Tips for Independent Contractors to Keep Their Clients Happy

If you are an independent contractor here are a few tips for keeping your clients happy. The first thing you want to do, that should be common sense, is to treat your client with respect. Never talk down to them if there is a need to explain something. And never tell them what they need to do, ask them what they would like done. If you know for sure that what they want will not work (i.e. in painting you cannot put a flat paint over an oil based paint), then simply and politely explain to them why this cannot be done. Do not just say "You cannot do that.", and leave it.

Another thing is to never over price a job. If you know that a job is only worth $500 do not go price it at $1,000. This is not only robbing the person but is also very wrong. It is one thing that will lose customers for you.

Always be professional and look professional. Do not go in wearing the sloppiest holiest clothing you have. And do not go in unshaven and "scraggly" looking. If you have long hair (men of course) then put it in a ponytail. Never use foul language around the customer even if they do. And do not ever smoke inside a customer's home or even near the door (again, even if they do). Treat their home the way you would want someone to treat yours.

Be courteous at all times (in other words "mind your manners"). Saying please and thank you are as important in adulthood as in childhood.

Here is one thing that my husband does for his clients. He will call around for the best prices on paint for the client. If possible he will get it for them with his contractor's discount. However, he lets the customer buy it themselves at his price (in other words he does not make any money off of it). And let me tell you, he has many clients who use his services every year or more often just because of this one thing he does extra for them.

Remember that once you price a job it is a given that you must stick with that price. Even if you get into it and find that it is going to be a little more work than you thought, that is something that you will probably have to deal with yourself. Once you have the customer sign the proposal it is pretty much a done deal. Sometimes the client will give you a little extra if you explain that it is more work than originally thought. However, if they are not willing to give any extra, this is not a sign for you to just stop the work.

Another thing my husband will do for the clients is sometimes he will throw in a very small job at no extra charge. He will caulk a few places or patch a hole or two that he did not price in the proposal. This not only makes the customer happy but also makes them feel special that they are getting something for free. In today's economy anything large or small that someone can get for free is a big plus.

If you have employees other than yourself, make sure they do the same things you would. In other words, your employees must be courteous, professional, and respectful. Remember, employees are reflections of the bosses. Clients are not going to put up with bad service from you so why should they put up with bad service from your employees?

Let me end by saying that independent contractors have a big responsibility when it comes to keeping the clients happy. A happy client is a returning client, and a returning client is a referring client. If you make your client happy, they will more than likely recommend you to a friend. In fact, that is the way my husband has gotten about three fourths of his clients (by word of mouth). You can do it also!

Source:

Having a husband who is an independent house painting contractor