A Simple Trick to Get More Home Inspections that Costs You Nothing
Wouldn’t it be great to get more clients while you are busy inspecting a home for cracks and leaks?
There is a simple way to get more clients based on work you have already done. Getting former customers to leave Google reviews for you will benefit you in several ways, with the bottom line being lining your wallet. This is a clever way to double bill; while you are busy climbing ladders doing home inspections, your former customers can leave reviews that help you get future customers!
INTRODUCTION TO GOOGLE REVIEWS
Google reviews exist to help people speak their mind. They can also be used in clear-cut ways to help home inspectors get more work. The system is simple. When people hire someone to do a job, in this case a home inspection, it is important to get their voice heard when the job is completed. Usually people who had very positive and very negative experiences offer reviews on Google, and reviews are actually more important than you realize. Overall, getting Google reviews from your customers will net you more jobs in the future.
Writing a Google review is a simple process. Your customer will log on and rate their experience between 1-5 stars. They will then have room to explain in words about the process. Here they can create anecdotes about the positives and negatives of their experiences.
The story doesn’t end there, however. As a business owner, you have the ability to respond to the review in a public dialogue. Responding with gratitude will show future customers that you value strong communication. And even if the review itself is negative, a careful positive response from you can actually turn negative reviews to positive press, and therefore, future jobs.
HOW REVIEWS HELP BOOST PHONE CALLS FOR HOME INSPECTORS
The communication cycle involved in hiring home inspectors has changed dramatically over the years. In years past, when a customer wanted to hire a home inspector, they relied only on word of mouth and the yellow pages in the phone book. The phone book was certainly a hit and miss undertaking, and often business names that came earlier in the alphabet garnered more jobs overall.
These days, more and more customers rely on Google reviews to find people to work on their homes, especially when it comes to home inspections. This is invaluable when it comes to getting more customers.
The more Google reviews you have, the more clicks you will get when people search for home inspectors. Put it this way, if they see positive reviews on Google, they will be more likely to contact you and award you the job. It is as simple as that.
HOW TO GET MORE REVIEWS
Now that you know the importance of getting more Google reviews in order to grow your business, there are several ways that you can make that happen. The importance of getting reviews from customers and colleagues cannot be overstated. And it doesn’t have to be a hard sell. There are many ways you can garner a review without being too heavy handed.
- Leave a review card. When you finish your work, always ask for review and provide your customer with a card that will explain to them how to submit a review for your business.
- Leave information on your invoice. Suggesting the customer leaves a Google review on their invoice is a way to keep the idea fresh in the customer’s mind while they are paying their bill.
- Send an email. After the job is complete, especially if you have the sense the customer was happy, then send an email politely asking that the customer leave a Google review.
- Make a phone call. With the world generally moving at a frantic pace, people do not normally take time out to make a phone call. If you do, you will stand out. And if you ask someone personally to leave a Google review, you have a better shot of getting them to do it.
- Give them a reason. Make your request as specific as you can. If you give your clients a reason for why you want a Google review, you will be more likely to get one. For instance, if you ask them to talk about the communication of your team or the politeness of the home inspector, you are more likely to get a response than if you just generically ask them to write a review.
HOW TO HANDLE NEGATIVE REVIEWS
Let’s face it. No one can be perfect all the time, and even more importantly, some people are just difficult to please. At some point or another, your business is bound to get a negative review. But a negative review is not the end of the world.
The way you handle the review will go a long way in fixing the problem. If you respond to reviews positively, you can turn a difficult situation into a positive one. Here are some tips to use in your responses to spin information into your favor on the Google reviews:
- Always speak positively and never criticize people for what they say in a review.
- Apologize and be upfront if a mistake was made. People respect a company who is trying to make things right.
- Offer solutions to the problem, and try to make things right.
In conclusion, while you are busy checking out pipes and crawling through attics, let your former customers’ Google reviews gain you more jobs moving forward. You can save time and money with a little hustle asking customers to leave a Google review. Whether leaving a business card or making a phone call, these little tactics can lead to a big payoff when it comes time to get new customers.
