How to Manage a Major Uptick in Customer Demand

As travel restrictions ease and people return to work, many sectors of the economy are seeing a sudden influx of customer demand, and home services are no exception. Even if your business remained busy during the Covid-19 pandemic, homeowners are still investing in everything from practical maintenance to major remodels. Are you ready for the surge? There are a few ways you can set yourself up for success to increase your bottom line — and your customer base.

1. Examine your operations.

If you’re getting more calls or website submissions than you can handle, it may be time to evaluate the back–end of your production process, including staff, equipment and resources you have at your disposal. Do you have a leadership team experienced with navigating this kind of influx? Do your employees have what they need to do their job well? Rather than micromanaging or trying to put out every fire yourself, consider expanding your team, outsourcing where you can, and quickly upgrading infrastructure and tools to meet the new demand.

2. Keep your work high quality.

Homeowners are interested in your company because they’ve heard you’re a top home service business. If you see quality being sacrificed in order to take on more customers, it’s likely time to go back to the beginning and examine your operations. While taking on every customer that comes your way might increase cash flow in the short-term, lower-quality work can hurt your bottom line — and your hard-earned reputation — in the long run. It’s better to turn down work than to take on more than your business can handle.

3. Stay transparent about issues or delays.

As you scale up to meet the rush, be forthcoming and honest with your customers about any changes or delays you’re experiencing because of the high demand. By keeping them in the loop, you’re helping set realistic expectations for their project, and reinforcing the authentic, human connection that sets small businesses apart from larger competitors. You can also show commitment to your customers by offering incentives like discounts or coupons to make up for inconveniences the surge causes them.