Some shed companies take post-purchase connections to the next level.
Shed builders seldom ignore their customers after a project is completed.
Many have learned, sometimes the hard way, that customer service is a critical part of the sales process long after a shed is delivered. That’s because, if done correctly, it can directly impact a company’s reputation, differentiate it from competitors, and drive long-term revenue through referrals and loyalty.
In many ways, the customer experience is just as important as the quality of the shed itself.
Some shed companies are taking that concept to the next level.
WARRANTY BETA TESTING
Case in point: shed manufacturer Bitterroot Shedz in Corvallis, Montana, is currently beta testing an unprecedented lifetime warranty on its products. Once the program is fully implemented in January, the warranty will come standard on every shed built and supplied by the company, at no additional cost.
Sam Fawcett, general manager, hopes it will give him a competitive edge.
“We’re trying to raise the bar,” Fawcett says. “The warranty is for the entire building. It’s me as the manufacturer warranting it for life.”
The warranty will not only cover the craftsmanship of the shed, but also normal wear and tear—but there are some caveats. The warranty is void if the shed is moved, relocated, or sold as part of a home sale.
“We can’t guarantee that your roof metal’s not going to fade, but if we need to come out and swap out some screws because the screws get loose, then we swap out some screws,” shares Fawcett. “If it means that we must give you another gallon of paint because you need to touch it up, then we’ll give you that gallon of paint.”
Not surprisingly, the program has been well received by the handful of customers selected to participate. It represents a sizeable shift in the way they do business, although Bitterroot Shedz has always been intentional about customer service, even when a repair isn’t covered by a warranty. They’ve found it leads to repeat business.
“We had a huge windstorm come through last year, and a customer wanted to know if we could come out and fix their shelter,” Fawcett says. “So, we went out and repaired that on-site. There was a charge for that, obviously, because it wasn’t just normal warranty work, but we try to be there in all aspects.”
Bitterroot strives to give all its interactions a personal touch. As soon as the sale closes, Fawcett’s team sends handwritten “thank you” notes to every customer, intended to build rapport and create a lasting bond.
“They’re going to get a personal point of contact with us, and they’re going to get a thank you note when they purchase,” he says. “We’re touching base and building that connection.”
Fawcett feels his shed business is more about the people than the project, and he drives that home with his employees.
“If everybody who works here knows that it’s about the people and not the product, our product sales will take care of themselves,” he adds. “Who’s the person that you want to impress the most? Your mom, sister, spouse, or child? I ask my employees to seek to impress every customer in the same manner.”
They’ll also take the time to educate customers on the proper use and care of their shed.
“If somebody has an issue, we’re there,” Fawcett says. When a customer recently called about a door that had warped on a three-year-old shed he bought from Bitterroot, they built him two new doors and sent a service technician to replace the doors with the new … at no cost to them.
“What did that cost us, really? Only a couple hundred bucks for a day’s work,” he says. “Even if it’s $400 for the day, that’s no more than a 10 percent discount off a building, which we give to people all the time.”
MAINTAINING CONNECTIONS
Dale Beachy, owner of Beachy Barns in Plain City, Ohio, says while his warranty doesn’t last a lifetime, at 10 years it’s still longer than what the average builder provides. Perhaps most importantly, the warranty is backed up by fast and reliable service.
“We have a service guy that makes it easy,” Beachy says. “He can easily respond within a couple of weeks.”
Beachy keeps in touch with his customers through an automated email, with the goal of building and maintaining a connection. As a result, he gets a decent number of repeat customers.
“That serves a dual purpose: it maintains a connection with them while also providing a means for them to bring any issues to the table that they might be having,” he says. “If they need help with anything, they’ll usually bring it up at that time.”
TURNING NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES
Charles Hutchins, president and CEO of Shed-N-Carport Pro in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is diligent about customer follow-up. It’s not only critical to customer relations, but to maintaining future workflow.
“I give them a phone call and ask them if they’re liking their shed, carport, etc.,” Hutchins says. “Normally, it’s good feedback. I’ll then ask them for referrals, and a lot of times I end up with a name and move on.”
He typically calls about three to four weeks after the sale. If they’re particularly pleased, he’ll encourage them to leave a five-star review. It also provides an opportunity for the customer to ask questions or give him feedback about the performance of their shed or the quality of the workmanship.
Often, Hutchins will use that information to improve his processes.
“When there’s an issue, that allows me to become a hero for them,” he shares. “I’ll say, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it. Take a picture, send it to me, and I’m going to get that fixed for you.’”
Most of his sheds come with a five-year structural integrity warranty, but it’s rarely needed. Nevertheless, his customers like to know that the warranty is there should the need arise.
“I have an agreement with my Amish builders that, should there be an issue, they go out there and take care of it,” he adds. “My guys are good. Even when doing non-warranty stuff, they’ll go out just to make the customer happy. That’s how we operate.”
Hutchins is now in his 30th year in business, and during that time, his philosophy around customer service has produced some real benefits.
When a customer called about a repair issue on a garage, he moved into action and sent a service technician to make the repair, even though it wasn’t covered under warranty. They were so pleased that they encouraged their daughter and son-in-law to purchase their shed from Shed-N-Carport Pro as well.
“They bought a $12,000 building, and then they referred some of their friends to us,” he adds. “Ultimately, that one good deed, just taking care of a customer, probably sold $50,000 worth of product.”
Whenever there’s an issue, he takes a two-pronged approach to resolving it—simultaneously making the repair while also looking for the root cause to prevent a recurrence.
For example, when one of his builders was having issues with water seepage through the windows, he traced the problem to a quality control issue at the plant.
“The guy who was supposed to be caulking around the windows wasn’t doing a good job, so we corrected that,” Hutchins says. “But here’s the deal—my customer got taken care of. My builder went out to the customer’s house, caulked around the windows, and made sure they weren’t leaking. And my customer was elated.
“Even when something’s not necessarily a positive thing, we hope to turn it into a positive thing.
“You take something negative and turn it into a positive, because if you don’t, these things grow legs. And before you know it, they’ve told 50 people bad things about you. And that’s a terrible thing. I can never allow that to happen in my business.”
