A Plumbers Perspective-Restoration Marketing

[Desk Jockey]

I asked Chris Connor his feelings about Restoration Marketing to Plumbers, he gave me some good information and I thought was worth sharing.

Thanks again Connor!

Ok Ché, Here you go.

I met a guy that owns a restoration/cleaning on a sewer back up. He told me that if I referred him on restoration jobs that he would make it "worth my while" to tell my customers about him. So I sent him two jobs that he responded to, but no incentive or spiff was sent to me. He started calling me last week wanting to take me to lunch and "talk". I guess he figured out that I am not sending him referrals any more.


Another Restoration company, put out three fold fliers at the plumbing supply houses offering $50 gift certificates for referrals. I sent them a job also without a response, heck I even called them for the customer from the customers house. Still no spiff.

When you get a job keep the companies that refer you in mind for the plumbing repairs.

I think that you really need get to know your contractor. Try giving a mini seminar in house about the the different classes and category of water losses. Be sure that you offer to provide lunch and get their business cards.

If you do this in the evening then you can have it catered or have it at a private room of a nice family restaurant. Tell the techs to bring their wife and kids.

I'd give a thick laminated cheat sheet about the different kinds of losses for the plumbing techs to keep in their truck. Be sure that it is loaded with your contact information.

Also send a nice deli tray or buy biscuits for breakfast for the techs. Do this regularly. A local supply house delivers biscuits every Thursday to a a guy that I used to work for.

If you educate the plumbing techs to know the importance of handling losses correctly, then you will have a better chance of getting work.

Also speak English when you do this. Try not to have tOO much of an accent.

I hope this helps you.

 

[Guest]

BRAVO!!


Give that cracker a cookie!!

 

[nickreal]

a few other pointers....

- don't ever do any plumbing work or contradict the plumber that referred you.

- don't decide to play building contractor and start remodeling the whole house.



Around here one restoration company had flyer's at the parts house offering 250 per referral. The only thing the next company had to do to steal all their business was offer 300 per referral. IMHO that is the beginning of a very unprofitable trend for the restorer.

 

[danpauselius]

I always offer an "either or" type thing to plumbers. Either we will give you $250 or we'll "forget to collect the first $250 of your customer's deductible, whichever you prefer.

Without exception, the plumbers who take the money never work out and the one's who just want the customer taken care of continue to send us work. It has become a bit of a litmus test when I first meet the plumbers. If they take the money, I pretty much know it's not going to work for any length of time.

 

[Guest]

Something to consider is to possibly split the incentive between the plumbing shop owner or manager and the tech.

You would be surprised how many times a plumbing disaster goes without having a proper restoration contractor do what really needs to be done.

Most plumbers have no clue as to what really needs to be done.

 

[Connor]

And ANOTHER thing.
If you're trying to get in with a plumbing contractor, DON'T just show up every month or two with your card in hand and re-introduce yourself. I know who you are and it's not working for you. Perhaps it's your personality or something, but whatever it is, don't make yourself a nuisance or a bother. There's a restoration contractor in town that does that and I don't like it. Also, be sure to smile. This guy doesn't and I don't like it. When asking for business, be personable.

When try to woo a small shop, send an introduction letter, in a hand addressed envelope with your company owner or managers name written in the return address, and make an investment in a gift certificate to Bed Bath and Beyond, Target or Home Depot or something. It doesn't have to be much, but it needs to mean something. If you show up bearing some kind of gift, be sure it's in a gift bag or something, don't just stick it in their hand, (those small LED flashlights with belt holsters are nice). If you don't get a bite in three months, make another gesture, but don't be a pain about it. Maybe they just haven't had any WDR referrals or maybe they have another company they are working with, but repeated cold calls are seen as an intrusion if your visits are empty handed. You're not trying to guilt them into a referral with gifts, but to build a relationship; and popping in with another business card to "remind" them that you are in business is not going to cut it.

You'll either have to spend money with them or on them.

Sometimes you gotta prime the pump. (and don't forget to smile)

 

[Hoody]

Thanks for the info Chris. Are you still an O/O Plumber or do you have any employees now ? Do you see any similarities between a carpet cleaning businesses, and a plumbing business ?


Side note: I miss Dan Pauselius, anyone heard from him lately? I remember the paper bag over his head avatar.

 

[Connor]

Yes, an owner/operator. There are similarities in every service business. Ellen Rohr, who writes a lot of business articles for plumbing trade magazines, was doing the Howard P circuit a couple of years ago. It's really about the same wherever you go.



Running service is running service in every industry.

 

[Connor]

I sent a local WDR company a couple of jobs several years ago, the owner said he was giving referral fees for WDR jobs. I never heard anything from him. Last month in May, I sent him another job, it was after hours, wall to wall flood from a busted water filter, had two inches of water on the floor. When he showed up he said," I was trying to reach you, I had two hundred bucks to give you for those referrals, but it's too late now, it's been spent......." KMA! Yeah, okay, buddy. It would have been better if you had not even mentioned it. I wasn't expecting anything for this referral, but to say such a ridiculous thing now has cemented the fact that I will send the next referral to some franchise or whatever company the insurance company recommends.

 

[Jay_wat]

when i did plumbing,,i had referred a couple jobs to the company the service manager wanted us to use,,plumber who gave the referal would get the spiff,,none to the office,,yeah right!! found out the plumbers were to be getting $75 to $150 for each referal,, all went to the service manager,,

later on i was called out to a OT call,,busted pipes,,they (insurance co)already had a guy there pumping out the basement,, we get to talking,,he asked if i would like to get $300 per referal,,i said sure,,as long as the cash was sent to MY address,,and nothing brought up to the service manager,,and same for the other tecs at the company i was with,, many a time i would get an extra $1,200 a month,,so would the other techs for their referals,, and this company was local, and had much better response/knowledge then the other company.

talk to some of my buddys who are still there and they still have the same deal,,and they get the new guys in on it.

of course if the job was small,,he would call and say what you would be getting,and a thank you call from each job.

was lucky to run into that company!

 

[Desk Jockey]

"I was trying to reach you, I had two hundred bucks to give you for those referrals, but it's too late now"

Tell him the same thing, next time you have a referral you are going to try to reach him but you think it will be too late for him too!

 

[Connor]

"I was trying to reach you, I had two hundred bucks to give you for those referrals, but it's too late now"

Tell him the same thing, next time you have a referral you are going to try to reach him but you think it will be too late for him too!

Indeed, spiderpants, indeed.

 

[TracyMurrayao]

thanx for shareing the valuable info man i was searching this on the google like for ages thanx any way

 

[Connor]

thanx for shareing the valuable info man i was searching this on the google like for ages thanx any way

Well, this thread was started in '08, which is about the last time Chavez started a thread of any worth.

 

[RestorationMarketer]

thanx for shareing the valuable info man i was searching this on the google like for ages thanx any way

Well, this thread was started in '08, which is about the last time Chavez started a thread of any worth.

TracySpamBot LIKE!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Well, this thread was started in '08, which is about the last time Chavez started a thread of any worth.

ME? I thought the same about you Chris! eat yor heart out Werner

 

[cleaningclean]

great info in here!

 

[Connor]

Just had a visit from a locally owned WDR company. They dropped off a "donut box" made by Exel-O-Craft filled with candy, a couple of pens and a card. Nice gesture, ugly box. Some brochures would have been nice. Sure, they have a website, but something industry related and immediately tangible would make a stronger impression. Printed advertising elicits emotion.

 

[Connor]

Another opinion I've heard about the above box is that it's just trash and that a basket would have been better. The depth and breadth of this box is not easy to get your hands into to see what's in it without just emptying it's contents.