Advertising your pumping business seems straightforward. You provide the best service, are on time and thorough. There is one aspect I feel that is not often publicized enough that goes a long way to not only gaining new customers, but keeping them. Promote your knowledge and more importantly, your willingness to share it.
Most people have no clue what is buried in their backyard. They know they flush the toilet and it goes somewhere that passed an inspection when they bought their home, so why should they worry about it now? Because of that, most people only call when something is not working right and they wait until the last minute because they are afraid of costs. They associate calling a pumper as an automatic bill.
Marketing education
Advertising that your company is willing to take phone calls answering questions cost-free may initially sound like a waste of time that you don’t have, but this strategy is extremely effective for both short and long term customer relations.
This approach creates an accessible barrier to entry and builds an incredible amount of goodwill by proving you aren’t just out to empty their pockets. Most importantly, it secures the first right of refusal. When that homeowner eventually does need a pumpout or a repair, they will automatically bypass Google and call the friendly expert who already spent 10 minutes helping them on the phone.
Urge them not to wait
I often see company’s advertising campaigns include calls to action if something is going wrong. For instance, something along the lines of, “Is your toilet gurgling? Or is water backing up in your basement? Give us a call!” And while that is helpful and effective, promoting a conversation before there is any issue is less intimidating and helps the customer feel they can converse without a cost coming their way.
Try this instead, “Got a specific septic question or are you curious about how your septic system works? Call our free helpline. We are happy to help you understand!”
Turn talk to money
Now, consider how a typical educational call naturally transitions into profit. A homeowner calls because they smell an odor near their yard. Instead of immediately selling a pump service, you explain how heavy rain can trap gases or how a dry P-trap in an unused guest bathroom can mimic a septic smell, giving them a simple way to check it themselves.
At the end of that helpful conversation, you ask a simple follow-up: “By the way, do you know when the tank was last pumped?” If they say they don’t know, you gently explain that a standard household system should be checked every few years to avoid catastrophic failure. Because you just saved them a diagnostic fee and treated them with respect, they will almost always ask you to come out and take a look.
On the job
The educational approach shouldn’t stop once the phone hangs up. Some of the best opportunities to solidify your role as a trusted source of knowledge is when you are standing in the yard next to an open tank.
Homeowners work too, so I understand there are going to be times when they are not around when you are servicing, but inviting the homeowner to be present and see what’s actually happening is a great approach. Show them the scum layer. Point out the baffles and explain their critical role in keeping solids out of the drainfield. When people can visually connect your advice to the actual hardware buried in their lawn, the lightbulb goes on.
Real-world teaching content does the heavy lifting for your marketing campaign. As we hear often, word-of-mouth advertising is the strongest form, and people will talk about you if you treat them with courtesy and educate them without making them feel like they are a bother. You are building a brand that says your company isn’t just looking for quick emergency payouts, but is truly invested in helping the entire community keep their systems running smoothly and keeping the public safe.
Continue reading for free
