Running a successful plumbing business in today’s market requires more than technical know-how and a winning smile. Plumbing is a competitive field. A tech-forward, sophisticated approach is necessary if you want your business to grow. 

Any successful business requires a multi-pronged marketing, team management, and communications approach. You’ll need to keep on top of trends, market shifts, and your own KPIs.

Running a plumbing business can be a challenging task. It can be difficult to prioritize objectives, identifying how best to boost sales and revenue. In the end, it all boils down to efficiency and strategy. But what does that mean in practice?

This article will provide helpful management tips to streamline your plumbing business. Read on for marketing advice, plumbing software recommendations, and other management tips. Now is the time to take your plumbing business to new heights. 

10 Management Tips To Get You Started

1.Get Smarter with Marketing

You can set up a business with the best technicians and CSRs, but it won’t mean anything if you can’t reach customers. If there’s one thing you should focus on to boost your plumbing business, it’s marketing. 

However, gone are the days when you could make your company known through the phone book, direct mail, or radio advertising. Today, it’s all about navigating a multitude of digital platforms. What’s more, there’s no single clear path to successful marketing—deciding which channel to utilize can feel like total guesswork for many business owners.

But it shouldn’t be. While there might be some educated guessing at first, monitoring your ROI is crucial. Experiment with different channels. Whether it’s paid Google ads, social media posts, or email marketing, you need to identify where your target market sits, ensuring your strategy ticks the right boxes.  

2. Prep Your Customer Service Reps

Customer Service Reps (CSRs) are the first window many customers have on your company. In a way, they set the tone for the entire client-business relationship. Often, the friendliness and resourcefulness of a CSR is the thing that keeps a client coming back. So, it is vital to train your CSRs to make a good impression. 

Business management software like ServiceTitan can set up your CSRs for success. This software shows CSRs everything they need to know about a client when a call comes in. It tells them the customer’s name, address, and profile, along with their complete service history with your business.

With all this information, CSRs can focus on giving customers their undivided attention. When hiring and onboarding CSRs, emphasize the importance of emotional intelligence. Maintaining a level head even with challenging customers is of utmost importance. Last but not least, make sure your CSRs are clued up on phone etiquette. A negative first impression can make or break your reputation. 

3. Turn Technicians into Salesmen

We tend to think of marketing and the technical side of things as separate in the plumbing business. But think of it this way: your plumbing technicians are the ones with the most one-on-one time spent with clients. They are the ones entering clients’ homes and interacting face-to-face. 

Why not leverage this face time as an opportunity for increasing sales? Train your technicians to present and explain good, better, and best options on their service calls. In this way, you can convert more plumbing leads into onsite sales on new products and upgrades.

Another way to up customer satisfaction is to allow them to communicate directly with technicians. Why not use a mobile app to connect clients and techs? That way, techs can give customers real-time information about their specific plumbing issues. They can also ease their minds about quality and cost. It gives your business an extra polish and shows that you care about providing your clients with fantastic service.

4. Streamline Your Communication System

An efficient communication system is a key to growth in our modern, fast-tracked world. When it comes to bookings, a multi-pronged approach is best. If you want your business to survive today, you must have an online booking system. Most people want to book appointments in their own time, without the pressure of speaking to someone on the phone.

At the same time, older generations will appreciate the personal touch of booking via telephone. That’s where your helpful CSRs come in.

Communication within the team itself is as important as communication with customers. Keep your plumbing team connected with work-based social media platforms and GPS tracking. Integrate information from CSRs’ intake calls directly to your technicians’ mobile devices, with no time wasted. 

Showing your customers that you care about their time is a huge mark in your favor. Clear and timely communication does just that and helps employees stay productive and engaged.

5. Keep Tracking Your KPIs

We all know it is essential to track your company’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). But it’s not always easy to know which KPIs to focus on most. When it comes to a plumbing business, the crucial KPIs to track include

• Sales revenue: the amount of money coming in from sales of your services.
• Gross Profit Margin: the profit your company has made after subtracting the cost of goods.
• Gross Profit: the profit that remains after subtracting expenses related to marketing and sales.
• Break-Even Point: the number of sales you need to make to cover all expenses. 
• Customer Retention Rate: the percentage of customers that remain loyal to your business over a certain period.

Make use of a performance dashboard like that from Field Edge to show a clear overview of your company’s earnings. At the same time, don’t let KPIs run all your decisions. If you overextend your company, you won’t provide the best service, and your business will suffer.

6. Stay Up To Date With Plumbing Trends

In today’s tech-savvy world, many customers can tell whether you provide them with up-to-date services. It’s not only about adequate plumbing. Consumers are looking for efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly services.

Always keep on the lookout for new operational efficiencies. Keep up to date on new technologies like tankless water heaters, drain cleaning sensors, and touchless faucets. What new solutions are popping up for saving water and energy? 

Your customers want to know that you can offer them the best and most advanced options out there. If your plumbing solutions are stuck in the past, your clients will leave you there too.

7. Invest In The Best Plumbing Software

There are so many plumbing software solutions out there designed for plumbing businesses. Not only can they save you time, but they can also make your business tasks more accurate than ever.

We already mentioned Field Edge and ServiceTitan above. But ServiceTitan can do a lot more than help CSRs stay on top of things. This cloud-based platform helps plumbing business owners handle all aspects of field service management. For example, its sales feature allows in-service plumbers to make effective presentations. It helps turn your techs into salespeople and generate more business.

SkyBoss is also cloud-based, but it is a mobile software. It contains a wealth of features to help streamline your plumbing business. Key features include a customizable price book, inventory management, plumber tracking, invoicing, and dispatch.

These are just a few of the many plumbing software tools at your disposal. Automating critical tasks can boost productivity and grow your plumbing business. If you aren’t using custom-built software, you are giving away clients to your competitors.

8. Review Your Management Process

Having a sound management system or structure is central to having a streamlined plumbing business. From plumbers St George UT to executives to customers, everyone benefits from good management. But what does this entail when it comes to a plumbing business?

The critical elements to an effective management system are plumbers, managers, and dispatchers. You need to hire the right people in each category for your venture to succeed. 

But having the right people for the job only takes you so far. Weekly training meetings are a great way to ensure everyone is performing at their best. Some topics you may want to touch on are:

• Setting and checking goals
• Plumbing training
• Roll playing for sales
• Safety dos and don’ts
• Weekly updates
• Inspiration/motivation

What you focus on each week is up to you. The point is to maintain engagement and a sense of teamwork among your staff. A weekly meeting is also helpful in introducing and training new employees.

9. Leverage Online Reviews

Continue to play a significant role in almost all business sectors. They are becoming essential in securing new leads and generating new business. Most consumers check the online reviews before making any purchasing or hiring decisions.  

Of course, you should always make it a priority to receive positive online reviews. Always remind customers where they can review your services after completing a job. Also, having an active presence on review boards sends a positive message. Thanking reviewers for their feedback shows you are engaged.

But at the same time, negative reviews present opportunities to redeem yourself. Take constructive criticism, and reply to negative reviews with kindness and concern. Show customers that you are committed to providing the best service you can.

10. Inspect What You Expect

We have gone over many management tips and tricks to grow your business and keep it cutting edge. But there are still some tried and true business practices that will always be in style. One of these is meticulous attention to detail in the admin.

High-tech plumbing software is beneficial, but it can still make mistakes. That’s why you must always inspect what you expect. 

• Check every invoice
• Check for troubleshooting notes
• Check initials on all documents
• Check for daily projections
• Check for payment. 
• Double-check the details on every piece of paperwork!

These admin tasks may be tedious and not very glamorous. But, they are vital to operating a well-oiled business. 

Get Cracking!

The plumbing industry continues to grow. Thorough management practices are the best way to ensure that your business grows with it. Implementing these practices can help your plumbing business thrive in a changing world. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but don’t be afraid to trial things. Stay relevant and prioritize your growth with these top management tips. 

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