Contractor software gets a bad rap.
It is expensive. It takes too long to get your company to use it. It’s hard for some employees to use, and you sometimes have to sit through multiple meetings before you even get to hear the actual price.
It’s no surprise that a lot of us resist trying out new contractor software. Not to mention, you signed up because you saw it on a Facebook ad, and now you’re wondering if the cost will end up paying for itself.
Implementing the right software isn’t going to tear off shingles faster or install a new HVAC system for you. But, as I know in my golf game: it’s not just the clubs, it’s the quality of execution with the clubs.
Opening up the black box is about finding the right contractor software for your business. Don’t get left behind by competitors embracing change and adapting the right tools to make more money.
But you have to have a solid business foundation before taking it to the next level with top-tier tools and software. Since you’ve already got that down, we’ve uncovered the top three reasons embracing contractor software will help you run a better business.
Reason #1: Communication is key to customer happiness
Let’s be honest, most contractors will admit frequent and effective communication with customers isn’t a strength.
In our conversations with customers of contractors spanning all trades, quality communication with your customers is one of the primary indicators of repeat business. The premise is simple: If you communicate well and often with your customers, then they’ll hire you again in the future.
Good communication with your customers establishes and maintains truth and transparency with the work you’re doing for them. It makes them feel valued through the process.
To sum it up: Making quality customer experience a priority is a simple yet effective way to stand out from the competition.
Good communication isn’t easy though, especially when you have several jobs happening at once.
Training your employees on customer service is a good first step, and implementing the right tools to help keep track of communication with customers is the cherry on top. Effective communication will impress your customers, and the right tech stack will make the journey to being better at communication easier.
As if building trust in your business isn’t enough, customer happiness can be the best marketing channel for your business. When your customers are wowed, they’ll tell their friends about you. Your business will benefit from a high quantity of word-of-mouth referrals.
It may sound impossible to effectively communicate with every customer as a business owner but with the right training and software, it becomes simple.
Reason #2: Getting the right information to your crews improves the quality of work
Like customer communication, employee communication is just as crucial to your business.
You have tons of jobs happening each week and multiple employees on each job. It is nearly impossible to get all the right information to the right people in the field via phone calls or texts. All those methods lead to communication breakdowns.
Scaling up your operation doesn’t have to mean spending more time dealing with old ways of communicating. For instance, if managing communication lines across 10 jobs takes up 40 hours of your week, adding the right tech stack to your process can double your efficiency.
With any other job you do for your business, the right tool makes the process easier, and more efficient to help you get the job done right the first time.
Improving the speed and reliability of communication on your crew is just as important of a tool when it comes to scaling your business.
Reason #3: Simplify insurance jobs
Whether it’s a job being paid for by insurance, or an unfortunate claim you have to make, getting money from insurance is a pain in the you-know-what.
Having accurate information, photos, or videos to prove the damage (or lack thereof) and then having easy access to that information to submit your claim can seem like an impossible combination to capture.
Having up-to-date and accurate information about each job will pay off in the future when you’ve implemented the right contractor software. The right software solution will help you manage and organize documents, photos, and customer information.
Insurance is an old industry and it feeds off bureaucracy. Your number one tool against the red tape is preparedness. Being prepared starts with the organization of all the information required to get your claims paid.
This is why leveling up your insurance claims by utilizing the right tech stack will keep more money in your pocket by doing the work for you.
Bonus: Now it’s easier than ever
The world of digital tools can seem daunting for some employees, which is why a lot of contracting businesses are resistant to embracing technology. The fact is, some employees just aren’t that tech-savvy.
Luckily, thanks to contractors who notice problems in their day-to-day, more folks are building software by-us-for-us, and now it’s easier than ever. Tools are built to be easy to implement and simple for anyone to use when you pick the right ones. If you’re struggling to find the right ones, CompanyCam has several articles to help you navigate through the top tools in every trade.
Contractor software, contracting apps, field service technology — whichever name you choose — can seem like a black box, but embracing change has endless value. Finding the right tools for your business is imperative to creating better lines of communication with your customers and employees and keeping money in your pocket. Now is the time to get ahead of it too, as tech is actively changing the landscape of contracting, and you can’t afford to get left behind.
