Five ways technology can improve your customer service

In case you haven’t noticed, consumers of your construction and maintenance services are raising the bar. They expect projects to be done even faster, for less cost, and without sacrificing quality. When they have a problem with an HVAC or electrical system, they want to know exactly when your technician is going to show up to repair it. And they want all construction and maintenance issues resolved quickly.

To meet that demand, contractors are adopting leaner processes, looking for ways they can eliminate wasteful steps and reduce costs while still preserving value for customers. They are also turning to technology.  The latest software, for example, can help you:

1. Get to know your customers to offer faster, more personalized service. Many contractors are using customer relationship management (CRM) systems to make customer information accessible to their entire team. Whether it’s a receptionist answering the phone, a project manager meeting a client at the job site, or a technician in the field, employees can instantly retrieve and record client conversations and information to improve the quality and responsiveness of each customer interaction.
2. Provide price alternatives. Construction consumers want options. Today’s leading estimating software can help you more quickly provide design-cost alternatives and cost-saving strategies to your customers.
3. Deliver a quality project on time. Miscommunication among the project team often leads to costly errors and project delays. With online construction collaboration software, you can keep the entire building team in sync and focused on getting the job done right.
4. Respond quickly. Especially if your company offers HVAC, plumbing, or other maintenance services, you don’t want to keep your customers waiting. Service management technology helps you dispatch service technicians immediately and gives your team the capabilities to resolve the service call on the first visit.
5. Empower your customers. People are used to online banking, self-checkout, and other do-it-yourself options that give them more information and control. Look for opportunities in your business to provide self-service, including software that allows your customers to submit and monitor their own service work orders.

Do you have the technology in place to better serve your customers? Answering this question as well as knowing your customers’ preferences will keep you ahead of the customer service curve.