Pipe Dreams - a Lot of Room to Improve Customer Service

By I.J. Hudson

I’m thinking of starting a plumbing company.

Okay, this is a rant - and a review of lessons I thought most people and businesses understood.   

These are very simple lessons I tried to teach my children, (mildly successful) and a practice that I assiduously follow:  always return phone calls ---- and do what you say you’ll do. 

I maintain that if you do both, you’ll be way ahead of the competition.  In other words, you’ll be ahead of the competition by being responsive and true to your word.  Wow!  Such a concept.  

From my viewpoint, these two traits are not remarkable – shouldn’t be – but are in certain areas.  My most recent brush with non-believers in these principles is with the local plumbing industry.  We’ve called four different plumbing companies serving the Gaithersburg area to perform a simple task.   

Often we are told someone will be out the next day to give us an estimate.  They may actually show up, but the estimate may be weeks in coming, if at all.  We have to call twice just to ask for the estimate. (Still don't have it.)

Others say the owner will get right back to us, and he does – until he forgets to follow up after he hangs up.

We looked up these companies on “checkbook.”  Oddly enough, the most highly rated companies for price and service were the companies that didn’t follow up, didn’t return phone calls.  The lowest rated company returned calls right away.  I guess they were eager for business because of the low ratings.

Perhaps a hybrid company could be formed – one that took customer service seriously, and did a great job. 

I apologize if I offend any plumbing companies out there that believe they offer both.  So far, I’m not finding you in my immediate area, and would suggest that anyone with some real smarts and a decent bankroll jump into this market.  Either there’s not enough competition (not enough folks going into plumbing), or a time-honored trade has slipped a couple of notches.  I hope not.

Being mediocre shouldn’t be rewarded.   Why wait days for someone to return your call, promise to show up  – and then they don’t .  Then you call back to beg, get a recording and wait for them to return the call!  Why pay THEM to torture YOU?

Why not choose a plumber that does good work and takes customer service seriously?  I would certainly  pay more to receive dependable service.  

Returning phone calls and doing what you say you’ll do doesn’t require plumbing skill.  It’s what we should expect from companies providing service - any company. 

I think there’s an opening for a new company that has a simple message.  “If we miss your call, we’ll call you back within a couple of hours, schedule the estimate, be on time for the job and do it right the first time.” 

From my point of view, that would be remarkable service that I’m missing now.