Why does one service provider seem to pick up all the business?
Trust. If you want to know the psychology of why homeowners hire one roof repair services company over another, look no further. Trust is something that every business wishes they could understand because once you get it… you save yourself time, money, and headaches.
Trust is everything…
There are very few people that decide to call a contractor because they are excited to do so. Chances are they are stressed. Something in their home broke. Something needs repaired. There is a leak that needs to be fixed and they need it done yesterday.
So how do they know who to call?
Trust Signal Psychology That Dictates Who They Hire
- Psychology of Trusting Service Providers
- What Customers Are Actually Looking For
- How Reviews Effect Your Buying Decision
- The Signals Send That Build Trust
Psychology of Trusting Service Providers
Trust is built over time.
It takes several good experiences with a company before your average consumer will feel comfortable spending their hard-earned money on your services. Home services like roof repair services take extra trust because home businesses provide a service that everyone needs.
Your roof.
It covers your family. Your prized possessions. Your stuff. So when homeowners are searching for roof repair specialists they want to make sure they can trust the business they hire. They want to know these strangers are going to do a good job.
Enter psychology.
Your brain is hardwired to take mental shortcuts when making decisions. If it sees social proof, great reputation, and good “gut-feel”, your brain will let you know that it is safe to give this company your business.
But what happens when your business sends mixed signals?
Your brain emits an emergency signal that tells the homeowner to run and hide. Or in this case, keep shopping for a solution to their problem.
What Customers Are Actually Looking For
Great question.
If you’ve read this far you’re probably curious about what qualifications the average homeowner is looking for when hiring a local service provider. According to industry research, 88% of homeowners look to referrals as a source of trust and 74% of homeowners use online reviews to determine how much they trust a contractor. Those are some high percentages.
A few stats that stood out:
Homeowners value reputation over most other things. Scoring higher than price, homeowners want to feel like they can trust the person coming into their home.
Licenses and insurance are very important as well. This lets your customer know that you are a credible business. Another trust signal that will send your business above your competitors.
How Reviews Effect Your Buying Decision
Remember when we all bought based on word of mouth?
Things have changed. Now homeowners get recommendations from their family and friends but then take out their phone and start searching online before they even pick up the phone.
Hang on, stats!
Research shows that 84% of homeowners use online reviews before they make the first call. This research also found that homeowners would rather do business with a company that has more reviews over a business that may have less reviews but a higher rating. Yes, they prefer quantity over quality.
This is because the brain likes confident decisions. More reviews means more information for the brain to make a decision.
Let’s dig deeper into the psychology of this:
Your brain is smart, it seeks patterns. If one person left a bad review, your brain may shrug it off. But what if 10 people left the same review? What if 50? Suddenly your brain picks up on a pattern and will dive deeper into why multiple people don’t approve of your services.
The Signals Send That Build Trust
Trust signals can be effective or useless.
There are certain things that your business can do that will cause homeowners to pick up the phone and call you. There are other trust signals that might not mean much to them at all.
Your ability to communicate is key.
Not being able to communicate with your customers is the number one complaint homeowners have with contractors. In fact, 40% of homeowners say this is the biggest problem. By responding to your customers in a timely manner you can build instant trust.
Many times, homeowners will call 3 or less companies before making a decision on who to hire. If you don’t pick up or return a phone call you can kiss that sale goodbye.
Your customer wants transparency.
They don’t want to be told one thing and then quoted another. There is nothing wrong with marking up your services but you should ALWAYS be upfront with pricing. Don’t try and beat your customers with your fist.
Show yourself online.
Having a nice looking website with an About Us page is very important. Homeowners want to know who they are doing business with. How long you’ve been in business also matters. Make sure you show up on google and other popular locations.
Think Hiring is a Logical Decision?
Think again.
Purchasing a service is an emotional decision that is driven by logic. Most homeowners will tell you they are making the best decision for their family. What they don’t tell you is their decision is fueled by emotion.
Fear of getting ripped off.
Fear of paying too much.
Fear of making the wrong choice.
When you can alleviate those fears you win.
If you can make that homeowner feel confident in your services then you have created a buyer. Someone who is no longer worried about the hiring process and is ready to see your company as their solution.
Knowing this can allow you to charge whatever you want because the psychology of trust allows homeowners to pay more for peace of mind.
Wrapping This Up
There you have it.
The psychology of hiring a service based company is simple when you know what to look for. Social proof, reputation, and emotional confidence are the drivers of your business. Leaving online reviews help, referrals help, but trusting your gut to communicate clearly is everything.
Let’s review:
- Referrals and online reviews help build trust
- Your reputation will beat your price every time
- Communicating with your customers is crucial
- Licensing and insurance help validate your business
- Emotional confidence is the kicker
Understanding customers will help build a better business.
Trust starts with your first interaction with the customer. Make it count!