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Are you an independent tradesperson or a small trade business owner in the plumbing or heating sector? Then you’ll know it’s not just your technical skills that gets the phone ringing and keeps your clients coming back. Being friendly, punctual, and reliable is just as important as having excellent knowledge and skills when it comes to earning repeat business and making your business a success.

At Williams, we’re dedicated to providing the UK’s plumbing and heating engineers with the best products, but we’re also committed to providing the best customer service. We’ve put together our top five simple tips that will help you elevate your own customer service in an instant - even if you do prefer dogs to people.

Tip 1: Address your customers by their name

This is a really easy and quick way to make your customers feel valued and provide a more personalised service. Everyone likes the sound of their own name, and our brains are actually hardwired to respond positively to hearing our name spoken out loud by others.

Addressing your customers by their name in messages, over the phone and in person will put them at ease and make them view you in a positive light right off the bat. It's a low effort gesture with a big payoff when it comes to building customer loyalty, winning repeat business, and being known for your friendly customer service.

Tip 2: Keep on top of requests

This is an obvious one, but it’s easy to let it slide. Not receiving a quick reply is frustrating for your customer and might put them off contacting you next time they need help. If you frequently find yourself missing messages or not responding as quickly as you would like, it’s time to make a change.

To prevent you having to constantly check multiple platforms, try to direct your customers towards one preferred method of communication. Some messages may still end up elsewhere, but it’s easier to manage when the bulk of your queries are in one place. If you’re busy, it’s a good idea to set up automatic replies to let your customers know when they can expect a response (within 1-3 working days is usually a good figure for non-urgent requests).

If you want to be seen as reliable, responding quickly to requests is vital, even if your response might not be what your customer wants to hear - which leads us on to our next tip…

Tip 3: Communication is key

Of course, in an ideal world you would always respond quickly, arrive exactly on time, and never encounter an issue. But, as all tradespeople know, that’s not always how things go. Jobs can overrun, you might have to turn down new jobs because you’re already working flat out, or you might need a part that is out of stock, has a long delivery time, or costs more than you initially thought.

When things aren’t running smoothly and your customer is asking questions, be clear and communicate the problem – even if the answer is not what your customer wants to hear. It’s always better to be honest and up-front. People appreciate being kept in the loop rather than kept in the dark - and most customers will be understanding when there are problems beyond your control.

Tip 4: End on a high note

First impressions are important, but you want to leave a good impression at the end of a job too. Once a job is finished, simple things like leaving the space broadly as you found it, tidying up any obvious mess and leaving waste in the right place make all the difference. Also, thanking your customer for their business is a quick polite gesture that goes a long way.

Tip 5: Being nice to their dog does help!

If you really do prefer animals to people, then you can rest assured that making a fuss of any household pets is a sure way to win your customers over. Find out the pet’s name, ask a few questions and be interested and friendly. If their pet likes you, the person won’t be far behind!

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How to be a customer service star (even if you prefer dogs to people)