Due to the rarity of electrical businesses losing jobs due to poor craftsmanship, many times job quotes just disappear after submission without a follow-up communication from the electrical company. For example, if a homeowner contacted three separate electrical companies and received two quotes, the one that contacted them again afterward will usually get the job.
One of the most common issues within the electric trade is missed follow-ups. Most electrical company owners understand the importance of following up with customers after sending job quotes; however, the difficulty is remaining consistent when your schedule becomes packed and so busy.
Here are the reasons why electrical contractors are often guilty of catching the missed follow-up problem, why it occurs at the electrical contractor's place of business, and examples of those reasons that help solve that problem.
1. The day gets busy fast
It's hard to say exactly how long the electrical project will take. An electrical panel upgrade may take much longer than anticipated. The electrician may receive an emergency service call. The technician may have to go on-site to assist customers. Follow-up calls are usually deprioritized based on all of the current work to be done.
Most electrical businesses have owners who handle all sales, scheduling, billing, and customer communication.
For customers, silence can easily be mistaken for a lack of interest.
It helps to have access to open estimates for a clearer understanding of what jobs are pending and the details of each customer. Tools like Field Promax enable electrical contractors to have access to all customers and jobs together in one application, instead of relying on their memory or handwritten notes to track each customer's and job's info.
2. Follow-ups are scattered everywhere
Multiple systems are used to manage follow-up information. Follow-ups from clients, emails, notepad records, and phone reminders are experienced by many electrical companies. Also, some follow-ups will be verbal; therefore, no actual documentation exists. Whether using email, notebooks, or phone reminders for the tracking of follow-ups, there’s always the possibility of miscommunication of follow-up tasks.
When information is separated into different locations or, in this case, different systems, it will not only increase the likelihood of missing a follow-up. Centralizing everything customer related into one system reduces this potential for missing a follow-up because it will clearly show which customers need to be contacted and when.
As one contractor Quotes,“I have found that, if I cannot find it readily, it will likely not happen.”
3. There is no defined follow-up process
A follow-up process is lacking at most electrical companies. There is no standard follow-up practice, such as “Follow Up With Prospects Two Days After Sending Out Estimates” or “Contact Prospective Customers Before The Expiration Date of a Quotation.”
Follow-ups are dependent on someone’s memory and motivation when there is no defined process, until business gets so busy that no one can keep up with this method.
Here is a simple rhythm you could use:
Track Your Jobs with Tracking Software. Tracking Your Jobs with Job Tracking Software Will Allow You to Follow a Standardized Follow-Up Process without Adding the Burden of Memory or Workload.
Electricians generally consider their work as a trade before they consider their sales skills, often resulting in an uncomfortable feeling when it comes time to follow up with clients who have not responded to their initial contact. There is also a natural fear of sounding overly aggressive. As a result, it is common for electricians to either postpone or eliminate follow-ups altogether.
While it is important for the electrician to simply ask if the client has any additional questions, most clients feel as though they should expect at least one follow-up; therefore, if the electrician sends them a brief text message asking if they have any further questions, they feel as though the electrician is attempting to assist them instead of aggressively selling to them.
5. No visibility into estimate status
If you aren’t aware of what estimates are open, you can only guess at what to follow up on. Many electrical contractors simply send out quotes without following up to see how the estimate was received after that. So, days later, owners have no idea if a customer declined the estimate, if another contractor was hired, or if they just forgot.
By using a tracking system that allows business owners to see the status of their open estimates, they can be proactive and intentional in their follow-up processes.
6. No one owns the follow-up task
In small businesses, everybody can expect to make follow-up calls, but many do not know who will actually make those calls. The business owner thinks the office staff will follow up with customers, while the office staff thinks the owner will do that. It is critical that every task in all businesses has an owner, even if it is a one-person business.
Assignments of ownership generate accountability and visibility of tasks necessary for completing them. When people have clear and documented assignments of ownership, accountability, and follow-through on tasks assigned to them, the likelihood of completing those tasks is increased.
7. Manual reminders stop working
Manual reminders (sticky notes on desks, calendar alerts, alarm clocks) usually work well for a time, but when things get hectic, these manual systems will fail to remind you of your important duties.
Automated reminders attached to customer files relieve some of the stress of managing multiple customer relationships. Many electrical contractors utilize Field Promax to assist with communication between the customer and the contractor regarding job status and estimates. There are ways to utilize digital work order tools while still keeping it simple and providing an efficient workflow.
8. Busy seasons hide lost revenue
The schedule will always be packed, and missed follow-ups will not show the damage until the months of peak activity have passed and the slowdown in activity has started. Once the time comes when things are not so hectic, you will be able to see the impact of no follow-ups taken.
Electrical contractors who keep track of their follow-ups will often realize just how much business they lost by not having anyone checking back with them. Making minor changes to your follow-up process can create increased revenue with no additional costs in advertising or marketing.
What consistent follow-up changes
By improving how they follow up with clients, electrical contracting firms typically receive:
One electrical contractor said that many of their clients didn’t really say “no”; rather, they just needed to be reminded.
Practical ways to fix follow-ups
To make follow-ups easier to manage, you don’t necessarily need a team of salespeople. Instead, you should concentrate on the following areas:
1) Having one solution for tracking customers and quotes;
2) Establishing the right timing for follow-ups;
3) Designating a person (or team) that will take responsibility for following up;
4) Keeping messages simple and friendly.
Most field service companies use field service management software to manage their customers' data, quotes, and job statuses, which means that the follow-up process is naturally integrated into their daily operations.
An explanation of missed follow-ups is almost never due to inactivity; rather, it is indicative of how systems of an organization have not been designed and developed in line with their growth.
Companies that treat follow-up activities as a core business process will, when conducted properly, generate more revenue while imposing a lesser degree of stress upon customers.
When there is transparency, simplicity, and consistency to the follow-up process, customers perceive that they have received appropriate attention, and revenue in the form of lost business is no longer able to "slip through the cracks."
Electrical Business Growth Killers That Don’t Show on Financial Reports
🚫 What Quietly Stops Growth
• Slow responses
• Unclear estimates
• Inconsistent communication
• Poor first impressions
• Forgotten past customers
• Low perceived reliability
• No complaints
• No rejections
• No alerts
• Fewer approvals
• Weak referrals
• Slower growth
FAQ
How many follow-ups are too much?
Typically, when performing residential electrical work, it would be appropriate to conduct two or three follow-ups motivated by the work completed over the next 10 days. If you ask for the sale, and they say no, then stop following up with them. If they continue to not respond, then one more polite follow-up is acceptable.
Should Technicians Do Follow-Ups?
Normally, no. A technician should be concentrating on completing the job. Follow-ups are best completed by the office staff using notes written by the customers that are available to all employees.
Do Follow-Ups Matter with Small Jobs?
Yes. Small electrical jobs can become increasingly larger jobs with the addition of new clients, and most small jobs are followed up on to make instances of repeat business as effective as possible.
