Why aren’t customers getting back to me?

First, you’ll want to ensure that you’re taking all the necessary steps to encourage more customers to call you about work. After this, there are still several other reasons why clients may not be responding to you, so it’s crucial you identify these so you can solve the problem as soon as possible.

1. Your customers are short on time

One of the main reasons that customers choose to use Service.com.au to find a local tradesperson or other service provider is that they have limited spare time outside of work, spending time with family and friends, and their other commitments. They often are unable to go searching for local businesses, call them all separately for quotes, and make a decision on who to hire after comparing the results.  

Service.com.au provides them the benefit of offering a collection of relevant businesses in the area and the ability to efficiently receive quotes or be contacted by the businesses to organise the job, all at the click of a few buttons.

As a result of the busy customer lifestyle, when you attempt to call a client who has requested a quote, they may not initially answer as many people are working full time and are unable to speak on the phone.

Solution: After calling the customer the first time, try calling again at a different time of the day, such as after 5pm, when the majority of people may have finished work. Also, leave a voicemail and follow-up message on your business Dashboard. This may prompt a response from customers who find it easier to quickly reply to a message when they have a spare few minutes.

2. The customer is already speaking with another business

Many customers who post a job on the platform need to have the work completed as soon as possible. For example, if they know they need a Removalist or Bond Cleaner for a certain vacate date, they want to have this organised promptly to ensure the service provider is secured for this deadline.

For this reason, when you receive a notification that a customer has requested for a quote for their job, it’s best to accept the request as soon as you can in order to increase the likelihood that the customer is still interested in receiving quotes. We recognise that when you’re out on the tools, you often won’t have easy access to your phone or hear your notifications! They may also be received at a time that is inconvenient for you to provide a complete response. There are ways around this!

Solution: Even if you can’t call the customer on the spot when you receive a quote request notification, open the job in your Dashboard and click “Accept Job” so you will receive the customer’s phone number, then you can call them at a time that suits you. We also recommend sending a quick message introducing yourself and let them know that you'll give them a call later - you can also create a default quote message to add at the click of a button to save typing it each time!

3. Your first attempt at contact hasn’t left a good impression

It’s important to remember that if you haven’t managed to get in contact with a potential customer, your voicemail or written message is going to be their first and potentially only impression of your business.

There are several strategies to ensure that you leave a message that encourages a reply.

Solution:
For voicemail:

• Speak clearly and slowly so your voice can be easily heard and understood
• Give your name, your business name, the job you’re calling about and where you found it
• Leave clear instructions on how you will get in touch - Do you need the customer to call you back, or will you call or email them? Let them know!

For email or message:

• Include the details above in your message to make it clear about who you are and how you’d like to proceed with helping them complete their job
• Write a professional message as described in our tips to make your online advertising look more professional

By identifying which of these scenarios may be applicable to you, you will be better equipped to overcome these hurdles that are an inevitable reality when operating a business. From there, you will be able to successfully respond to a quote request and win the job, allowing you to move forward and convert more of your enquiries into long-lasting customer relationships!

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Further reading:
Tradie insurance guide: what you need to know
Tradies and tax debt… what you need to know now
8 reasons why good design is good for business
How to use technology to better your business