Thanks for taking care of most of the above for me 2 months ago!! You were right on track with my website and this presumed slow time of the year isn’t really that slow because of your advice. I will be in touch…
Jeff,
I understand what you’re saying. I didn’t leave information about my services just to test what would happen. I could of been a potential client for all they know. If someone calls my inspection office regardless how long the message I’ll return the call and it has turned into profit on several occasions now. My point is you shouldn’t be taking voice mails at all. You should always have a means to field calls at any given hour to maximize your bottom line.
You are welcome sir! I sent you 3 text by the way Tracy. Did you get them? Call when you get a chance so we can discuss options since I don’t charge for the business coach anymore. If you ever need me call or email me anytime.
Now you need to add text answering services.
hmmm interesting. I could send you code to put on your website and a potential lead sends a text message to our computer and we follow up to close the sale. Great idea bob. I’m going to get with my lead coder to see what I can do.
I usually don’t answer calls from out of my area code. I let it go to voice mail. 99% of the time it’s a vender trying to sell me something that I don’t want. If someone from outside of my area code leaves a name only and not the reason for the call, he doesn’t get a return call. True, I may lose business from that 1% that are looking for an inspection (usually price shopping) but I can live with that. Also I don’t answer my phone at an inspection, only from family members.
I bet you had a lot of pissed off inspectors, answering the phone during an inspection, only to be another vendor or phony price shopper.
Interesting. At least 75% of calls from outside my area are people booking inspections. If they are price shopping and you are not converting, then you need more phone training. I always answer the phone at inspections. I won’t necessarily talk long, but I let them know I am on an inspection and will call them back shortly. I lose very few but it also depends on my mood the what I “hear” during the first few seconds of the call.
If I am looking for a service and it goes to voice mail, I call the next company. No calling back. Areas and inspectors are all different.
Maybe you should concentrate on growing your own home inspection business Billy. The contractor pro thingy didn’t work for you and there are a lot more contractors out there than home inspectors. Think about it. You’re doomed to fail.
Try this perspective Steve…
A man from St. Louis (with his young family) is relocating to another state in hopes of garnering a better position with his company, and a better way of life for his family…
He has three options to remain with his present employer…
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Kapowsin, WA a suburb of Seattle with a backdrop of Mt. Rainier
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Owatonna, MN a rural town in the flatlands/farmlands of the frigid Upper Midwest
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Delmar, NY a suburb of Albany, NY… 'nuff said!
Now… who do you feel has a better chance of getting his “out-of-area” call?
Note: For myself, “Out-of-area” should actually read as “out-of-state” (except northern Iowa). I answer all calls from within my and adjoining area codes (7 area codes). All others are “unknown” and are delegated to voicemail.
If I did that I would lose 75% of my inspections.
I answer all calls.
Thus the beauty of being self-employed… you make the rules for your own business. Every area is unique, as indicated in my example.
You are absolutely correct.
In my area you would loose a ton of business if you let out of area calls go to voicemail. I even get alot of calls from people who say they live in St. Louis but their phone has a totally different area code not even related to MO. It really does come down to how busy you are. No reason to answer the phone all the time if you have you’re plate full I get it. But if you want the work then you really need to answer your phone out of start or in state.
100% of calls are answered. I even have an overflow system installed. If the secretary cant get to the call it forwards to a call center. People want to speak to a PERSON, in my opinion. Even if they leave a message, that’s OK I think they feel better to at least know their call is being answered.
Here is how I decided to add that system, it is VERY simple. I just watched MYSELF and MY actions. If I have to leave a message I typically hang up and call another company and figure if I do that, than most probably would as well.
I don’t want a “press one” for this and a “press two” for that…I want to TALK to someone, even if they can’t answer the question at least I got to talk to a human being, who speaks English and can take a competent message. I get that message within 1 minute via text and can decide how to handle accordingly…
Different strokes for different folks…
Linus,
You are a expert at home inspections. No doubt. I read alot of good info you put out. But when it comes to knowing me or if I will succeed your better off walking into a dark cavern without a flashlight. Negative people like you just fuels my fire. Out of 500 I contacted so far I have a ton of interest and according to what I read and what I have learned from Texas I have thousands more to choose from. Sky’s the limit old friend.
Bingo
You’re losing it. You’ll need batteries for your flashlight soon Billy.
I agree 100%.
Most people, unless it’s a personal referral, will keep calling different businesses until they get a live person to talk to and book the inspection.
I was missing out on a lot of business for years. I had a personal secretary/girlfriend for about a year, that was a mistake… I have been with ACC going on 3 years now. They answer my calls from 9 AM to 7 PM Mon-Fri & half a day on Sat.
Billy,
I understand you will be in direct competition with ACC. What do you have to offer that they don’t? Let me add, for me, price has less to do with the equation than the quality of the service provided.
I wish you success with your new endeavor.
Thanks for the wishes Kevin. To answer your question… Knowledge. I live and breath just like you do. I know exactly how a home inspector thinks. We are not just a call center. We are home inspection perception experts who listens to your desires and executes your business as you would “not us”. My techs are trained by me monitored by me answer to me and my clients can always get to me anytime day or night. I’m much like Dom at times. I go to bed 1 or 2 and up by 7 or earlier ask Pete we talked until 1 or so the other night. I personally set up all accounts myself by calling you directly. There is no set up fees involved. We work together until you’re satisfied 100% and then I start representing your company just as you would. At $99 a month $20 a book, the opportunity to address a free inspection business coach, and not to mention we can drastically change your company image by creating a new website/logo which will be optimized for major search engines.
Your image is my image and rest assured we will work extremely hard to keep both of our images in tact.