Plumbers, electricians, HVAC companies and many other trades and essential services will have to be even more diligent to keep customers safe as we adapt to the “new normal” of social distancing and COVID-19. Here are three tips for service companies to keep their businesses, employees, and customers safe.
1. Take every precaution possible
Show up to the residence like a professional. Bring your own disinfectant wipes. Showing up to the door with disinfectant wipes, and/or spray sanitizer demonstrates that you’re being proactive. Keep a safe distance from anyone in the household – 6 feet is the minimum.
Avoid touching anything you do not have to. The less exposure the better, and you don’t want to wipe down more than necessary. Avoid touching your face and wash your hands thoroughly as soon as possible after you leave the site. If using gloves, dispose of gloves immediately after leaving the house and before touching anything in your vehicle.
2. Clearly communicate your safety measures
When you are booking the service appointment with your customer you can offer a mini COVID risk assessment. You can ask questions like “have you or anybody in your household travelled outside the province in the past 14 days?” or “have you or anybody in your household shown symptoms of cough or fever in the past 14 days?”
Asking these risk–assessing questions shows your own competence regarding the virus and keeps your technicians safe. The next piece of customer communication is crucial: setting arrival expectations.
Tell your customers that the arriving technician will be wearing a mask and gloves. Reassure them that the technician has been monitored closely and has not been outside the province in the past 14 days and has a clean bill of health. Inform the customer that the technician will arrive and keep their distance to abide by social distancing regulations.
When you communicate these measures clearly you reduce potential anxiety for the customer and make it a more pleasurable experience.
3. Troubleshoot from afar
Depending on the nature of the problem – and your familiarity with the issue in question, you may be able to help remotely. For customers who are at particularly high risk, like the elderly, you may want to evaluate the complexity of the issue at hand and try to resolve the issue on the phone, or through a series of steps via email. Your current customers will appreciate the attention and level of customized service they are getting.
Now more than ever, everything you do has to be communicated clearly to your customers. Assure them that you will be there for them and let them know in advance if operations may look a little different for a while.
Use every available resource
The Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association has a set of tools that will help you navigate the current situation. Click here and scroll down to employer resources that you may find beneficial during this time.
Please feel free to contact our team of solution experts if you are looking for a hand managing your customer calls and improving customer service! You can reach our team by emailing sales@telelink.ca