I firmly believe that we’ve built our business on customer service. We use quality materials to create a quality product; we have experienced installers; and we have competitive pricing. But the bottom line is that our customer service sets us apart.
Anytime you get poor service, it really makes an impression. However, excellent customer service makes you want to return to a business. By genuinely caring about our customers and their goals, and taking an interest in their business, we’re offering top-notch customer service.
Educating wrap customers
All our projects start with educating — whether it’s the customer educating us on their needs or it’s us educating the customer on their options, we are exchanging information. We’re looking at their advertising goals, the type of signs or graphics they need, and what they expect. We are also educating them on pricing options based on materials and coverage, and we work to determine a budget so we can help them stay on track.
Doing all this is basically just a series of questions and answers. This is our wheelhouse, so it’s important we exchange information in a way the customer will understand. We have samples of products in the lobby, photos of past projects on our website and on screens in the lobby, and pricing sheets that help us show the customer how we price based on the square footage of signs or the coverage of a wrap.
One of our customers is in the process of rewrapping their entire fleet of vehicles. The team worked with a graphic design firm to create a whole new brand and marketing campaign. Our job was to work with that firm to continue the brand on to their vehicle advertising.
Since we previously wrapped the fleet with the company’s old logo, we have a lot of vehicle information on file. Throughout the entire process, we’ve provided the team with information, worked with the designer to fit the artwork to the various vans, and offered suggestions and options so they’re making educated decisions.
We recently completed the wrap on the first van and it was a good test to make sure everything is coming together as expected. The design incorporates a lot of solid blocks of red, so we suggested using 3M 2080 Fire Red color-change wrap media in these areas and printed and cut spot graphics on the rest.
The color coordinated with the rest of the brand while also providing them with faster service. Instead of having to print and finish all the vinyl, we’re able to bring the vans in quicker because we can start wrapping the solid red sections while the rest of the graphics are being printed and prepped.
Convenience
We have a long-time customer that we do partial wrap/spot graphics on their fleet. They’re acquiring and wrapping 12 vans and are using a fleet service that gets the vans, has them outfitted with specialty equipment, and delivers them to us for graphics.
So instead of working with the company directly, we’re working with the fleet company. I will say that I prefer working with our customer, since they’re nice people, quick payers, and are great to do business with, but working with the fleet company is easier for them.
Convenience is a big part of customer service since anything that makes a process or transaction easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable for the customer is the whole point. It has been more work for us to communicate with a large vehicle fleet company, coordinate the delivery of the vehicles, deal with an added middleman, and getting paid slower, but it’s what our customer needs from us.
Basics
Something I hear entirely too often is “Oh, you answered the phone.” In my mind, I’m thinking “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” but apparently, there are too many people in the sign industry that treat their business like an afterthought. If you’re going to run a business, especially if you have a storefront, you must be dependable. Answer the phone, be open for set hours, return phone calls and emails, and present a professional storefront.
I was out sick a few months back and customers who had emailed me were calling within a day or so to see if I had received their email. Normally, I’ll respond to emails as soon as possible to keep projects moving. Customers appreciate the quick response and that brief delay in responding showed me how much it affects the customer.
Efficiency
Our jobs go through a workflow process, but we try to streamline the jobs as much as possible. If it’s a repeat order and the art is already on file, it goes straight into output, then production and finishing. Not only do customers appreciate the quick service, but the less a job languishes in our system, the more efficient and profitable we are.
Because our workflow system is so efficient, we’re also able to help customers in a bind. Whether they’re an existing client or a new client, we do our best to work with their needs. For example, we had a fencing company call, and they needed door graphics as soon as possible, including a California number, which in that state is required by the highway patrol to identify a vehicle as a California-based commercial vehicle.
Fines for not having proper California numbers on the vehicle can be steep, and the customer needed to get lettering right away. At first, they just wanted their company name, phone number, and the California number in red lettering and a bold font.
This is fine, but I could tell they were a small company and a quick website search showed they didn’t have a logo. I put together a quick fence logo in black, with black accent lines and their information in a bold red font. Just that little extra design work took me approximately 15 minutes and made their business look that much more professional.
Once we had approval, the job went straight into production, where we printed the graphics along with the rest of the premium vinyl jobs in the queue. As soon as it was ready, we scheduled them to come in for a quick install while they waited.
It was a simple project for us, but the customer was very happy with the quality of the graphics and design and the quick turnaround. I know he will give us a good word-of-mouth recommendation.
Relationship
Building a professional relationship with your customer is extremely important. Basic customer service is great, but going a step beyond where your interactions help build trust will create a repeat client. So many of our customers have become friends to us. This doesn’t happen with every customer, of course. But with many customers, we’re genuinely happy to see them and help them with a new project.
Other than signage on our building and a wrapped shop van, we don’t do any advertising. All our advertising is word-of-mouth and comes from happy customers who tell others about our services.
We’ve worked hard to build our business up, and we do our best to maintain the reputation we have built. Having a positive attitude with our customers and within our business makes our jobs more enjoyable. If you prioritize your customers and work to meet their needs, then a positive experience will follow.
