Residential contractors who focus on becoming a service business can bring in ongoing revenue from existing customers through regularly scheduled maintenance coats. Every contractor should have a long-range system for tracking maintenance due dates, notifying customers and even set-up maintenance contracts to gain pre-approval of future work. By proactively contacting customers for maintenance, residential contractors are providing a valuable service while at the same time laying the groundwork for increased profitability.

A contractor’s best customer is his current customer. Acquiring new business is difficult and uncertain. To gain first-time customers, you may rely on referrals that never come, bids that are never considered or that simply lose out to competitors, expensive advertising, or sporadic drive-by business. On the other hand, you have already earned the trust of the current customers who are happy with your work. You shouldn’t need to convince them to call on you for their next painting job. You should, however, consistently look for reasons to return to your current customers even before they contact you.

Subject
Electric current, Buildings, Protective coatings, Materials, Manufacturing, Materials performance, Customers, Springs, Operations management, Contractors, Training, Maintenance, Paints
© 2007 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. This work is protected by both domestic and international copyright laws. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2007
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.