Are you using before-and-after pictures to market your business? Of course you are. You need to realize that while your photos are impactful and attention-grabbing, your competition is likely doing the same thing. A quick Google or Pinterest search will bring up millions of those beautiful images touting spectacular remodeling work. But as a professional, you know that before-and-after photos don’t tell the full story.

For your customers, what happens in the time between those photos is just as important as the end result. By focusing on your service during the remodeling process, you can differentiate your business from others in the industry while highlighting your commitment to customer satisfaction.

Livability is Key

Giving potential customers a complete idea of what they can expect from you before, during, and after a remodeling project will help put them at ease. Most homeowners want to continue living in their home during a remodeling project. Think about how you can make the “during” as comfortable as possible for them. What is your plan for keeping everyone in and around the jobsite happy and safe?

One way to do this is to create a “livable remodeling” plan for each project. This helps remodelers and contractors proactively address common remodeling pain points and includes a plan for timeline, logistics, dust control and safety.

For example, 85 percent of homeowners surveyed said remodeling dust was the most serious inconvenience of their entire remodeling project. To ensure a better remodeling experience for your customers, you should explain the steps you take to control dust, such as isolating the work area with dust containment barriers, controlling airflow, and capturing dust with an air scrubber like the BuildClean Dust Control System.

Expert Advice

Marketing your livable remodeling or “during” strategy is all about differentiating your firm, showing clients you care and leveraging customer satisfaction to grow your business.

Take it from author, consultant and entrepreneur Peter Shankman, who discusses how to achieve this in his book Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans.

“You create zombie loyalties through great customer service,” Shankman wrote. “Be brilliant at the basics. But note that where tiny little things make the difference, they can also harm you. The jobsite is an excellent example of this.”[divider style=”hr-dotted”]

Some of Shankman’s core customer satisfaction principles include:

1. Transparency Rules: Make Mistakes, Move On

Many companies think customer service applies primarily to things they do well, but great service really shows when mistakes are made. How you respond to mistakes—like a missed deadline—will determine whether customers stay or go.

2. Stay Relevant: Ask Customers What They Want

The best way to find out what customers need? Ask them. Studies show that customers who are asked what they want, become three to four times more invested in your company.

3. Be Short and Sweet: Move with the Speed of Social Media

In the Internet age, Shankman says companies have a maximum of three seconds to gain a customer’s attention—about the length of time it takes to read a tweet. Learning to deliver content and services as succinctly as possible will turn customers into fans.

4. Stay at the Top…Of Customers’ Minds

Turn past jobs into reviews for your company, leveraging client satisfaction to grow your business and get the rest of the world talking about you. One way to keep your client satisfied is by showing that you are proactively protecting their loved ones and belongings during remodeling and standing out as contractor who cares.