Customer service is defined as the assistance and advice provided by a company to those who use its services. All businesses want to have excellent customer service, but not all are able to achieve such a feat. What makes some companies excel, and other companies fail? At RHI, we like to think of ourselves as a customer service company that happens to do home inspections. We strive to have top-notch customer service on every level within the team. But that does not happen overnight, and it isn’t something you can stop striving for even when you achieve the level you desire. Customer service is a constant and ever-evolving concept that needs continuous effort, supervision, and evaluation.
The first and most important component of excellent customer service is that the team has to actually care. They have to genuinely want to help clients. For that, you need the right people and a common mindset amongst the team. As a leader, you have to paint the picture or vision for your team. They need to understand what the company is trying to achieve and the value you are trying to add to the customer experience. This value will then be reciprocated to the employees as well. At RHI, we asked ourselves what excellent customer service would look like in our business. Once we had our ideas, we implemented them.
Our mission in the home inspection process is to educate our customers. This is what we call a win-win. Taking a proactive approach has always been our style. We understand that education up front minimizes frustrations on the back end for both our clients and us. We are happy to answer questions and share our knowledge. Our hope is to create a positive experience during the home inspection process because we know that it can be a very stressful time for all involved. We will answer questions or help solve problems with kindness and assurance.
To start the process with a home inspection, the client will call our office and speak with our client coordinator. Our client coordinator is very knowledgeable about our services and available during our normal business hours to help schedule. We are also available nights and weekends via text or online scheduling. Our coordinator will help manage all aspects of the inspection with any realtors involved to make sure even the smallest of details are taken care of. Or coordinator is also available to help answer any questions clients might have about scheduling an inspection, services we offer, or even taking payments over the phone.
RHI has also provided convenient scheduling and payment options. Anyone can easily schedule an inspection with us by phone, text, email, or our online scheduler. Our office staff will then confirm the date and time and all additional services added. We have text and email reminders that go out to everyone involved. Payment can be made online, in person, by mail, or over the phone. Again, we understand that a lot is happening during the home buying process, and we want our part to be a smooth transition. Once you schedule with us, we take care of everything.
The next step is the actual inspection. Clients are able to attend the inspection, and the inspector can give an overview of the findings for the house and answer questions. However, it is not necessary to attend the inspection. The digital report will then be emailed to you and your realtor within 24 hours of the inspection. Our inspection repair builder feature provides an opportunity to build a list of repairs based on the findings in the report. If you are not able to attend the inspection, our inspectors can call you once finished or answer calls once you’ve gone over your report.
We also have a growth coordinator that is always available to help. She checks in with the realtors after inspections. She conducts trainings on how to use the tools we offer and makes sure the agents understand our reports. Her level of service is amplified by her knowledge of what a realtor’s role is in this process. If there are any concerns with your inspection, she can help guide you through our customer care process and resolve any issues.
For us, excellent customer service is showing how much we care, easing worries through education, and trying our best to make this a pleasant experience. RHI works as a team to provide an excellent experience before, during, and after the home inspection. Each member of the team takes pride in providing the best customer experience possible during each phase. We take time to do our part of the process to ensure that each customer has a one-of-a-kind experience in the home inspection process.