Did you know the U.S. plumbing industry is worth over $124 billion? Every plumbing business wants its share of that profit pipeline. But it’s no secret that the industry is competitive. So if you’re set on growing a plumbing business, you’ll need a strategy – starting with focusing on customer satisfaction and retention. If customers disapprove of your work, they won’t hesitate to search for a new service, blocking you from growing your plumbing business the way you deserve.
That’s why we’ve put together five of the most successful strategies for how to grow a plumbing business. We’ll cover growth techniques in service marketing, how to improve customer satisfaction and retention, enhancing operational efficiency, and everything else you’ll need to scale.
The Importance of Growth in the Plumbing Industry
As of 2023, there are close to 127,000 plumbing businesses operating in the United States alone. Services remain in high demand, and plumbing businesses are expanding their reach to meet that demand. With so many competitors vying for their piece of the pie, it’s critical to envision your company’s goals and engage in strategic planning that will help you scale long-term.
You can use our five strategies as a roadmap to broaden your reach. Tailor these strategies toward what works for your business, budget, customer base, and who your local competitors are.
5 Ways You Can Grow and Scale Your Plumbing Business
Mastering Service Marketing Growth Techniques
Not all marketing strategies will work for every plumbing business. For some companies in large cities, it may make more sense to create a website with an online booking system. For plumbers operating in a small town, word-of-mouth and local referrals may drive the bulk of the business. Let’s look at four service marketing growth techniques you should consider.
Grow brand identity and boost awareness.
To attract new customers, show them who you are and what your company does, and then take steps to spread the word about your services. Here are a few simple ways to boost brand awareness:
- Advertise at your local home improvement stores and town hall.
- Keep business cards with you.
- Incentivize with service discounts.
- Think about ways to improve your logo to create an instant brand identity.
Engage with your community.
Chances are, you have a variety of clients — from restaurants and bigger venues to private homeowners and renters. Get out there and get to know them. Write a proposal or an in-house plumbing service agreement to attract bigger clients. Then offer a discount if they partner with you.
Use local SEO & social media.
As a plumbing service that operates within a specific geographic area, your best bet is to use local SEO to spread the word. You’ll want to start by creating a free Google Business profile. Creating a profile is an effective way to:
- List your hours of operation.
- State the service area you operate in.
- Display updated contact information.
- Post customer testimonials and reviews.
- Link your website and social media pages.
Start a referral program.
To retain your customers, consider starting a referral program. For example, you can offer a discount on your services if they refer your company to a new customer — to whom you can also provide a deal.
Improving Customer Relationships & Retention
To scale your plumbing business, improving customer retention by earning their loyalty is key. Consider using one or all of the following strategies.
- Train your staff for better customer interactions.
Ensure your staff is as friendly and professional as possible. Invest in training to improve your staff’s soft skills to make their customer interactions positive.
- Remain transparent about the cost.
Your customers don’t need any surprises on their invoices. It’s best to let them know the cost and also if any changes occur, such as additional labor, discovering another problem during service, etc.
- Use quoting software.
Your customers may make several calls to other plumbing companies before reaching you. Integrate a quoting software on your webpage so they can decide if they’re getting the best deal in town.
- Launch a loyalty program.
To be your customers’ go-to plumbing service, incentivize them to choose you instead of your competitors. Start a loyalty program that rewards them with a discounted service after hiring you for X number of services.
Expanding Your Business’s Reach
- Offer new services.
Have you ever offered gas-line installation or repair? How about responding 24/7 to emergency calls? Grow your plumbing business by expanding the type of services you offer.
- Broaden your geographical service area.
Consider expanding your service radius to neighboring towns and cities to generate customer leads.
- Become an in-house plumbing service for larger businesses or local government.
Property management associations, large-scale businesses, and government facilities often hire a preferred vendor for plumbing needs. Compile a partnership proposal and reach out to their decision-makers.
- Partner with other companies.
The word’s out that a local competitor plans to shut its doors. Consider joining forces (and resources) via a merger or partnership.
Enhancing Operational Efficiency
To increase operational efficiency in your plumbing business, consider every touchpoint with room for improvement. Here are several areas to get you started:
- Upskill your team.
Technology, infrastructure (and the services you offer) can change, so upskilling your team can prepare your business to meet the demand. Invest in additional training and local vocational courses to keep your team sharp and ready to handle any issue.
- Streamline administrative & communication processes.
Everyone in your business needs to be on the same page. Simplify your communication channels using live GPS tracking, texts, or two or three alternative channels.
- Automate & delegate whenever possible.
You don’t necessarily need a brick-and-mortar plumbing business with an administrative assistant answering phone calls. Set up an online reservation and scheduling system and delegate when possible to avoid double bookings, worker shortages, and other issues that stunt business growth.
- Ensure smooth scheduling & other logistics.
If you have multiple clients yet not enough staff to address their plumbing issues, you may find yourself backlogged with many complaints. Ensure the service schedule is available and you have the team necessary to take care of your clients’ needs.
Building Your Dream Team
Learning how to grow a plumbing business all starts with having the right employees. Recruiting effectively and efficiently is a must when growing your business!
- Identify skill-related gaps.
Some team members may specialize in home plumbing, others commercial, and some gas lines. Identify the skillsets of each employee and then determine where your team has gaps so that you can upskill existing workers or make new hires.
- Advertise your labor needs.
To find the best worker for your team, be specific about what you’re looking for and what your company values in your job listing.
- Vet potential team members the right way.
Instead of spending the time and resources hiring just anyone, you’ll want a personalized recruitment strategy. This way, you’ll have a stronger chance of zeroing in on a highly-skilled worker that will fit into your company culture.
- Utilize recruitment strategies to find highly skilled workers.
There’s an art and a science to strategic labor recruitment —tackle it with a clear game plan. A top-tier recruiting service can hand-deliver superior talent to help your business scale.
Kickstart Your Business Growth with Work With Your Handz
As the saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Growing a plumbing business requires a lot of hands on deck if you want to meet your goals and scale past the competition.
Through top-tier recruiting efforts, the experts at Work With Your Handz will hand-deliver your dream team, saving you time so you can get back to the day-to-day operations of your business.
The future of your plumbing business is in your hands and ours. Contact Work With Your Handz today!