Industry Blogs

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be a very valuable measurement tool for the overall health and success of your business when tracked and interpreted correctly. Because businesses are only as successful as their employees, it’s imperative for owners and managers to set a standard of KPIs and follow through on measuring their progress. Doing so will help you foster more employee satisfaction and ensure more customer satisfaction as well.

In the home service world, there are many different types of important KPIs. Let’s focus on a few of the top ones you can use to track customer service teams and technicians. The lists below are focused on areas that will help your business increase average ticket size and revenue. Once tracking, you may be able to identify areas where more training or strategic staffing will benefit you most.

Customer Service Team

As the first interaction a customer or potential customer will have with your business, your Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) must provide the best possible customer experience. When your customers have an excellent experience right from the start, it typically pays off in increased revenue and customer retention. A few KPIs to track:

• Average Response Time – Track how long it takes your CSRs to answer a customer inquiry. Whether by phone call, email, or text, you don’t want to keep your customers waiting a long time to hear from you. If the average response time is getting longer each month, you may want to add another CSR to lighten the workload.
• Customer Satisfaction – Through surveys, feedback forms, or ratings, you can solicit feedback from your customers on how satisfied they are with the experience they had with your CSR. The higher the score, the happier your customers are with your customer experience and the more likely they will recommend your business to a friend or return for repeat business.
• Booked Jobs Conversion Rate – When your CSRs are scheduling a high number of jobs that result in completed, revenue-generating jobs, you have increased revenue and profit. By tracking this performance, you can make informed scheduling decisions that will get your CSRs with the highest booked jobs ratio working during busy times or in an active queue. If you have a CSR who books jobs that are constantly canceled, you can investigate why this is happening.
• Upsell Rate – This metric will tell you how successful your CSRs are at upselling your customers on products, services, or agreements to increase your average ticket size. Track how adept your CSRs are at this and offer training in the art of the upsell; it’s time and effort that should pay off quickly.

Technicians

Optimizing technician performance out in the field is key to making sure customers are happy and strategic goals are being hit or exceeded. A few KPIs to track for technicians include:

• Average Length of Repair Time – the rate at which your technicians are able to complete jobs will directly affect the number of jobs done in a day and amount of revenue you make. Once you start tracking, you may be able to identify technicians who would benefit from additional training so they can maximize their daily number of jobs and you can maximize profits.
• Number of Callbacks – When your technicians have to go back out to a completed job to address an issue, it takes up valuable time that could have been spent on a revenue-producing job. Once you start tracking this metric, you will get a sense over time if there are any trends with your callbacks, such as high numbers from one technician or from a particular piece of equipment. Having that insight gives you the opportunity to offer additional training that will address any repetitive issues.
• Average Ticket Size – Upselling can have a huge impact on your profits, but it’s not a skill set everyone has. The key is knowing which of your technicians have those strengths – the ones with a large average ticket size – and scheduling them for specific jobs where they may have the potential to sell a homeowner on upgraded equipment, for example. You could even incentivize your techs to sell more by starting a contest to see who can increase their average ticket size or have the largest ticket size. The prize is two-fold – for the winning employee and for your business.
• Total Number of Opportunities Identified in the Field – Technicians are your front line for identifying future job opportunities. What they notice at your customer’s home – such as potential repair or replacement issues – can give your sales team something to follow up on. Tracking how many opportunities each of your techs are bringing in is important. These are great revenue generators for customers already familiar with your business and how you work.

These are just a few ideas of top KPIs you can start tracking to measure success with your CSRs and technicians. Make sure your business management software is giving you insight into these valuable metrics to help you make data-driven decisions regarding your business.

Paul Carmody has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in Software-as-a-Service, technology-enabled services, internet infrastructure, and supply chain/manufacturing industries. He has served as a key executive in five successful exits and one IPO. He is currently President of Successware, an Authority Brands company. 

By Steve Corletta, Project Executive with LeChase Construction Services, LLC

Preventing the spread of infections has always been a priority for hospitals and healthcare centers, but that mission has come into sharper focus in recent years with the emergence of COVID-19.

A hospital’s strategy for preventing the spread of disease is a thorough regimen of disinfection and hygiene that includes scrubbing, wearing gloves and masks and diligently sterilizing equipment. But it starts with operating in a space that helps contain infections.

At LeChase, our extensive experience in hospital and healthcare construction has shown that a hospital’s construction partner plays a key role in containing infections, notably airborne germs. A well-constructed building is the stage on which infection–control measures take place. Airtight seals and negative air pressure in key rooms – and now in more rooms than before – ensure that air moves inward and prevent airborne germs from escaping into a corridor or adjoining room.

Historically, one or two rooms in a hospital wing of 20 rooms were specially built to contain infections. While that may have been sufficient when hospitals were concerned with breakouts that were less rampant, COVID-19 changed the equation. The fast-spreading pandemic showed that more such rooms were needed. Indeed, hospitals need to be prepared to isolate everyone in a wing.

This means more seals that need to be reliably airtight and more dedicated equipment for each room.

To meet the higher level of protection, LeChase applies the deeply ingrained understanding of quality control we have developed over many hospital construction projects. We also remain mindful of the hospitals’ costs, which can rise substantially with the higher capability to isolate patients. LeChase, a leading builder of healthcare facilities, applies its purchasing power and expertise to keep costs down.

We demonstrated our dedication to infection control and efficient, high-quality construction at the University of Rochester, where we recently installed one of Synergy Med’s Clean Cube operating rooms in the recently-completed surgical center at the Center for Orthopaedics and Physical Performance. The prefabricated, pre-engineered room is the world’s first fully functioning, technologically complete smart-cube of its kind in an academic institution.

The unit includes a built-in, automated system that provides continuous 99.9 percent disinfection. Its glass walls are more hygienic, non-porous and easily cleaned than drywall or stainless steel and offer the ability to hermetically seal the space.

LeChase’s dedication to controlling the spread of infection begins with its own operations. In late 2021, the company took a major step forward in providing less disruptive, cleaner construction operations with the opening of its Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) Center. The center trains crews to prevent dust and other contaminants from spreading from its construction projects – including hospital renovations and expansions that often take place near areas where medical personnel are treating patients.

Located at the company’s New York Metro office in Armonk, it was among the first ICRA centers developed by a private company in the country. By training construction staff to prevent the spread of dust and other contaminants, it plays an effective role in containing infections. As the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention notes on its website; “Airborne transmission can occur when infected patients cough, talk, or sneeze germs into the air (example: TB or measles), or when germs are aerosolized by medical equipment or by dust from a construction zone.”

Construction companies who serve hospitals and healthcare facilities must commit themselves to being innovative and staying abreast of the latest developments in infection control. As key partners in helping prevent the spread of disease, the companies and their crews shoulder the responsibility of helping to prevent outbreaks, stem the spread of diseases already impacting a community, and even mitigate the impact of a pandemic.

Every day, it seems HVACR systems are evolving to work with new refrigerants, use less energy, and take advantage of new innovations. Since many customers want to use the best technology to heat and cool their homes and offices, staying up to date on these changes is crucial.

Market shifts also change the way that diagnostic tools are utilized. Staying up-to-date on both the latest HVACR systems as well as the tools used to diagnose and repair them has never been more important. Here are three ways that HVACR professionals can expand their knowledge and stay ahead of the curve.

1. Stay Sharp

Continuing education can help a tech stay in the know and prepared for industry changes. Leveraging online tutorials, podcasts, videos, HVACR training meetings and conferences can help techs to learn the latest trends, stay current on emerging technologies, and utilize existing tools in the best ways possible. One such place is Fieldpiece University. This online resource was created to help HVACR technicians boost their skills and learn more about Fieldpiece products. These courses explore how each product benefits customers and offer Pro Tips for using them correctly in the field. This is an ideal tool for any HVACR professional looking to get the most from the tools they work with every day to get better, faster, and easier.

2. Help others

Learning on the job is another way to grow. Try volunteering with local charities or churches for pro bono work and for neighbors in need. Helping a family maintain an older furnace through the winter is a great way to gain experience on a legacy system. In an ever-changing landscape of HVACR technology, familiarity with a range of systems both old and new is yet another important tool in a tech’s bag. And helping your friends and neighbors adds an extra sense of accomplishment after a long day in the field.

3. Leverage your senses

Before a tech opens their tool bag and starts running diagnostic tests, it’s important to know what needs fixing. Start by asking questions and really listening. Then use your eyes and touch to verify and pinpoint potential sources of those answers. The customer doesn’t need to be an expert in HVACR to answer. Questions about symptoms they can see and feel in their spaces may lead to finding the problem. Letting the customer speak typically points in the direction of the real reason for the call. The more useful information that’s gathered up front, the easier it can be to find the true cause of the issue. This may lead to a standard service, maintenance or even a system upgrade. Leveraging your ears, eyes, and touch will identify a whole host of potential issues and solutions and help ensure the right solution is put into place.

If you’re looking to be a better HVACR tech tomorrow, start learning, helping and listening TODAY. For more information about HVAC, check out Fieldpiece.

Business texting is a convenient way to reach customers, so you can complete projects and get paid faster. Texts are sent and received within seconds, making them the preferred method of communication for customers to schedule services and receive updates.

The quicker you can coordinate with customers, the more you’ll boost your contractor business’s reputation and attract new business opportunities.

So how do you begin? These five tips below will help you connect with customers faster and increase your revenue flow.

1. Schedule service appointments via text

Streamlining your service scheduling process can make a crucial difference between potential customers choosing you over your competitors. Here’s how text messaging can help.

88% of people want to receive appointment scheduling texts from businesses. Customers love it as an option so they can reach out without having to make a call or send an email. Tell customers to text your business to schedule a service on your:

• Website
• Social media
• Advertisements
• In-office signage
• Service vehicles

Then when customers reach out to schedule an appointment, text a calendar link for them to book a time. This helps you connect quickly with your customers and coordinate where you need to be without skipping a beat. You’ll also be able to text for things like:

• Letting customers know if you’re arriving early or running late
• Asking for instructions on how to enter a property
• Rescheduling another time and date if anything comes up
• Enabling customers to reach out around the clock knowing they’ll get a response back

Keep services moving along by sending text reminders throughout the duration of a project, so you don’t miss out on lost time and revenue.

2. Send text service updates in real-time

Use text messaging to keep your team and customers on the same page at all times, so you can finish and get paid for projects faster. Depending on the situation, you can use texting to:

• Provide progress updates on a project
• Let customers know about any additional services that might need to be performed
• Ask for approval for additional charges
• Update customers on when you’re done for the day

MMS or picture messaging can go a long way when it comes to conveying these updates. For example, you can send pictures of areas that need work, completed jobs or the progress you’ve made, reps who will be doing the work, or even pictures of additional products customers may want to purchase along the way.

As you work through a project, you may need to follow up with customers to ensure progress continues to be made. Texting helps you get in contact with customers quickly, so you aren’t  tied up on the phone when you could be working on a project. That means more projects done faster, and more revenue in your pocket.

3. Use texting to boost your customer service

Providing customer service via text can save you time and resources by reducing the need for phone calls or in-person meetings. Use texting to enhance your customer service by:

• Answering questions and concerns
• Encouraging customers to text photos and videos to illustrate a problem
• Following up with customers after a service
• Asking for a review
• General communications

By having your customer service communications all in one business text messaging platform, your team can easily see who’s been responded to and who still needs help. That gives you more accountability, insight into how your reps are responding, and an organized way to track customer interactions.

A solid text messaging platform will have a way to tag conversations, so you can assign contractors to specific customers based on their needs.

Most business texting software also allows you to leave private internal notes, so you have context when you revisit conversations. That way, you’ll be able to offer a more personalized approach to your customers every time you reach out.

4. Send promotions and offers with SMS marketing

Texting special promotions is a great way to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Share SMS offers like:

• Exclusive discounts and special offers to existing customers
• Free add-ons or upgrades to existing customers
• Combine multiple services for a discounted price, and promote them as a bundle
• Loyalty rewards for customers who use your services often

The best SMS promotions will be short, sweet, and tell customers exactly why it’s relevant to their specific needs and interests.

SMS marketing goes hand in hand with standard marketing methods such as social media, email newsletters, and other advertisements. You’re way more likely to get customers to take action when they see a back-to-back text, social post, and email about a new offer you have. Plus, 52% of people want to receive texts from businesses about promotions.

5. Settle bills with text payments

Get paid on time and more frequently when you enable customers to pay for your services through text, which is simply sending a link to an online portal for customers to pay.

Why should you consider text-to-pay for your business? It’s convenient, fast, secure, and can be done from anywhere. SMS payments work especially well for contractors since your team is constantly on the field at different locations, and the property manager might not always be present.

After completing a service, send a photo to prove you’ve finished, then text your customers a payment request with a secure link to pay. And if they have an upcoming bill or still haven’t sent a payment, text reminders are a great way to notify them of an outstanding balance. You can also ask customers for a new payment method if their current one is rejected or expired.

By providing a quick, convenient way to settle bills, you’ll speed up your cash flow and earn more money in the long run, while spending less to get it.

Reap the benefits of texting for your contractor business

Texting can be a powerful tool for contractors to communicate with customers while also promoting a wide range of services. With faster and more reliable communication, texting helps you increase your revenue, and boosts your business’s overall success.

Ready to use texting to leverage your contractor business? Find a business texting solution that’s right for you.

Jessica Ayre is a content marketing specialist at Text Request, a business texting solution. If your business wants to start texting customers, Text Request can give you all the tools and resources you need to create a successful text messaging strategy.