While many homeowners are discontinuing home improvement and maintenance projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, others don’t have a choice. That’s why the White House named services like plumbing and electrical essential to maintaining America’s infrastructure.
The CISA, a department within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated:
“If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, such as healthcare services and pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.
The industries they support represent, but are not necessarily limited to, medical and healthcare, telecommunications, information technology systems, defense, food and agriculture, transportation and logistics, energy, water and wastewater, law enforcement, and public works.”
Technicians Taking Caution
Many home services providers and technicians are concerned for their safety at work. Just as residents are nervous about inviting a potential health threat inside, technicians are nervous about showing up on the doorstep of someone who could be sick.
Even so, if you run a plumbing business, you’re likely thankful to be operating.
Aside from issuing more stringent personal protective equipment and implementing social distancing, you can make some operational tweaks to reduce risk even further. There are steps you can take to make plumbing jobs safer for your technicians and clients.
Thryv user Pratt Plumbing Heating & Cooling Inc. took many of their interactions online using:
- An online service appointment request option to their website. It helps them gather and track client information, the issue or need, and available times for service appointments.
- A 10% discount offer for first responders and medical professionals, to thank them for their work during the pandemic.
- Client emails about the additional steps they’re taking to protect their technicians and customers during service calls.
- Online and over-the-phone payment options to avoid touching shared surfaces.
- Postponed their large jobs which would require several technicians to work together at once.
Communicating Your Services Business Precautions
Here’s how Pratt Plumbing Heating & Cooling shared their operational changes with customers.
Pop-up on their website:
New, detailed online scheduling menu:
Client email:
