New book shows how trades businesses across the country are growing faster than ever before by putting the customer first
Posted by: electime 13th December 2018
Accelerate! The essential guide to growing your trades business showcases brilliant people running great trades businesses, allowing them to share their stories of success and inspire others to take their own businesses to the next level.
This new book, backed by Checkatrade, Barclays and The Enterprise Trust, and written by leading business journalist Dan Matthews, makes the tradespeople the stars – allowing their expertise and knowledge to shine.
People like Wayne, of Wayne de Wet Decorating Services, are in huge demand with clients waiting, in some cases up to a year. He is always striving to deliver a first-class job, always going that extra mile to surpass customer expectations.
As Wayne says:
“I have created a niche market where everyone gets what they want, whatever their whim. No matter how fussy they are, I will accommodate them. My advice is to always engage with the customer, get into their heads and exceed their expectations while keeping the costs under control.”
As a result of this attention to detail and a number of innovations – such as filming the room before he decorates to ensure that he can put everything back exactly as it was before – his clients are always impressed. They often go on to be his chief ambassadors, acting almost like an unofficial sales team, out there talking up his work after experiencing the quality and service first hand.
Wayne makes it clear how important it is to ensure customer satisfaction and not be trying to move on to the next job:
“Love the customer you are with. They are your most important customer – so give them all of your attention. Don’t rush to the next one. I tell the next one the approximate date I can start and firm it up two or three days before finishing the current job”.
Like Wayne, Louise Kirk of RH heating and Plumbing, and another contributor to the book, makes it clear how the key is to focus on the customer:
“My top tip is to be kind. Even after seven years, I still look at every job from the customer’s point of view: would I feel it offers value for money? Is the work disruptive to a household? Is the estimate clear? Do I understand the work involved?”
“What keeps us going is the huge sense of satisfaction knowing that we couldn’t have done anything better.”
This is a view echoed throughout the book, from the wide range of contributors spanning the whole variety of trades businesses. Focus on the customer, go that extra mile, continue to innovate and be professional at all times and business will grow.
As Jordan Williams of JR Williams Plumbing Services says:
“If you’re a tradesperson, you already have the ability to do your job well. That aside, customers need to be kept informed; communicate with them and be open and honest. It’s not about your qualifications, it’s about you as a person.”
“Some of our customer have told us that we got the job because of our approach, not our price. Show them respect – it’s their home. Give them informed choices, and above all keep them updated with dates, times and costs!”
And making life easier for the customer can also help the bottom line, and that’s just as crucial, as Adam Allsop, of The Shutter Studio points out: “Always be thinking about how you can make life easier for you and for the customer. Cutting small bits of friction where you can will get you huge savings in the long run.”
This unique book brings together a wealth of practical advice and stories of success from these unsung business heroes across the country. They are out there working hard to deliver a great service to their customers and in Accelerate! they share their knowledge to help others get their businesses going just as fast!
