Take your service calls to the next level

Providing products to your customer is a great unexpected surprise, however, one thing you need to remember is that by providing any product to your customers, you are in essence representing to the customer that you stand behind and recommend that product.

To exemplify this, I had diagnosed an HVAC system for a customer. I determined that the coil needed to be replaced. Since I did not have the tools at the time to complete that major repair, I decided to subcontract the work out to an HVAC company. The technician for that company came out, looked at what I showed him, and concluded what I had. He quoted the customer $4,000.00. The customer said he'd need to speak with his wife, and we left. A few days later, I reached out to ask how things were going. He advised me that he had called in three other companies, as he always does with large-ticket repairs, and one of the companies found that the unit was under warranty, and that the manufacturer will be covering the entire cost of repair.

At that moment, I realized that I had completely diminished any level of professional respect with that customer. Since I had brought in the secondary HVAC company, and since they quoted $4,000.00 for a repair that another company will do under warranty, my "brand" (with that customer) became tarnished. That customer will never return to my business because of that. Had I done more research and determined that the unit was still under warranty, and had I found a company that was authorized to do warranty work for that particular company, the customer would have viewed my business in high regard, and I would have gained a loyal customer.

Since you are viewed by the customer as an industry professional, your presentation of these products implies to the customer that this is the brand that your company stands behinds.

When considering your company brand, do you want customers to associate you with Procter & Gamble? 

This is not a huge concern for most, given that it appears to be a reputable company, however, in today's economy, it's not unreasonable to know that some people will have beef with this company for whatever reason.

For instance, a March 30, 2021, article on nrdc.org detailed how "P&G's latest announcement ignores investor concerns and furthers the myth of Canadian forestry's sustainability." But, really, how many of your customers are going to have beef with a company because of its impact of sourcing pulp from Canada's boreal forest? How many of them will boycott your company because they think you support deforestation?

And if you do happen to come across a customer who is strongly against, say, Cascade because of how they source their products, take comfort in knowing that Procter & Gamble owns several other companies, one of which likely has a presence in their household. Follow the link below to see their brands.

https://us.pg.com/brands/

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Bottom line, this company is not being publicly scrutinized for issues other companies face - such as child labor and unethical business practices - and it's not a company that I would generally veer away from, so I have no qualms with associating their products with my business.

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This post is not meant to cast aspersions or to question the ethical or moral standing of this company, so please don't view it as such. It is meant to remind you that the products that you present to your customer become part of your company's brand, so make sure you do the research to ensure any product you sell will not cast a negative light on your brand.