No matter the market, a company’s image is its lifeblood.
How a customer perceives professionalism, dependability, and a host of other factors can significantly impact a company’s ability to acquire and retain new business.
It can also lead to its greatest challenge—training employees, from the front-office staff to the field crew to the delivery driver, on how to market the corporate brand as they interact with customers.
CONSISTENT, UNIFIED VOICE
Chad Moore, co-owner of Moore Liberty Buildings in Liberty, Texas, found preserving his company’s image a bit of a “pain point” when he began transitioning what was primarily a retail shop to include general contracting.
Moore and his co-owner wife, Amanda, are literally the first faces a customer sees—they’re on an electronic billboard along the highway in front of their office.
In the nine years that Moore Liberty Buildings has been in business, the area north of Austin has been transformed from a rural to mostly residential landscape, with new developments cropping up seemingly overnight.
“We saw an opportunity to take on the construction side of things,” Moore says. “While you can still buy a retail shed, carport, etc., from us, we also do complete general contracting for accessory structures and buildings of all kinds.”
It has been a challenge, though, to preserve their reputation as they manage multiple subcontractors and installers. Most of the workers aren’t direct hires, even though nearly all of them interact with his customers.
To make it work, the company uses project managers to manage the various crews at their building sites.
While they’re not direct hires either, they present themselves as representatives of Moore Liberty Buildings to create a “unified voice” and offer a single point of contact when dealing with customers.
The project managers are also required to be present at the site at the beginning of every project to eliminate any disconnects and ensure that subcontractors are aware of expectations.
“To maintain that continuous face of the company, we also buy the buildings directly from the manufacturer,” adds Moore. “That way, the customer never has to deal with anyone but us. It’s a seamless process.”
Nevertheless, there are some “weak links,” Moore says, particularly in the carport sector, where the installation teams can be inconsistent and unpredictable.
As a solution, he is considering doing the work himself.
“That’s the whole issue we’re dealing with right now—how do we make the ‘face’ of the company better and more consistent in that area of our business?” says Moore. “If we had our own crew of installers, it would minimize any frustrations for the customer.”
Moore has been surprised by the amount of repeat work he has received since making the move into general contracting.
“It’s amazing how much business you can get off of a good initial sale,” he adds. “People move to new properties, their kids or friends move into town, etc.”
GEOGRAPHY CAN BE A CHALLENGE
Mervin Vargas, owner of United Shed Transport (UST) in Covington, Texas, says his 10 drivers and five subcontractor drivers must cover thousands of miles as they haul sheds from across Texas to New Mexico to Missouri to Louisiana.
As such, it can be difficult to maintain a consistent corporate “image” across such an expansive territory.
Vargas says it requires effective and consistent communication between UST, its manufacturers, and its customers.
While the drivers interact with the customers, Vargas and the company’s dispatchers interact with the manufacturers.
If there’s a misunderstanding, he quickly takes action to clear the air.
“They’re usually workable issues,” Vargas says. “I’ll work with the driver on the changes that need to be made, then will monitor their progress.”
UST also maintains an online Google Document with tips and procedures specific to each manufacturer that can be accessed by every driver.
To maintain a face-to-face presence, he periodically sends UST dispatchers to meet with his manufacturers to gather feedback on areas that need improvement—all with the goal of improving the customer experience.
“A salesman usually deals with four dispatchers, but rarely actually meets anyone,” Vargas says. “This way, they’re seeing a face, not just hearing a voice. The feedback that we get is then shared with all the drivers, and we adjust our processes when necessary.”
There are other threats to consistency, such as finding replacement drivers in a tight labor market. Nevertheless, Vargas is careful not to lower the bar when hiring.
“I set my expectations from the beginning,” he adds. “This is how we do it, what we need, etc., then they’ll drive a week with another driver riding along before I cut them loose—even if they’re an experienced driver. That’s because they don’t know how we do things.
“At UST, our drivers communicate directly with the customers to give them updates on their arrival time. By establishing that communication, customers aren’t having to call the salesman or dispatch. That communication is solely between the driver and customer.”
EVERYONE IS PART OF MARKETING
David Riley, customer sales and support with Countryside Sheds LLC in Island City, Oregon, says every employee at his shed building company is considered part of the marketing team, right down to the drivers.
“When our driver delivers a shed, he keeps it professional, treats the customer great, and delivers it right where they want it,” he says. “And after he has them sign paperwork to acknowledge their delivery, he gives them a pen with our logo and a postcard with a QR code that they scan to provide their input.”
Most of the sheds are pre-built, so many customer interactions take place inside their production facility. Customers are frequently given impromptu tours, making it imperative that shop workers maintain a clean work environment.
“They take pride in their work here,” Riley says. “At the end of the day, they’ll have things cleaned up and make sure there’s nothing scattered across the floor. And on Fridays, they’ll take all the tools and stack them up on the workbench and sweep the floor.”
For those times Countryside must go into the field, workers are made aware of expectations in terms of quality and professionalism.
“We dress professionally in company work shirts with the logo and person’s name,” shares Riley. “That way, customers can identify with the company and the person.”
And when hiring, Countryside expects a positive attitude and professionalism in a prospective employee. There’s even an employee handbook that prohibits drinking, smoking, or profanity on the job site.
In the end, they hope to build a reputation grounded in professionalism and customer service through every layer of the organization.
