Cowboy installers have created a real problem for the industry. They have taken advantage of consumers’ trust and money and some of them have even put consumers’ lives at risk. It is no surprise that many installers face the challenge of generating new leads - if the consumer doesn’t trust their tradesman then they are never going to allow them into their home, are they?
Fighting off a bad reputation is never easy but there are steps you can take. Here are our top two.
First and foremost, become an accredited installer.
Look for a trustworthy scheme you can join that will offer your customers real consumer protection. Being able to offer your prospective customer a variety of benefits will help provide them with the trust, confidence and of peace mind often required to secure that sale or contract. Having reputable fall-back options is very important to them. Make sure you are vetted and accredited, you don’t want to join a scheme that accepts you just because you pay the membership fee.
When looking for a trustworthy scheme, it can be difficult to know which one to choose as each badge appears to offer ‘financial protection’ for you and your consumer. The real challenge is identifying which one offers real, trustworthy consumer protection. The market is vast and competitive.
Prior to looking for the scheme you want to join, ask yourself, ”what is good consumer protection?” and “how can I identify if a scheme is offering good consumer protection?” and then go from there.
Our answer to those questions? The devil is in the detail. We, at DGCOS, believe that everybody ‘offering’ consumer protection should adopt these 7 pillars of consumer protection. We offer free deposit and stage payment protection, free IBGs, free mediation services, free independent inspections and free access to an independent Ombudsman not just for the fun of it, but because we know it resonates with consumers, we know it is important for them to have the peace of mind they deserve and we know it is the best offering in the market.
Next, build your online reputation.
One way to do this is by securing positive reviews and recommendations. Seeing and/or hearing about how you finished a job on time, perfected it and had no hidden costs is music to a homeowner’s ears.
Often, if you have done a good job and impressed your customer, your customer will automatically leave you a positive review. However, sometimes it is not as simple as that and your reviews are few and far between. If you find yourself stuck in the latter, be proactive and ask your customers if they would kindly leave a review for you and once received, make sure you reply with your thanks and/or comments.
Additionally, if you become a DGCOS member then you will have access to a membership pack upon successful accreditation which you can share with your customers at your leisure. This is another way to build your reputation as each piece of marketing material that you receive enables your customer to see that you are part of a trustworthy scheme, and they have lots of information to sift through should they wish to, prior to their installation.
Your trustworthy reputation alone should increase leads in no time.
Considering joining DGCOS?
Please call us on 0345 053 8975
Or complete our membership enquiry form
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Do you have a question?
Call us on 0345 053 8975
Or send an email to [email protected]k
