An interview with the D&F Plumbing Customer Service Team provides a glimpse inside the world of plumbing.
At D&F Plumbing, we believe transparency and clarity are the best ways to build trustworthy relationships with our customers. We take pride in educating customers about the plumbing industry and how it works. In an effort to keep you informed, we’re filling you in on 6 secrets about our world.
Meet The Team
Each of these juicy tidbits comes from an interview with our Customer Service Representatives (known as CSR’s). Our CSR team is the first impression you get when calling our office.
Meet Brittney, Jenny and Tina; our customer advocates on the phones. With a combined 60 years of customer service experience, they’re dedicated to providing the highest levels of care for you.
Each of these team players were hand-selected by the owners because of their friendly personalities and customer service skills. This stellar crew is always looking to refine and improve your impression of D&F Plumbing.
CSR’s also contribute to the big picture of D&F by coordinating all team members through each phase of service—it’s a big and important role!
Here’s what they want you to know about customer service and the in-office process at a small Portland plumbing company:
What’s your favorite part about working directly with customers?
BRITTNEY: I’m always looking for the best solution. Customer satisfaction is important to me. Making even a little extra effort is noticed by our customers. I personalize the experience by being friendly and listening. And I always take quick action on whatever was requested. Getting stuff done right away is important.
JENNY: Being able to help customers. It’s satisfying to get positive feedback from customers about myself or the plumbers. I try to treat customers like they’re a friend, with sincerity.
TINA: I like when I can make a customer smile. I use humor to personalize the experience. I try to identify with customers and their situation. I can hear the customers’ smile through the phone. And if I can make someone laugh in a stressful situation, I’ve done a good job. Customers appreciate that I’m funny.
What do you wish customers understood about your job?
BRITTNEY: How much we do beyond answering phones. I’m glad we have a good team that plays to each other’s strengths. Between all of us, the bases are covered. But there’s so much to do [behind the scenes].
JENNY: Diffusing stressful situations is hard. I try to stay calm and find the quickest solution to be helpful. I didn’t cause the plumbing problem, but I’m here to help you fix it!
TINA: When things go wrong in the field, it isn’t our fault. We try our best to solve problems as they happen, but we don’t always have control over the situation. We’re helping customers and plumbers at the same time; we’re dealing with a lot of different problems at once.
How does your position fit in with other departments at D&F?
BRITTNEY: We’re involved in every step of the process. From starting the appointment and making sure all the info is correct, to getting the plumber out there, to making sure all notes and pictures have been added to the customer’s file, and that the correct amount was charged at the end. We help every single department.
JENNY: We help everybody. I wear so many hats. I don’t actually do that much dispatching because I do so many other things for people in the office.
TINA: We help put all the puzzle pieces in place. We keep everyone in the loop throughout the plumbing project. Communication is a huge part of my job.
What should customers know about the plumbing industry?
BRITTNEY: Plumbing is expensive for good reason. People are always trying to dispute the cost, but there’s a lot of factors. And [D&F] is always up-front. [The plumbers] show the options, give estimates, and share the price before the job starts so you have control of the project.
JENNY: Our plumbers go through years of training to understand all phases of plumbing. People don’t understand how much work, experience, and schooling it takes. There’s a reason plumbers are called “skilled” labor.
TINA: That the plumber’s time and materials aren’t free. Our plumbers work hard to help lots of customers every day. Our plumbers don’t get enough recognition for the job they do.
How do you help the plumbers do their job better?
BRITTNEY: I do anything and everything to keep the day moving. Sometimes I add notes into invoices for plumbers or help them build estimates—they’ll dictate over the phone and I’ll type it in to make it easier.
JENNY: I try to find out as much info about the plumbing problem as possible. For example, I always find out if the customer is supplying a part or fixture. If not, I make sure our plumber brings options for the customer to choose from.
TINA: I try to assist in any way I can. One time, I even drove a camera for a video inspection over to a plumber on my lunch break. I try to accommodate everyone.
What’s the difference between good customer service and exceptional customer service?
BRITTNEY: I love my job and the team we have. The feeling in the office is everyone being supportive. It’s that family-feeling. And that rolls into the customer experience.
JENNY: Going above and beyond instead of just doing the bare minimum. I also try to find ways to keep jobs cost-effective, by sharing about coupons or reminding plumbers to waive the dispatch fee on jobs over $500. I want customers to get the most out of their projects.
TINA: Communication and proper coordination between the plumber and customer. Just staying in contact with both keeps everyone happy and prevents miscommunications. I want to keep everyone in the loop all the time.
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