There isn’t enough emphasis on the quality of customer relations in almost every business in our country. Certainly, many factors influence this, including the hectic time of the year, the labor market, etc. However, I am convinced that enhancing the customer’s experience with your rental company can help differentiate your company from competitors and significantly increase income, growth and profitability.
Customer relations deals with all things that customers see, hear and experience. This is obviously an enormous topic, so I’ll concentrate mostly on the staff training and customer communication portion. Here are some key points for your consideration:
- Focus additional attention on first impressions. Over-the-phone first impression training, for example, should include smiling as well as the most professional use of questioning, respect, timing, conversation tempo, sounding friendly (even on hectic days) and other skills that your competitors are not likely well-versed in. So, not only are callers more likely to rent from your company when they receive this treatment, they are more likely to rent additional items when those items are recommended. This is also one of the key customer relationship-building ways to help ensure more repeat business.
- Another important aspect of customer relations is the “walk-in customer” first impression experience. Customers should be greeted immediately and in a professional, upbeat fashion. It is amazing how often customers don’t even receive a “hi” from employees. Employees should greet customers with a smile. Remind your team that smiling is not just a telephone skill. Walk-in customers (as well as customers who are receiving delivered rental equipment) prefer to rent from rental companies that have friendly, upbeat, smiling employees.
- All employees who have contact with customers should consider themselves as “customer relations professionals.” Your staff may not be giving your customers the professional treatment that you know would be highly effective in growing your income and company.
- Everyone is a salesperson. Stress that every team member is involved in growing the company. Certain positions require far more intensive rental salesmanship training, of course. When I train employees in the sales techniques that I’ve developed, I always stress the importance of not being a “pushy salesperson.” Done properly, sales training greatly increases rental income and builds the customer relationship (and repeat business).
- Enhance your team’s nonverbal communications. There are huge customer relations enhancement opportunities in this overlooked area. For example, slight facial expressions, grooming and posture changes can improve the chances your company’s message of care, concern and quality will be received by your customers as you intend.
- Redouble efforts to train your team in product knowledge and project application of your rental equipment. Also, make sure employees know how to look up information quickly.
- Reduce mistakes and increase efficiency. Customers put a high value on a mistake-free and a highly efficient experience at a rental company. Even though your company has its own methods to reduce the chances of mistakes happening, these methods may not be enough. It is possible that a more comprehensive system is needed to turn your fire fighters into preventive maintenance experts. Look for ways to institutionalize the concept of “let’s fix the problem before it even happens,” just like the preventive maintenance program for rental equipment. Having the business run more smoothly with fewer mistakes is not only more satisfying for everyone who works in the company, but it also helps the company to grow faster by decreasing profit-robbing expenses and by enhancing your company’s reputation.
In conclusion, some rental companies have massive breadth and depth of equipment and have equipment experienced employees. It is easy to see how some rental companies focus too heavily on equipment, sometimes at the expense of the rest of their operation. However, few have invested enough in the customer relationship and the communication skills of their staff. Few have invested enough in the customer relationship and communication skills of their staff. Remember, enhanced preparation of your staff to excel in professional customer relationship building, rental salesmanship and becoming much more efficient will lead to future company success.
