You must teach and coach your employees so that change is not a four-letter word. Here are some tips that will assist you in implementing Flat Rate into your company:

1. Teamwork.
   Pick your top tech that "Listens" to you. For this example his name will be Steve. You bring Steve into your office and tell him you're working on a New system that will make it easier for the techs. Tell him that you want his input since he is out in the field all day. Techs feel that you don't know squat about fieldwork because you own the business. Tell Steve that you want him to complete at least one job out of the book a day. Make it an easy job like thermostat repair or faucet installation.

   Don't make it a re-pipe on a 2-story house. Ask Steve to come in once a week and hold a meeting with him. See what his objections are to the system. If you don't have the solution to any of his questions call us @ 877-782-3627 and we will assist you. This does several things for you. It shows your techs that you believe they are a very important part of the company and you care about their input. It also creates "Cooler Talk" which means that rumors will float around to all the techs about how much Steve likes Flat Rate. By the time you give the Flat Rate books to all your employees they will be anxious for them.



2. Marketing.
   You should mail or e-mail a letter to your clients explaining your switch from T&M to Flat Rate. It should tell the client that this change is for the best and they will save money as well. This marketing letter will re-introduce your company to your clients and show them that you care about them too. If you need a sample letter contact us and we will be happy to fax one to you (or you can also find it in our Forms Package).
3. Overcomming Objections.
   When Steve meets with you and covers the objections he has with the Flat Rate you should write them down along with the solution. Why? Because the rest of the techs will have that same problem. This way you are prepared and can prevent these objections from happening in the first place.
   Some common objections:
   1. Price Complaint.   A price complaint while Flat Rating is narrowed down to two problems. It is either Tech related or Inner Office related. The client knew the price before any work was performed and had to sign that they approved of the Flat Rate price which means that something went wrong after the fact. Maybe the tech was too quick and was not client service oriented, or a neighbor said they got that same job done for less. Either way you can prevent them. First, tell all your techs to take and extra 15 minutes on every job. This allows them to spend quality time with your clients.

      They could ask "Mrs. Jones do you have anything else you want me to look at?" or "Mrs. Jones we are required to do a home inspection. This will only take 10-15 minutes. Is that alright?" This gives the tech more time to converse with the client and to see if there might be more work that needs to be done. If the tech is not a "Speedy Fix It Man" usually there is not a price complaint. If it is an inner office problem it is usually time delay. The dispatcher or CSR told the client that the tech would arrive at an earlier time then he actually did.

      One way to solve this is to give the client a 4- hour block of time that the tech will arrive and then call the client when the tech is actually on the way. If you can, don't quote a time at all! Simply call the client when the tech is on the way. There are also some scripts for delaying calls that can help prevent a client from becoming unsatisfied with the turn around time.

   2. Service Agreements.   Steve says he can't sell service agreements. Now this is really an easy one. If your Flat Rate book is designed correctly it will show the client how much money they would save if they were to buy a service agreement from you. More than likely he is not offering it right.
      Let's walk through a call.
      

      Steve: "Mrs. Jones if you invest in our service agreement you will save over $75 on this call and will continue to receive our Club Rate on all future calls for the next year. Here is a list of things we do when we conduct our service agreement."

      Mrs. Jones: "Well I am not sure. What proof do I have that you will be in business in a year."

      Steve: "Our manager wants our clients to know that we look out for them. That is why we can offer for you to pay $10 now and the rest when we come out. That way you still save the money, but your mind can rest assured that we will come back."

      Now isn't that a great way to overcome the objection?!



4. Finding the Right Flat Rate.
   Any Flat Rate system is a good one. There are some however, that will offer more benefits to you.
   Some questions you want to ask are:
   
   1. Users List.   You should receive a users list of more than 10 companies using their system. Call them all and ask how they like it.
   2. Ask about Client Service.   Find out how much phone support is. If it is free, test it. Call in and say you are having difficulty and ask for some help. If they put you on "indefinite hold" it is probably going to happen again. Make sure they have qualified support staff. If they only have one person you can talk to that limits your chances of getting a hold of them. Ask other users how they like the support.
   3. Networking.   Can you network your software? It is important to be able to network your software so that you can have multiple people work on the book without having them use the same computer.
   4. Marketability.   What features and benefits do their books offer to you and your clients?
   5. Competition.   Make sure your numbers will NOT be distributed to your competition. That is why we recommend printing your own books. Consolidators own several Flat Rates and that could be a conflict of interest. You give them your numbers and now they have them to learn from.
   6. Versatility.   When was the last time they updated their software. You want to make sure you are working with a progressive company that will continue to increase the benefits of the product.

   Implementing anything is a difficult task, but consistency is the key. Make sure you stick to your guns with your policies and reprimand when necessary. It will help you in the long run.

Till next week,

"My goal is to translate response into results.
Some teachers teach for others to learn. That's not me.
Some teachers teach for others to accomplish. That IS me."
   - By Jim Rohn