ProPainter   Advice   Blog

A satisfied customer is likely to give your name to friends, neighbors and co-workers needing a professional painter.  An angry customer is even more likely to give them your name – and tell them never to call you.  What can you do to avoid making people angry with your business?

Engage with People Who Contact You

It’s hard to feel important as a customer these days.  All of the big companies are using phone trees and automated systems designed to ensure you never talk to a live human being.  One of the biggest advantages that small businesses have is that phone calls and emails are answered by human beings who want to help the customer instead of get rid of them as quickly as possible.

Make sure you take advantage of this!  Although estimate requests can seem like an interruption if you’re completely booked, the way you treat the people making those requests will impact your reputation even if they never hire you.  If you are in a situation where you aren’t going to be able to be focused and friendly (for instance, if you’re on a ladder) it’s probably better to let the call go to voicemail and deal with it a few minutes later.

Try to Fix the Customer’s Problem

When you’re interacting with customers, each answer you provide should get them closer to an answer to their question.  Of course, this doesn’t always mean that you can give them exactly what they’re asking – sometimes, you can’t fit them in your schedule this week, no matter how much they might want it.

It does mean that the customer shouldn’t have to direct the conversation.  Always make sure you’re leaning into a conversation, trying to find a solution to the problem the customer has. If a customer asks if you can help them with a specific job at a specific time, a simple “no” isn’t going to earn you much business – or goodwill.  If you can’t meet customer requests, offer alternatives.  If you’re unsure of an answer, offer to ask a person who is, and get back with them.  For instance, if you’re booked with painting jobs for months, customers will appreciate a referral to another painting contractor if you know of one.  And that business relationship may come in handy one day if you’re short of business and need referrals yourself.

Be Honest, Open and Accountable

If you’re trying to avoid a toxic reputation, the most important thing to avoid is promising you can help a customer with an important job, and then fail to show up and become unreachable.  Moving companies are notorious for this – it enrages customers in three different ways.  You broke a promise, didn’t let them know it was going to happen, and then failed to take responsibility or even acknowledge it happened.

Most reasonable customers understand that sometimes unexpected things happen that get in the way of life.  People get sick.  Employees leave for other jobs.  If you aren’t going to be able to complete a job as promised, let the customer know as early as possible, take responsibility for the issue, and offer alternatives that work with the customer’s schedule.

To learn more about how ProPainter Websites can help your business become more profitable, call us at 855-385-1134 or email us at Team_PPW@ProPainterWebsites.com.

One of the disadvantages of the painting business is that, once you’ve impressed a person with a great paint job, they’re unlikely to need your services again for years.  While they can provide your name to other people (and word-of-mouth is a powerful referral tool for painters) those customers are also only likely to provide you with one job.  This is different than many other businesses – for instance, if your accountant does a great job with your taxes, you’ll probably be providing them a steady stream of annual business for decades to come.

However, there are a few types of customers who can provide a steady stream of business to painters.  One of those is a real estate agent.  While the real estate agents may not technically be your direct customers (they’re referring you to their customers, who are trying to get a house sold) they function much like direct customers.  That’s because home-sellers are very willing to take the recommendation of their real estate agent, especially if that agent can help make the work happen more quickly or cheaper than it otherwise would.

If you’re able to help a real estate agent who needs a house painted quickly so it can be moved onto the market, and you can offer that help affordably, they are very likely to turn to you the next time they need a job completed.  If you continue to deliver, your name will stay in their back pocket every time they need work done.  Because of the number of houses real estate agents deal with each day, it’s an excellent source for work.  And because of the number of problems they have to deal with for each house they sell, they really appreciate anyone who they can trust to solve their problems without creating any new ones for them.

If you’re looking for paint jobs and haven’t contacted real estate agents in your area, give them a call and ask for the chance to impress them with your quick turnaround time and reasonable prices – and don’t forget to provide them with a link to your portfolio of completed jobs!

To learn how ProPainter Websites can help your painting business earn more paint jobs, call us at 855.385.1134 or email us at Team_PPW@ProPainterWebsites.com.

Have you ever met a painter that can’t keep up with all of the business they have?  If you’re trying to grow your own business, it can be frustrating – what did they do to get so much business?

First, they’re probably doing great work, and they’re getting it done on time and on budget.  But that alone won’t get you there.  If they’ve been in the business for a long time, the odds are good that their biggest source of new business is referrals.

Did you know that 92% of people trust recommendations from their friends!  While it can seem difficult to get customers to provide referrals, businesses grow much quicker and have much better customers when they earn referrals.  Here are a few ways you can do just that.

Ask for Referrals. 
While it’s easy to assume that people will share their great experiences with friends, family and neighbors, they are unfortunately more likely to bring up their awful experiences.  Think about it yourself; if you’re having a conversation with a friend, what’s more likely to come up, a really great customer experience or one of the worst you’ve ever had?  Unfortunately, bad news spreads faster than good news.

If happy customers are asked, however, most are willing to provide a good word to others who need a great painter.  They just need to be reminded to think of someone who needs the recommendation and to make sure they get it to them.

Ask for Referrals at the Right Time
The best time to ask for a referral is right after you’ve pleased the customer with great service. Helping a customer get a project done on a short deadline or doing a great job at a price lower than expected are great ways to earn referrals.  People move from task to task very quickly these days, and they may have forgotten the details that make a referral compelling if they get the request two days – or even two hours – after you complete the painting project.  They’re also more likely to do you a favor if you send an email request for a referral within minutes of talking with them face-to-face.

Make Referring Your Painting Business as Easy, and Visible, as Possible
Most people look online for testimonials and reviews.  Some people check Google to see who has the highest reviews posted.  Younger customers may share their experiences directly with their friends and neighbors on social media services like Facebook, Twitter or Nextdoor.  While a person-to-person referral is valuable, a strong review on the internet has the potential to reach thousands of people looking for a quality paint job.

In order to get the most impact from your referrals, make sure they’re being posted on major online review sites.  In order to maximize the number of referrals you receive, make it as easy as possible by sending them directly to the platform you’d like them to use to review your business.   And remember that well-reviewed painting contractors are among the first to show up in Google Local maps!

To learn how your painting company can easily gain more referrals and online reviews, call ProPainter Websites at 855-385-1134 or email Team_PPW@propainterwebsites.com.