In a world of greater business diversification, pumpers are constantly shifting to serve a changing market. As they deal with concerns over operations, equipment, technology and human resource issues, it can be easy for a contractor to forget about something that seems relatively insignificant, like the company name.
But neglecting the importance of your corporate identity can be a big mistake. With an increasingly sophisticated marketplace, customers know and expect more than ever from service providers. It’s not enough to be good at what you do. You must also be perceived as being part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Just as the old “suck and run” business model no longer flies for today’s professional pumper, a run-of-the-mill, generic business name is equally uncompelling to your customers. They need a reason to choose you over your competition, and your public image starts with your corporate identity. Choosing — or changing to — the right name can be critical to your success in a competitive atmosphere.
These pumpers have embraced that reality and have incorporated it into their market approach.
Matt Pringle and his father recently started their septic and grease trap pumping business, CAL Services, in a suburb of Denver. They had originally intended to set up an aerial lift company, Colorado Aerial Lift. Then they realized that the changing construction market might hurt a company with limited service offerings. So they searched for a service that would always be needed, along with what they originally wished to do. They hit on pumping, and decided to diversify right away, so they incorporated as CAL Services.
Sensing the name itself was too vague, they added a positioning tagline to their business name: “We dispose of your waste with our environment in mind.” The general name allows them to continue adding or adjusting services as they see fit, while the tagline clearly positions their company as environmentally aware and ethically concerned.
“We like to make it possible for our customers to track where their waste goes, and to feel good about the company they chose to handle it,” Pringle says. He believes positioning CAL as an environmental company, as opposed to simply a pumping concern, gives them an advantage in Denver’s crowded marketplace.
The company makes a concerted effort to educate customers about how their septic systems work, how their waste is properly disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner, and why it’s important to pump regularly. “I think with education, they learn why our service is needed and they keep doing it. They see more value in what we do.”
He also believes that stressing the environmental angle enhances customers’ perception of the pumping industry. “It makes them feel like they’re responsible and doing the right thing for the environment.”
CAL carries this message through the design of their promotional materials. Business cards feature a background theme of a beautiful waterfall surrounded by lush green forest and a placid pool. The business name and the names of staff are printed in a rich, forest green to further reinforce the “green” theme. So even though the company name itself isn’t pointedly environmental in nature, the way it’s presented sends that message.
“We purchased the business from another company, and my understanding is that the owners chose this name to be perceived as a ‘green’ company,” Merlin Martin says of EnviroTech’s septic installation, repair and pumping service. “It refers to the environment, and everybody’s concerned about that. I think it helps us be perceived as also being concerned about taking care of the environment.”
Just as important as the green perception of the company’s name is its constant effort to educate customers. “We deal mostly with the septic tank and the drainfield, and we have a lot of people who are really not educated about what happens there.” Martin says technicians help customers understand the link between proper maintenance and keeping waste from becoming pollution.
“Once they understand how it works, they’re like, ‘Wow, I never knew that!’” he says. “I think it makes an impression.” They distribute brochures that further explain the inner workings of critical septic system maintenance procedures.
“I bought a business named Crews Septic, and I changed it to Crews Environmental because I wanted to be in the environmental business instead of just the septic pumping field,” says Bob Himschoot. He feels strongly that this branding move has helped cast his company as a more professional operation. “It’s been a challenge, because people don’t associate septic tank pumping with environmental business.
“We’re constantly educating people, which is what this business is all about, especially for the onsite business.
“Septic tanks were given a bad name in the early years because they were functional but not necessarily environmentally acceptable. They served a purpose at the time, but now we’re more sophisticated in the design and operation of onsite systems.”
Himschoot intends to bolster the company’s environmental education effort through to the company’s new Web site, crewsenvironmental.com, launching this year.
