Customer Experience Podcast

Colin has a bone to pick. No, it’s not with cable providers this time. It’s with the tradespeople involved in his latest home reno project. They are living up to the poor reputation that precedes them, and he has a list of complaints. 

Key problems included inaccurate pricing, disdain for previous workers’ efforts, lack of collaboration, excessive use of jargon, and poor time management. The disconnect between different trades, reminiscent of organizational siloes in corporate environments, often exacerbates problems. 

These issues often leave customers frustrated and distrustful. Drawing from personal experience with Colin’s kitchen renovation, we highlight common problems that contribute to the negative perception of tradespeople and discuss ways to enhance their Customer Experience.

It is important to note that many tradespeople excel in their work and customer service, proving that good practices do exist. It’s just that none of those lot are currently working on Colin’s project.

A significant issue is information asymmetry—customers often lack the knowledge to assess the necessity of additional work, creating a sense of vulnerability and distrust. Other industries, like customized software solutions, face similar challenges where the contractors’ expertise far exceeds that of the clients.

Some tradespeople and firms have addressed these issues effectively. For example, an electrician’s memorable and self-aware tagline, “No Malarkey with Mr. Sparky,” engaged Colin enough to hire them to fix his electrical mishap. He liked the acknowledgment that sometimes contractors do provide more than their share of malarkey. This example underscores the importance of clear communication and reliability in building customer trust.

In this episode, we not only humor Colin’s need to rant, but we also explore why tradespeople have the reputation they do and what they should do about it. 

We also look at what you can learn from their mistakes to benefit your organization. 

In this episode, you will also learn how to avoid these mistakes with tips like:

• Use Effective Communication Strategies: How tradespeople can improve customer interactions by avoiding jargon and clearly explaining their work
• Set Realistic Expectations: The importance of accurate initial quotes and timelines to build trust and prevent customer frustration
• Employ Collaboration: Strategies for enhancing coordination between different trades (or organizational siloes) to ensure smoother project completion
• Develop Customer Education Tactics: Methods for educating customers about the work undertaken to reduce information asymmetry and build confidence
• Implement Customer Experience Systems: The value of structured approaches to ensure consistent and positive customer experiences across the trades
• Learn from Other Industries: Insights from how software firms handle project management and customer relations to avoid cost and time overages