Industry Tips | iRestore Restoration Software - Part 5

Category: Industry Tips

How Customer Reviews Will Grow Your Restoration Business

Posted on by iRestore

The Importance of Asking For Reviews:

How Asking Your Customer For Reviews Will Grow Your Restoration Business

By: Jeff Rooks, Content Editor at 33 Mile Radius

For the last seven years, 33 Mile Radius has generated exclusive water damage leads for restoration contractors. In addition lead generation, 33 Mile Radius also offers Acquirly, a review acquisition app designed to get contractors more positive reviews.

irestore, customer reviews, restoration management, restoration management software

 

Roughly half of all customers read reviews before hiring a restoration contractor and 85% of consumers said they trusted reviews just as much as a recommendation. Despite their importance, many companies still don’t have a strategy for getting reviews. While some assume customers will leave a review on their own, the majority of companies are not asking for reviews. The simple truth is you’re missing out on restoration jobs if you don’t have a strategy for getting more reviews.

Let Your Customers Advertise Your Business For You

Possibly the biggest benefit of reviews is that your customers are advertising your business for you. Whether it’s paid search or traditional mail marketing, you are probably running some advertising campaign. No matter how effective that messaging is, customers know that it’s coming directly from you. While you can make any claim you want in your marketing, reviews from customers build trust and add credibility to your business.

Reviews Influence Organic Search Rankings

Most customers with water damage will use a search engine like Google to find a restoration company. Since they are likely to call one of the top results, it’s important to rank near the top of Google search results. Crazy as it may seem, more reviews will actually help you move up in search rankings. Google, Bing, and Yahoo use many factors to determine where you appear in their search results. Reviews influence factors like engagement and trust, which in turn lead to more website traffic.

The Easy Way to Get More Reviews

We’ve had many restoration contractors ask us how to get more reviews and they are often surprised by the answer. While most assume that reviews are difficult to get, the simple truth is all you need to do is ask for them. In fact, 68% of customers will leave a review when asked. Asking for reviews should be part of your routine after finishing each job. Thank the customer for their business and ask them if they would be willing to leave a review of your services.

If the customer agrees to leave you a review, specifically mention the sites you’d like them to leave a review on. The process should be easy for your customer, so avoid asking them to post on sites that require them to create a new account. Most customers are likely to have either a Google and Facebook account and many will have both. Focusing on those sites is effective because most consumers are familiar with them. This also means more people will see those reviews.

Responding to Reviews Shows You’re Engaged

If you’ve claimed your Google My Business and are actively managing your Facebook page, you’ll get alerts every time you get a new review. You made an effort to get that review so don’t just ignore it. Maximize the influence of reviews by responding. Thank them again for their business and mention something related to their comment or job. While you’re responding to a previous customer, you’re actually influencing future customers. They’ll not only see you’re a quality restoration contractor but that you appreciate your customers as well. As we discussed above, responding to reviews will boost your engagement and improve your search ranking.

Dealing With Negative Reviews

Many restoration contractors thinking every review should be perfect, but a few negative reviews actually legitimize your positive reviews. If you only have good reviews, customers are likely to assume they are fake. While you should respond to negative reviews, avoid blaming the customer or starting an argument. This only validates their negative review and pushes customers away. The best way to reply is to apologize, even if you don’t think you did anything wrong.

Let them know you value their opinion and will be calling them soon to resolve the issue. While you won’t be able to resolve every negative experience, at least this moves the conversation out of the public eye. As long as your positive reviews outnumber the bad, there no cause for concern. However, a larger number of bad reviews could be signs of a deep problem with your employees or overall service.

Start Getting More Reviews Today With Acquirly

While asking for reviews is effective, the customer needs to remember to take action. That’s why we designed the Acquirly reviews acquisition app. It automatically reminds your customers to leave reviews and even directs them to your chosen review sites. Plus, Acquirly is easy for both your staff and customers to use. No matter the level of technical experience, asking for and getting more positive reviews has never been easier.

Just ask customers if they would be willing to leave you a review, then have them enter their email address and phone number in the Acquirly app. The app then sends them a request to leave a review. It will even follow up every five days until they respond.

Grow Your Restoration Business By Asking For Reviews

One of the easiest ways to grow your restoration business is remembering to consistently ask customers to leave reviews. Make sure you follow up when you get reviews and avoid arguing with customers. Whether you choose to use Acquirly or decided to manage your own strategy, asking for reviews will play a big role in getting more restoration jobs. From building trust with potential customers to increase your search ranking, reviews are a free way to market your restoration company.

iRestore’s Task Feature

Posted on by iRestore

irestore, restoration management, restoration management software

Tasks are one of the most under-utilized features of iRestore. The “Task” feature within iRestore allows you to assign specific tasks and detail responsibilities at the job level. The universal “Task” icon provides everyone in the company with a trackable and easy to manage a task list.

 

Job Tasks:

1. To create a new task for a job, simply hit the Task Icon from the Job Detail Screen.
– Assign a team member and add the detail and/or instructions
– Notify the team member of the assignment with a click of a button

2. Team members can provide task updates in real-time from all platforms, including their phones.

3. Individuals have easy access to their complete task lists from all platforms.

4. As tasks are updated and completed, iRestore manages and stores your task lists per job along with its corresponding notes.

Importance of Clear Responsibility in Your Restoration Company

Posted on by iRestore

industry tips, restoration management, restoration management software

There are lots of moving parts in our restoration companies. For our operations to run smoothly, it is critical for everyone to know and execute their roles and responsibilities. It is equally important that there are accountabilities in place. There are many tools that allow us to operate with clearly communicated expectations: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), best practices, policies, job descriptions, and the list goes on.

On jobs, it is important that all job-related tasks are executed with appropriate attention to detail. Tasks necessary to execute a given scope of work should be assigned to a person who will ultimately be responsible for the execution and accountable to the organization and its purpose.

What happens to a new technician when a company does not clearly communicate their responsibilities in the execution of a job? Find out from one of my recent articles for Restoration and Remediation Magazine – Restoring Success: Assignment of Responsibility.

Also, be sure to check out the story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. With iRestore, you can employ the power of our task management feature to keep this from happening on your jobs.

Happy iRestoring!

Inventory Management Made Easy With iRestore

Posted on by iRestore

irestore, restoration management, restoration management software

Your iRestore package comes complete with a robust inventory management system. With iRestore it is easy to scan, track, maintain records, and keep up on reporting. Chief Operating Officer of Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.℠, Lisa Lavender, discusses this hot topic in her Restoration & Remediation article “Restoring Success: What’s Your Inventory Control Solution?” She explains, “A frustration shared by many restorers is inventory control. You wake up one morning and all the extension cords are gone, an air mover goes missing, or a dehumidifier gets left on a job site. How does this happen? This topic gets the blood boiling within every manager and owner that I encounter.”

Pictures, documentation, accurate and thorough measurements, and moisture readings are a few of the key ingredients to successfully managing your restoration company’s job files. iRestore allows technicians and managers to collect critical job information and manage it to everyone’s expectations by giving you the tools to efficiently hold the team accountable.

In Douglas Satterfield’s article, entitled “Leadership: Inspect What You Expect,” he says: “That‘s when I learned about the concept of inspect what you expect and its linkage to the human motivation factor. Telling people to do something is only a small part of a military leader’s responsibility, following up on it and checking to ensure what you’ve asked for is actually done is just as important.”

We agree, Douglas, and with iRestore we try to make this process easier. Check it out for yourself here.

Photos: A Critical Component of File Documentation

Posted on by iRestore

industry tips, restoration management, restoration management software

 

Photos are an important part of file maintenance for a variety of reasons. They are used as communication and reporting tools while also protecting your company’s interest. Specifically, the management of your photos within your operation affect the following:

Building Relationships:

  • With Insurance Carriers and Adjusters: Well organized photographs submitted in conjunction with your estimate will help you build relationships with the carriers and adjusters that you are working with. Read more here, Building Relationships with Adjusters.

  • With Insurance Agents and Other Interested Parties: By utilizing photos to communicate job progress and incorporate within reports, you will impress those you are working with on current jobs and you may have the opportunity to build long term relationships for the future.
  • Through Marketing and Social Media: The saying, “A picture tells a thousand words” still holds true and is more important than ever. Encourage your entire team to takes photos of their work and the team in action. Social Media, newsletters, blogs, presentations, and general marketing materials all look better with great pictures that will help engage potential customers.

Protect Your Team and Company:

  • When used properly as supporting documentation, photos may help you get your estimates approved and paid faster.
  • Taking thorough photos of pre-existing conditions of both the structure and contents help protect your team and company.
  • Photograph general conditions and other factors that may affect the delivery of your services. For example, an open window on a hot humid day may affect your drying progress.

Properly Label Photos:
The following is a list of photos to consider making part of your protocol.

  • Affected Areas
  • Cause of Loss
  • Daily Equipment
  • Daily Meter Readings
  • Debris Removal
  • Debris in Dumpster / Truck
  • Front Risk (Structure)
  • General Conditions and Other Meaningful Photos
  • Job Progress
  • Post Project
  • Pre-existing Conditions
  • Subrogating Factors (If Applicable)

Photos have become an important component of restoration management. It can be cumbersome and have an administrative consequence. iRestore was designed to accommodate and help you manage all of your job-related photos.

VP of Operations

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