Proactivity vs. Reactivity.
Too many people don’t understand the difference. After all, if the work gets finished, what does it matter? How much of a difference does a proactive mindset make?
In the eyes of your customers, it could make all the difference in the world.
• 70% of homeowners say they’d pay more for a proactive, relationship-based service experience than a reactive one.
• 81% of consumers expect companies to reach out proactively before problems occur.
• 68% of customers leave service providers because they felt the company was indifferent to them.
The evidence is there. People want proactive partners, not reactive handymen. It’s no longer a benefit you can keep pushing off because “business is pretty good”. It’s a necessity you can’t afford to ignore.
Consider the statistics a little more carefully: seven out of every ten homeowners openly say they will pay more for a relationship-based service and that they left a previous service provider because the company or contractor didn’t care enough.
Oh, and did we mention that homeowners who do enjoy a trusted service relationship are three times more likely to choose that same contractor when they next need a full-system replacement – and they’ll do it without seeking other options beforehand?
Relationships matter. The customer’s perception of your business matters. Your ability to act without waiting for a call matters.
That’s the world we’re living in, and it’s being fueled by the next generation of homeowners.
Millennials, Gen Z, and the Future of Home Comfort Services
It feels like yesterday people were talking about millennials as children, but now? They’re the largest home-buying cohort in America. Like it or not, Millennials make up a huge portion of your target audience – and understanding your audience is the first step in developing a plan of action.
Here’s the thing about Millennials: they’re the first generation to have grown up with subscriptions for nearly everything. It’s not a lifestyle preference in their eyes, like it might be for homeowners in their 40s, 50s, or 60s. Rather, it’s an expectation. Millennials don’t want to change air filters or schedule tune ups on their own time. They don’t want to spend $12,000 cash on something they’ll never understand – not that they could afford it, anyway.
Instead, just like with any of the other subscription-based models they’ve grown accustomed to enjoying, they want to pay someone a monthly fee that comes directly out of their checking account to install, maintain, and monitor their comfort systems. They want someone they trust looking out for them, a person who will call when there might be an issue they don’t even know about.
That’s the Millennials’ expectations, and Gen Z? They don’t even know what a world without Netflix looks like. Service calls and one-time transactions aren’t just inconvenient for them – they’re downright unacceptable.
Want to learn more about how the industry is adapting to the modern homeowner? Download our free ebook →
Smart Homes and the Cost of a Transaction Business
The homeowner’s expectations are shifting, but shifting alongside them – while essential – might seem overwhelming. Homes are growing smarter as technology evolves, but unlike appliances and thermostats, HVAC systems aren’t interacted with daily, so they almost always operate in total silence. That is, until the units stop working.
This means that contractors must always operate one step ahead to ensure the homeowner’s comfort and happiness. How can you do that if you’re constantly waiting for the next service call?
Instead of working a transaction-based business, adopting a relationship-first mindset changes everything about the homeowner’s perception of you and their loyalty. Think about it:
• No more relying on the marketing treadmill to secure this year’s profits
• No more bidding against local competitors
• No more stressing over the first conversation
By developing relationships with your customers, you can offer options for regular checkups, service calls, and maintenance repairs, ensuring you know their HVAC unit better than they ever could so that you’re ahead of the game next time there’s a problem.
Remember: Homeowners with a trusted service relationship are three times more likely to choose the same contractor for a full-system replacement without getting competing bids.
Loyalty today. Payoff tomorrow. Proactivity vs. Reactivity.
Five-Star HVAC Reviews: What They’re Actually Saying
Why do you think hardly any five-star HVAC reviews focus on the product itself?
Because the hardware you’re installing isn’t what you’re actually selling. You’re selling an experience. And as far as Millennials and Gen-Z are concerned, that’s all that really matters. The reviews that pop on places like Google and Yelp are the ones that call out the service team.
“They actually care.”
“I felt like a person, not a number.”
“I’ll never use a different contractor again.”
Selling an HVAC unit isn’t like selling a t-shirt. It’s not about the product, but the way the contractor makes the homeowner feel about what the product can and will do for them. This requires trust, which can only be achieved by building a relationship. Now more than ever, homeowners are begging for local experts to prove that they care. Their mouths might not be saying it, but their actions do all the talking.
Now’s your chance to give them what they’re craving: an HVAC contractor eager to meet them where they are.
This is just one piece of the shift. Download our free Ebook to understand the full transformation and what it means for your business, your customers, and your bottom line,
or visit our Premier Program page to find out how our HCaaS solutions can
help you move into a modern era of contracting.
