What To Do When the Customer Is Working With Someone Else?

Every small business owner who services customers in their home with plumbing, restoration for water damage, remediation, HVAC or other essential services may run into this situation. The situation being that the new potential customer when called says, “I am already being serviced by someone else.” To many solo business owners, this may seem like the nail in a coffin. As in the business owner looking for new customers may be saying to himself or herself, “Oh no, that customer already has a company servicing the home, and will never switch to me!” But is this reality? Is this a fact, or just your initial assumption that a customer will never change service providers?

Let’sstart from the beginning. As an example, let’s assume that there is a customerwho needs a water damage remediation serviced at the customers home after aflood event. The customer, we will call Customer A has had a recently floodedbasement, and needs a water damage remediation cleanout. You own a water damageremediation company, and call Customer A as a potential new customer, whetherit be from a general lead generation effort, from a list, a referral, or fromprospecting on your own.

Theconversation with Customer A yields the following information. Customer A hashad a recently flooded basement due to a pipe bursting. The basement is proneto flooding, but hasn’t flooded to this extent in several year. The last timethat it flooded, Customer A called XYZ Company, who came out and cleaned up theflood. Customer A was happy with XYZ Company’s service and tells you that theywill probably call that competitor to come out again.

Now,let’s stop and look carefully at this scenario. Customer A had a floodedbasement in the past, called XYZ Company and plans to call XYZ Company forservicing once again to clean up the flood. Did you miss it? Because something miraculousand amazing has just happened, and if you were paying close attention to whatCustomer A has said, you might have picked up on this.

TheAnswer: Customer A planned to call XYZ Company for the most recent floodcleanup and water damage remediation issue, but did not call XYZ Company yet! Yes,you’ve got that right, the customer hasn’t made a bee line to call XYZ Companyyet, how come?

Thefact that you are on the phone now with Customer A, the customer already admitsto having an immediate albeit desperate need for your exact services right now.For this reason, there is no having to convince Customer A that your servicesare needed right now, check, that’s all set.

Okay,Customer A wanted to call XYZ Company again, but actually didn’t do it yet.This is your chance to shine! Show Customer A all of the advantages of working withyou today. Start with your expertise in remediating the water damage, and endwith information on your courteous technicians and how they will respect the customer’sproperty and give them peace of mind to have their floodwaters cleaned quickly andeffectively. Be relaxed, speak naturally, not rushing to the next point, describeyour advantages and ask Customer A if you can come over today and perform thewater damage and flood remediation services (or whenever you can schedule it).

Expecta little push back, but just take it in stride. Advise Customer A that you areavailable 24/7, whenever needed and can come on other jobs, and will come outto remediate any floodwaters without delay. There is a good chance thatCustomer A will go on and book your services right now – you’ve made it thateasy. This is the best way to establish rapport, and you see it did not matter atall that your competitor XYZ Company has serviced the client in the past.

Whenyou need water damage leads, plumbing leads, water restoration leads, waterdamage marketing, plumber marketing or restoration marketing, just give us acall. We are here for you are ready to help you take your service business tothe next level.