Complete Retail Residential Service Department Track

Retail Residential Service Department Track

Retail Residential Plumbing Contractors can gain access to proven professional processes and forms for their retail residential service department that have resulted in increases in service department profitability of 65% or more. There are 13 online sessions available 24/7 right at your desktop in this 7-Step Retail Residential Service Department Training Track.

Upon completion of each session we will provide you a link to immediately download the handouts, along with an offer to discuss or request implementation help from your assigned Plumbing Business Fitness Coach.

This track includes a retail residential service department implementation training track, a professional service-call handling process, department procedures, associated forms, and tools, the award winning Fix-Right Flat Rate price guide, as well as unlimited coaching support. To view more details on the deliverables and business support services for this track, click here.

Once enrolled into a Ready-Built Plumbing Program Package, you will then register for this training track by simply clicking on “Client Login” on the right of the menu bar above. Then enter your User Name (email address) and enter the password we provided you.

RS-STEP #1.0 Fix-Right residential flat rate repair price guide set-up

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to set-up and publish your company’s residential repair flat rate price book.
• Gain an understanding of why using flat rate based repair pricing helps provide you with pricing credibility and helps sell service agreements on all calls which increases service profitability.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Have the skills to publish and implement a residential repair flat rate pricing system within your service delivery and service agreement selling process.
• Be able to accurately and quickly adjust your pricing in response to changes in your labor or material costs.
• Have a pricing control process for residential repair within your demand service business that maximizes net margins.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing residential service and repair pricing rates. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, General Managers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #2.0 Marketing residential service for profits

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to identify your company’s residential service marketing strategies and associated budgets. This will enable you to systematically implement awareness campaigns embedded within your service call handling processes, as well as tune-up ads and direct mail campaigns to generate, convert, and close profitable leads.
• Benefit objective is to increase profitability through new business acquisition via the most effective and lowest cost marketing channels.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand the importance of lead generation to you and your company’s success.
• Understand the sources of service call and market leads, and how and when to get them.
• Understand how to purchase qualified target customer lists.
• Understand what marketing strategies, promotion campaigns, and professional service call handling awareness procedures to use, and also how and when to use them.
• Understand where to find help with implementing a marketing plan and budget.
• Understand the importance of implementing a lead distribution and tracking process.
• Understand how to qualify leads and assign them to sales reps.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for creating marketing budgets and implementing systematic lead generation programs for any or all work categories. Typical attendees are Sales Managers, Sales Reps, Owners, Operations Mangers, General Managers, Marketing Managers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #3.0 Proper customer care call handling and dispatching processes

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to implement best-in-class call handling procedures for all work categories through a well-organized customer care department.
• Benefit objective is to increase profitability that achieves higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand what the roles, responsibilities, and requirements are of dispatcher/customer care.
• Understand how to how to mobilize the field service labor management function.
• Understand how to develop customer call handling procedures for both the dispatcher and the field service technician.
• Understand how to develop and implement call-back procedures.
• Understand how to develop and implement after-hours emergency standby procedures.
• Understand what field and internal forms are required to implement effective external/internal communication and workflow procedures.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing appropriate customer care procedures for any or all work categories. Typical attendees are Dispatchers, Customer Care Managers, Owners, Operations Mangers, General Managers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #3.1 Priority dispatching and dispatch board set-up

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to organize the dispatch function and to implement a dispatch board to track calls and service work that is in-progress, pending, and/or waiting for parts, and to prioritize based on critical need, as well as to coordinate scheduled service agreement maintenance work to ensure work is being completed efficiently and on time. 
• Benefit objective is to increase profitability that achieves higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand how to mobilize the field service and dispatch function.
• Understand how to implement effective procedures for expediting parts, purchase orders, and billing.
• Understand how to develop and implement field labor optimization strategies.
• Understand how to develop and implement call-back procedures.
• Understand how to develop and implement after-hours emergency standby procedures.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing a dispatch board for service work categories. Typical attendees are Dispatchers, Customer Care Managers, Owners, Operations Mangers, General Managers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #4.0 Professional service call handling process

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to implement an effective, step-by-step, service call handling process. The Service Call Handling Process includes proper phone call etiquette, understanding the service call handling oObjective, "How to Make a Great Impression", getting ready for the call, arriving at the call, greeting the customer, interviewing the customer, setting customer expectation, problem diagnosis, informing the customer of the diagnosis, executing the repair, tune-up, or service, debriefing the customer, call completion, post-service call close, calling the customer to advise of return visit response time, and making the "Happy Call" to the customer.
• Benefit objective is to increase profitability by accurately and efficiently gathering customer and scope-of-work job data, decreasing estimating errors, reducing work related risk and liabilities, and by improving customer satisfaction.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand how professional service call handling standardization systematically increases your average service ticket, increases leads for replacement and IAQ accessories, and improves customer satisfaction.
• Understand how to implement step-by-step, service call handling procedures.

Who should attend:

•  Anyone responsible for establishing service call handling policy and procedures for residential service work. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, Dispatchers, Customer Care Managers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #4.1 Service call objective, Getting ready, Arriving at the call

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to establish the service call objective, how to better communicate with the customer, how good communication includes making a good impression upon the customer, the importance of getting ready for the call prior to the on-site service visit, and the importance of properly arriving and approaching the home for the on-site service visit.
• Benefit objective is to gain an understanding of the first three steps in the process of professional service call handling.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand how to implement step-by-step service call handling procedures to establish the service call objective, how to get ready for the service call, and how to professionally arrive and approach the home for the on-site service visit.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing service call handling policy and procedures for residential service work. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, Dispatchers, Customer Care Managers, Service Managers and Technicians/Tune-up Specialists.

RS-STEP #4.2 Interviewing the customer and setting service call expectations

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to greet the customer, how to set the stage to interview the customer for Plumbing system needs or wants prior to proceeding to see the equipment, how to interview the customer for their wants, needs, and Plumbing history in order to assist the customer to make an informed decision regarding their Plumbing system, and how the Tech/Tune-up Specialist will:
  • Explain the diagnostic or service delivery process
  • Discuss time expectations
  • Explain the price
  • Verify method of payment
  • Ask the customer to show him/her the problem or obtain permission to gain access to the home's system
  • Invite the customer to tag along.
• Benefit objective is to gain an understanding of the next two steps in the process of professional service call handling.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand how to implement step-by-step service call handling procedures to properly interview the customers for wants and system needs, and how to set customer expectation for the service call.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing service call handling policy and procedures for residential service work. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, Dispatchers, Customer Care Managers, Service Managers and Technicians/Tune-up Specialists.

RS-STEP #4.3 Problem diagnosis-informing customer of diagnosis

Learning objectives:

• In this session you learn how the Tech/Tune-up Specialist performs Problem Diagnosis by:
  • Diagnosing using Company approved guidelines.
  • Presenting prices and repair or solution per the Fix-Right Repair Guide
  • Filling out the service ticket or wireless input device.
  • Identifying on the "Repair or Replace Financial Decision Chart" if price and age warrant repair or replacement.
  • Explaining the timetable for completion of the repair or solution.
  • Identifying solutions and price of any customer wants or system problems that were identified on the Service-Right Solutions Survey customer interview form.
• In this session you will also learn how the Tech/Tune-up Specialist explains to the customer their diagnosis and findings of the problem, the reason for failure, the recommended solution and the up-front price to correct it, and how they get customer authorization to proceed with repairs or replacement.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand how to implement step-by-step service call handling procedures to properly diagnose the system in light of the repair, tune-up, or maintenance using the Service-Right Solutions Survey related to both the needs of the customer and the system, and then communicating with the customer your findings.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing service call handling policy and procedures for residential service work. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, Dispatchers, Customer Care Managers, Service Managers and Technicians/Tune-up Specialists.

RS-STEP #4.4 Executing the repair, tune-up, or service

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how the Technician/Tune-up Specialist completes the technical repairs, tune-up, or service, and verifies service ticket pricing is complete with all authorized work, as well as how the Technician/Tune-up Specialist reviews with the customer from a benefits perspective the repair, tune-up, or service on the service ticket or wireless input device and, if not already a service agreement customer, offers again a discount if they join today.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand how to implement step-by-step service call handling procedures upon obtaining the work authorization to then properly execute repair or tune-up or maintenance in the most efficient and safe manner possible and then debrief the customer, obtain payment, and close out the call.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing service call handling policy and procedures for residential service work. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, Dispatchers, Customer Care Managers, Service Managers and Technicians/Tune-up Specialists.​

RS-STEP #4.5 Efficient demand service written standard procedures

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to implement standard operating procedures for residential demand service that are simple to understand and provide a powerful tool for taking control of the quality of demand service work and job satisfaction.
• Benefit objective is to provide huge gains in performance and revenue improvement that bring the entire work team together in a mutually productive way to do the best job possible with the company's resources.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand how to mobilize for demand service work.
• Understand how to develop and implement effective interdepartmental communication and delivery procedures.
• Understand how to develop manpower and resource scheduling procedures.
• Understand how to implement effective material scheduling and billing procedures.
• Understand how to develop and implement field labor optimization strategies.
• Understand how to implement effective quality control procedures.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing delivery processes for demand service work. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, General Managers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #5.0 Stocking service truck inventory for profits

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn the importance of, and how to implement, demand service truck and company inventory control policies and procedures for all work categories.
• Gain an understanding of the benefits of inventory control to improve cash flow timing, reduce expense overruns, and to ensure customer satisfaction.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Have the skills to publish and implement appropriate inventory cost controls within each work category.
• Be able to conduct on-going evaluations and updates of your inventory control procedures.
• Have a service related company tool and inventory control process that minimizes costs while reducing your employee’s risk of injury.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing inventory controls for truck stock, non-truck stock, tools, and service agreement equipment and materials. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, General Managers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #6.0 Daily labor and opportunity conversion performance benchmarking

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to establish daily labor productivity benchmarks, average service revenue service ticket benchmarks, and daily service call conversion rates benchmarks for service agreements, IAQ/system enhancements, and replacement leads to help you proactively improve your businesses performance. You will also learn how to establish a daily call tracker and post-call debriefing for Technicians/Tune-up Specialists to efficiently gather and report daily performance by department and by individual Technician/Tune-up Specialist.
• Benefit objective is to help you to systematically improve revenue and profitability by driving business performance benchmarks in a positive direction.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Understand what daily performance benchmarks are and why they are needed.
• Understand how to establish daily labor and opportunity conversion benchmarks to help you stay on track.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for responsible for service profitability. Typical attendees are Owners, Comptrollers, Operations Mangers, and Service Managers.

RS-STEP #7.0 Paying Technicians/Tune-up Specialists for Profits

Learning objectives:

• In this session you will learn how to create proven financial compensation and non-financial reward plans for Technicians/Tune-up Specialists to motivate them towards higher levels of positive labor cost variance on all job categories as well as to increase opportunity sales conversion on all service calls.
• Benefit objective is to increase profitability that achieves higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Benefits - at the completion of the learning session you will:

• Have the skills to increase field labor productivity that improves moral through compensation and reward programs.
• Be able to create performance incentives to achieve positive labor cost variance on all job categories.
• Understand how incentives help encourage Technicians/Tune-up Specialists to systematically identify customer and system needs and to provide your customers with solution options such as maintenance agreements, system enhancements, and equipment replacements and upgrades.
• Understand the power and the need of profit-based incentive plans to labor and quality control management.
• Be able to establish by work category the monitoring, measuring, and reporting of performance benchmarks to identify individual performance improvement initiatives.

Who should attend:

• Anyone responsible for establishing appropriate Technician/Tune-up Specialist labor incentives for all service and project work categories. Typical attendees are Owners, Operations Mangers, General Managers, and Service Managers.