FENCING
"Can it be done by Thanksgiving?" Answer with a real date from the board, not a guess
Every November the same call comes in. Family flies in for Thanksgiving, the fence is falling over, and the owner wants it done. Many fence companies say "we will try" and hope. Then the HOA has not approved it, the posts are on back order, and the owner hosts dinner next to a leaning fence and a broken promise.
A note on what this is. We do not know how many crews you have or how full your weeks are. You do. This is how to count them so the answer you give is true.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Why is "we will try" the worst answer?
Because the customer hears "yes." They tell the family it will be done. When it is not, they do not remember that you said "try." They remember the fence. A clear "not by then, but on December 3" keeps more customers than a soft yes that falls apart.
A real no also helps you. You do not stack three rush jobs into one week and let all three run late.
How do you count your weeks?
- Write down each week from now to the holiday.
- For each week, count how many install days your crews have. Two crews, five days, is ten crew days.
- List the jobs already booked in each week and the days each one takes.
- Leave a day or two each week for rain and repair calls. In South Florida, something always comes up.
- What is left is the room you really have.
Do this once on paper and you will see it fast. Most weeks before a holiday are fuller than they feel.
What is this job still waiting on?
Ask before you give the date. Does the HOA need to approve the style or color? Does the city or county need a permit? Is a survey needed? Is the material in stock, or is it ordered? Each one is a wait you do not control.
If any wait is still open, you cannot promise the holiday. You can promise to tell the customer the day it clears. Check with the county or the city about permits. Do not guess at how long their review takes.
What can you offer instead of a yes?
Often a repair. Reset a few posts, fix the gate so it closes, replace the broken panels. It keeps the dog in for the holiday. Then the new fence goes in when the approvals and material are ready. Many owners take that deal gladly, because it is honest.
Sample text: Hi Mr. Ruiz, this is Marta from Sunset Fence. We cannot finish the new fence before Thanksgiving, because the HOA approval is still open. We can fix the gate and the two broken panels on Monday, so the dog stays in. Reply YES and we will book it.
Where does the job board help?
The board makes the count easy to see. Each job is a card. Put the install week on each card, or set a column for each week, and you can see at a glance which weeks are full. Cards that wait on the HOA or a permit sit in their own step, so they never get a date by mistake.
When the call comes in, you open the board, not your memory. The answer takes a minute, and it is true.
Related
Getting the holiday calls?
Bring your next three weeks to a 30-minute call. We lay them out on the board with you, set the waiting steps, and show you how to answer a deadline call in a minute.
