Everyone’s had the experience: You’re performing a routine pumping operation, when you discover a problem. Maybe a septic tank baffle has collapsed, or there’s a crack in the tank. Right now, no big deal, but you foresee big trouble in the near future. So you tell your customer, and suggest the necessary repairs. The customer requests a quote, and when you render the estimate, he or she backpedals so fast you can feel the breeze.
What do you do in this potentially disastrous scenario? You sympathize with a customer facing a surprise repair bill, and some of them really aren’t prepared to spend the needed money. But if the repair isn’t made, very bad things are going to happen. You don’t want to get blamed for negligent service when the stuff does finally hit the fan — maybe literally. Regulations also play a part in how these situations must be handled, depending on your location.
Approaching such a situation requires a combination of sound business ethics, good people skills, and sometimes the ability to be a little creative in the finance department. The key is understanding that you bring the most value to your customer when you act as a partner in solving their problems. Recognize the public relations opportunity presented by the situation, and provide positive options for them to deal with their dilemmas. Many times, they’re as afraid of making the wrong decision as they are with making large, unexpected expenditures.
The trick is moving them from a bad decision to a good one. Here, four pumpers share their tactics for dealing with intransigent tank owners who simply want to ignore needed repairs.
“I’d say 25 percent of our customers go ahead with recommended service immediately after we identify the problem,” says Jerry Thompson, former owner and now business advisor to Woody’s Septic Tank Service. The rest will stall for time, so the company protects itself by writing the problem clearly on the job invoice and on the pump-out ticket, along with service recommendations. The customer gets a copy along with the bill. “It can come back on you if the system fails soon after service. But we have a record of our recommendations” to guard against customers saying they were unaware of issues, says Thompson.
E. J. Breaux, along with pumping, installs about 350 septic systems a year in an area northeast of Baton Rouge. About 75 percent of his business is residential, where he specializes in package aerobic systems for any location using more than 3,000 gallons per day. He also services some commercial applications, including truck stops with extended systems that process up to 30,000 gallons daily.
When he encounters a home or business owner reluctant to perform needed repairs, it’s not a matter of his personal discretion: Louisiana state regulations require paperwork. “We have to issue a report saying they refused repair,” Breaux explains. If the customer does agree, Breaux will perform some of the repairs himself, and subcontracts others if they’re too involved or time-consuming.
Donald Foster has managed to engender enough trust and confidence among his regular customers that he rarely encounters trouble when he tells them they need to make repairs. They understand that “we recommend repairs be done for their benefit,” Foster says. “Most of the time, they’ll follow our recommendations, if they can afford it.” Foster doesn’t do the work himself, which may account for the stronger credibility, since customers aren’t likely to think he’s simply trying to churn up more work for himself. He has a couple colleagues he’ll regularly refer repair work to.
Larry Favreau installs, inspects and pumps septic systems in central Massachusetts, just north of Worcester. His service area includes about 30 towns in Worcester County. When he finds a problem in a tank, he explains to the customer in detail what should be repaired and why. “I’ll also tell them what will happen if they decide not to repair, and there are very few people who don’t want to have it done then.” If the customer opts to have the repair done, Favreau schedules another appointment and comes back later to perform the repair. Sometimes, with big system failures, he’ll first perform a camera inspection.
In such a case, Favreau will set up a contract for people with massive system failures who are facing large repair or replacement costs. “It makes it easier for them to handle payments, and helps them to make the right decision.”
When customers refuse to make a needed repair, Favreau protects himself with paperwork. “It’s up to them. I don’t like to get involved in people’s finances. But they’re going to know what I think they should do, and they’re getting it in writing.”
