WannaCry? Servers will make you.
WannaCry? You will after this so-named ransomware takes over your Windows computer, encrypts all your important files, and charges you $300 to decrypt them, if you’re lucky. This virus is sweeping the globe and making headlines because of its widespread impact. Before you read any further, make sure you have run the latest Windows update if […]
Say “yes” to the quote
Are you worried that customers are going to “shop” your repair or upgrade quote around to other service contractors? If so, you failed earlier than you may realize. Getting customers to a “yes” on quoted work starts well before you ever find a problem and send a quote. It starts with trust. I’m not talking […]
Service Hazard (Infographic)
What’s holding your service business back? Is it double data entry and other accounting inefficiencies in the back office? If you solve those problems, are you going to create more value for your customers, make your techs more productive, and differentiate yourself from the competition? Nope. Accounting doesn’t drive better customer outcomes. So, why do […]
Break the Profit Vise
Service contractors, you’ve got 2 huge problems. First, skilled workers are expensive and hard to find. We call this the “Skilled Labor Squeeze.” Second, small-time competition is undercutting you on price. We call these fly-by-the-night operations “One Truck Chuck.” With expensive labor driving costs up and cheap competitors driving prices down, you’re stuck in a […]
Scattered Data Could Sink Your Ship
Every day, we talk to service contractors that think the biggest problem with their business is double-data entry into their accounting system. We tell them the same thing every time. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface, it’s hard to see the hundreds of small, but cumulative inefficiencies caused by scattered customer […]
I bought the wrong software.
Last year, I made a huge mistake. I purchased a marketing automation platform (I won’t name names, but it rhymes with harpstring) for our company and wasted a lot of time, money, and effort in implementing something that, ultimately, failed. I know I’m not the first person who’s ever made a bad software decision, but […]
Uber is better than your techs…for parts delivery.
Since the writing of this blog post, UberRush shut down. However, a local courier will make a great alternative. Do you charge customers for time spent driving to and from the parts house or warehouse? You shouldn’t. Before you get defensive, hear me out. If your parts house could quickly deliver parts directly to your […]
Trouble selling? Be memorable.
Why is it so difficult to remember even a short speech, but so easy to remember an entire song? For example, what do these 7 digits do for you? 867-5309. Humming yet? Now that I’ve probably lost your attention to Tommy Tutone, I’ll try to make my point. We are creatures of rhyme, story, and […]
Customer Service is Dead: 5 Companies That Killed It
Thanks to new technology, customer service innovations are not just an option, they are a must for most businesses, especially commercial service contractors. To be clear, by “customer service,” I don’t mean more smiling employees on phones reacting to disgruntled customers as this Google image search for “customer service” suggests. Truly modern customer service doesn’t […]
27 Local SEO Tactics for Service Contractors
Every company wants to easily be found on Google, but search engine optimization (SEO) is a mysterious realm for most people, especially service contractors who deal with a unique set of challenges associated with local search results. Working to rank high in searches conducted by people in your nearby communities is a service company’s most important form of SEO. We are always […]