你所需要做的就是用你的服务增加价值. 提供一个质量和专业水平，将允许你收取更高的费用，仍然得到工作. Everybody knows that you get what you pay for. 永远努力超越客户的期望. In other words, dazzle your customers.

Customers are the lifeblood of any business. Without them, you don't have a business. So where do they come from? Why are they calling you? And why are they calling you?

Driven by Emergencies
很少有“看不见”这个词的地方, “精神失常”在化粪池行业同样适用. 人们不去想他们的化粪池系统，直到为时已晚. 也许太晚意味着有150人聚集在后院里参加女儿的花园婚礼, and they're knee deep in septage.

This is an emergency-driven industry. Sure, some people maintain their septic systems. 但在美国，超过90%的抽水都是出于紧急情况. When people have backups, they do one thing. They look in the Yellow Pages. 所以第一课是在黄页上的三个分类下做广告：化粪池，下水道 & Drain Cleaning, and Plumbing.

If you don't do all those things, 与其他承包商协商我们的安排，你可以把工作分包给他们. And hopefully, they will reciprocate. But, first and foremost, get the call.

How do you get the call? 如果他们回应了你的黄页广告，那可能是因为你的广告：

*Is as big as you can afford
*提供免费的评估，免费的教育小册子，或免费的检查
*Has a catchy 800 phone number
有当地的电话号码，即使你在很远的地方
*说明一切：快速服务，保险，保证，住宅，商业，工业

Looks Professional
Now that you've gotten the call; how did you get the job? 这就是专业精神和电话技巧的用武之地. 我们都承认化粪池相关行业不同于其他行业. 我们也接受与脓毒症有关的污名（更不用说坏笑话了）.

你可以用专业精神克服所有这些问题. Wear uniforms. 发放名片，操作干净、专业的设备. Use educational materials. Keep current with the latest technologies.

专业精神也会渗透到办公室和电话中. In the office, be as organized as possible. 有一个适合你需要的计算机系统，以及让每个人都能轻松使用的软件. 此外，有一个文件系统，可以让你的手在信息快速.

接电话有几条规则：

铃响三声之内接电话，不要超过五声.
*Smile. The customer will "hear" it in your voice.
*Identify yourself ("Able Septic, this is Ellen. How may I help you?").
*Get the person's name and refer to it often. People love to hear their name.
*Be friendly and businesslike. No babies or dogs in the background.
*Ask questions. 这将消除意外，并为客户追加销售做好准备, (jetting, risers, filters, additives, etc.)
*确保客户知道大量的挖掘成本是额外的. Let them know what disposal costs. People hate surpises.
*以同理心和可信度传达坏消息(我知道你的感受. I felt that way myself. Then I got the facts, and this is what I think.)

Leave a Message
如果你不去接电话，还有一些其他的规则适用：

*NEVER leave the phone totally unattended. 您必须有应答服务、应答机、寻呼机或手机. 如果人们打电话却没人接，那你就没在做生意. Period.
*记录留言时要微笑，并在留言中注明何时回拨.

So when you have the job. Professionalism really ramps up here. 当你（或穿制服的技术人员）到达工作岗位时, 首先给客户一张名片（如果他们在家的话）. Very few companies do this.

The question most customers ask is, “水箱满了吗？”这表明客户对化粪池知之甚少或一无所知. Give the person an educational brochure. 向他们解释这是你们公共服务的一部分，并要求他们在你工作的时候阅读宣传册. 宣传册应说明化粪池系统的组成部分, how they work, （化粪池的设计是在任何时候都是满的）, why they fail, and how to keep them from failing (maintenance).

To See is to Learn
始终记住，您的客户很少能够看到系统备份的原因. But they can see broken baffles, deteriorated concrete, 配电箱内有高固体含量的迹象, root intrusion, 水箱表面浮渣较厚（说明细菌不足）.

Show these things to your customers. They will appreciate the education. 还要利用第二个最常被问到的问题：“我能在我的油箱里放什么东西来避免将来发生这种情况吗？?“一旦客户了解了化粪池系统的操作, they want to participate in the maintenance.

当工作完成后，给客户一份检验报告. 这应该包括系统的定位器地图. 它还应该表明系统组件的类型、条件和运行状态.

When leaving, be sure to remove your scraps, replace sod, smooth out ruts, 并微笑着感谢客户选择我们公司. 然后从办公室打电话跟进，以确保一切都令人满意. 这也是提出检查报告中可能指出的任何额外工作的时间.

卓越客户服务的最后一个环节需要你花钱，而且不会产生直接收入. Be a good neighbor. 加入当地、州和国家的承包商协会. Sponsor a Little League team. Put your truck in local parades. Be involved with town government. Exhibit at your local fairs. If you maintain high visibilty around town, 当人们有败血症问题时，他们更有可能给你打电话.

无论你提供什么服务，都要让人眼花缭乱. 记住，许多其他公司也需要你做同样的工作. 所以如果你不想担心获得客户和保持他们, do something that very few others do. Exceed your customers' expectations. They will be yours for life.