Finding the Right Plumber

Finding the Right Plumber

            So many options… plenty to choose from… “My second cousin once removed is a plumber.” My favorite is always the ladies who tell me, “He is my plumber”… and they point at their husband in laughter. Believe me; he doesn’t want to do it. I’m not just saying that either, more than once I have gotten the truth out of the husband once the wife is out of earshot.

            The reality is no matter how much you think you can do (and no matter how much you can get your relatives to do) there are just some jobs that are too big. I really cannot understand why people think it is okay to DIY their plumbing anyway, it only looks easy most of the time. Even seasoned professionals end up in trouble when things begin to crumble apart at their touch; that is pretty normal in this business really. Think about it; if something breaks in one area of your plumbing system it is not uncommon for fixtures of the same age to also be ready to give you headaches. On more than one occasion a plumber has started to move things around and created more leaks… it’s part of the job.

            So you need to be pretty sure that you have the right people on that job. It doesn’t pay to save a few bucks using relatives in this circumstance. You really need to find someone who will give you and your home or place of business the attention to detail that it needs. Establish a working relationship with a company that has experience and a proven track record. You know that this is the official Crystal Clear Plumbing, LLC blog so you should know that I believe we are that company. My goal here is not to tell you that we are better than everyone else… I believe that but I really am only rewarded when you begin to believe that.

            So how can I get you to believe that? Well I cannot make you choose us for your plumbing needs I can only tell you a little more about us. We have been doing this for thirty years in AZ and there is no real end in sight; we grow with the times offering new things to our customers as technology advances. We offer the same reliable services on the things that don’t change; such as quality work, competitive pricing, and customer satisfaction. It is our mission to gain customers for life so we give loyalty dollars to our exclusive customers in the form of big discounts and real savings. It’s pretty simple… the longer you are a customer the more of a discount you will receive. This is our way of going above and beyond the industry standards.

            You still have to make the decision to begin this relationship with us by deciding that you will give us a chance to serve your needs at a time that you may not really be feeling all that well. No one really wants to face plumbing issues but at least when that day comes you can give yourself the advantage of having a qualified professional team on your side. It goes without saying; Licensed, bonded, and insured. I’ll tell you what… if you call us because you saw this blog we will do a complete plumbing inspection on your home absolutely free of charge. Just use the access code CRYSTAL888 and tell us that you would like your free home inspection.

            We look forward to showing you why we are the last plumber you will ever need to call.

Customer Loyalty

Customer Loyalty

            Is there such a thing as customer loyalty? It is the desire of most reputable businesses that a relationship is begun between the company and the customer. If product offered product accepted is the depth of the experience it makes sense that we should always be on the lookout for the next best thing. I mean, what is the reason for the consumer’s choice? If the reason is price then they will cut and run to any sale that any company puts on this week. On the other hand if it is a unique product the customer is more likely to return simply because there may be no other place to get it. It is the same with a service; unique services can gain a level of customer loyalty.

            What about products and services that are not in themselves unique? It is here where most of America dwells as business owner’s claw for their share of the same dollar circulated back and forth every day. Well of course the company in this situation has to somehow make themselves unique… different from all of their peers… standing out like a beacon saying, “I am the direction you want to go.” There is no shortage of ideas when it comes to this sort of a situation but most of them are centered on price.

            In the plumbing industry it is exceptionally difficult to gain customer loyalty because it is exceptionally difficult to separate yourself from everyone else; whether they are a good company or an unscrupulous one. In this situation it often becomes a matter of branding… plumber is a particular brand and people expect certain things when they hear that word… some good and some bad. In the same way if you think of a particular company you have used or heard of; (maybe a jingle comes to mind) you can realize that they have done a good job branding themselves apart from the common things that one associates with a mere “plumber” they have left an imprint on you in the form of their brand.

            Recently I discovered that I hate it when companies create an incentive or discount for new customers. It is completely anti-loyalty. Let’s think about this for a minute… all of the loyal long-time customers get to pay extra so that you can reward the new customers? At the same time when I am no longer a fresh customer you are okay with hiking the price up on me… because after all I was getting a good deal for so long. That sounds like pure manipulation to me. The truth is customers are smarter than this. Loyalty takes a backseat for everyone involved because as soon as the competition offers their “New Customer deal” people jump ship and run to them.  

            Why should loyal customers get beat up on price while new customers get advantages? That is the question that has been keeping me up at nights. It is the reason that in my businesses I am continuing to seek out new ways to bring loyalty back… not simply for my company and my industry… but because I believe it is better for us as a whole. There really is enough to do out there that we can all be busy in our corner of the world doing whatever it is we do in our communities. We should at least find ways to reward people who are loyal and who have been there.

            I am open to suggestions from anyone… what can one small plumbing company do to increase the incentives for loyalty and to reward loyalty? As it stands we already offer a progressive loyalty advantage… the longer you are a customer the more of a discount you can receive. Let us know what you think businesses in your community should do about this problem… even ours. 

deacon@crystalclearplumbing.com

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative Maintenance

            Perspective is important. The average homeowner will wait until they have a problem before they address it… they don’t know any better and they have a tough time believing that they really need everything the servicemen might suggest to them. That is until they face the problem. First time your water heater floods your garage, leaks into your wall, and ruins some irreplaceable items… you will become a believer in water heater service… perspective.

            From the contractors point of view Preventative Maintenance is the best option. Finally we get to go out to your home or place of business when you are not facing some tragedy (that may have been preventable) which makes the event more pleasant for all of us. In addition to this; preventatives are generally easier to deal with than floods and tragedies; for obvious reasons. As well as this we have an opportunity to show you products and services that you may not even be aware of. I know… I know… we just want to sell you something. The truth is we just want to offer you more options to protect yourself, not from perceived tragedies that insurance companies invent in order to sell a policy that will not cover any real problem, but from the real problems we see every day. It is not real to the customer because they don’t realize we just left a house where that event you may not have experience with, just occurred… perspective.

            The truth is that we know in some hidden part of our psyche that prevention is possible; we simply choose to put off until tomorrow what we could be doing today. Maybe it is even more than that… perhaps we get so busy putting out the fires of today that we cannot make time to prevent the fires of tomorrow. If you want to give yourself a day off in the future from putting out a fire… try squeezing in some time today for a preventative… or at least a plumbing inspection… it will be worth the price of a service call rather than an emergency one… that’s perspective.

Crystal Clear Plumbing, LLC

480-888-8889