I am in love with Joe, my master electrician. More precisely, I am impressed with and more than a little jealous of his client relationship skills. I trust him working on my house. I enjoy talking with him about charged topics like circuit breakers and base load. I don’t even mind writing him a check at the end of the day, even when it is for more money than I budgeted or have in my account!
Joe is not just a Master Electrician; he is also a master at building client relationships and making it look easy.
- Joe takes his time when talking to me. I was not his last meeting of the day, yet even after reviewing what I needed done he still sat down at the kitchen table to share news about his kids and to ask about mine.
- Joe helps me solve ALL my electrical problems, not only the ones I prioritized to the top of the list. One look at the mish-mash that is my den ceiling and Joe knew buying light bulbs strikes fear in me. My husband and I hired him this week to run electricity to a new air conditioner unit and to install an outlet in the garage, yet he showed up today with the gift of a retrofit can for my den ceiling that provides better light than any bulb I can buy Home Depot. Joe gets me!
- Joe invests in my long-term goals. Joe knows I cannot do everything on my home improvement list now, yet he still made three phone calls on the spot last night to track down product information and client testimonials for a project on my wish list. By helping me move forward on my projects, even when they are still in the early “hey this might be cool” stage, he gives me lots of ideas to consider.
- Joe treats me as if I am his best client. I don’t have surround sound or a media room, nor do I plan to install either any time soon. Joe doesn’t make a ton of money from working on my small projects every year or two, yet he remembers my name and the names of my kids without having to ask.
- Joe shows up when promised and delivers what he said he will. Credibility goes a long way with me. “Do what you say you are going to do” is critical to keeping clients happy and inviting you back. Joe knows this better than most business people!
I don’t know anything about installing electrical panels or wiring a new air conditioner, but I do know how to pick great partners like Joe to help me accomplish what I need to do.
Heather Nelson is a partner with PeopleResults. She has a home improvement punch list longer than her newly installed dedicated circuit. She can be reached at hnelson@people-results.com or on Twitter at @HeatherGNelson1. Sign up to receive the PeopleResults blog at #Current.
