Owned and Operated Podcast Episode #162 Summary
Title: Get Your Techs to Close More Tickets: How We Built Confidence, Boosted Sales, and Cut Stress
Release Date: January 21, 2025
Hosts: John Wilson and Jack Carr

Introduction

In Episode #162 of Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast, hosts John Wilson and Jack Carr delve into the critical topic of enhancing technician performance through structured training programs. Titled "Get Your Techs to Close More Tickets: How We Built Confidence, Boosted Sales, and Cut Stress," this episode offers invaluable insights for home service business owners aiming to elevate their operations.

Leveraging AI for Call Center Efficiency

[00:00] John Wilson opens the discussion by highlighting their partnership with Evoca, an AI-driven call center management tool.

"We're about eight months into using Evoca, and Evoca has been an awesome partner for us in our call center."

Evoca provides two main functionalities:

1. Coach Product: Uses AI to analyze every call, offering daily coaching for Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) to improve performance.
2. Conventional Booking: An AI tool that manages call overflow, handles bookings during nights and weekends, and interacts with customers to complete bookings autonomously.

The implementation of Evoca has led to consistent score improvements over eight months, allowing the team to reallocate resources towards ramping up marketing efforts.

The Importance of Structured Technician Training

[01:35] Jack Carr emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive training programs for technicians. He outlines the foundational aspects of their training regimen, which includes departmental trainings focused on numbers and sales:

"We do departmental trainings twice a week... day one being Service Titan training in depth on how we are, how we do the systems... followed by ride-along training with senior team members."

John agrees, stressing the significance of robust onboarding processes:

"I think the place to start is like even a little bit back. I want to start training. What do we do?"

Developing a Consistent Training Program

The hosts discuss the evolution of their training programs, moving from extensive yearly plans to more manageable rolling 13-week schedules. This approach allows for repetitive reinforcement of key topics, ensuring that essential skills are ingrained over time.

[07:53] John Wilson shares their methodology:

"We started with a once a week huddle and still what we call it... they’re going to deep dive into numbers, they’re going to do sales objections videos... It’s simpler now with a rolling 13-week calendar."

This structure focuses on two primary metrics:

1. Conversion Rate: The percentage of jobs where additional services or products are successfully sold.
2. Average Ticket: The average revenue generated per job.

By consistently monitoring and training around these metrics, the team fosters a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Enhancing Training Effectiveness

[10:36] John Wilson introduces the concept of transparency through public dashboards:

"We are adding more, like our daily gross margin and daily net margin is public information. You can walk up to the TVs and like, there it is."

This visibility ensures that all team members are aware of their performance and the company's financial health, promoting a unified effort towards shared goals.

[16:28] John Wilson offers advice on structuring trainings:

"Who's doing the training? That seems to be the biggest differentiator... ask your team for feedback... who does this really well and who just doesn't."

He underscores the importance of tailoring training sessions to leverage the strengths of team members, ensuring that each session is engaging and valuable.

Personalized Training and One-on-One Sessions

The discussion shifts to personalized training approaches. [19:16] John Wilson explains their strategy for individual performance improvement:

"Every Monday afternoon, I spend a half an hour with each frontline... We unpack it and usually what ends up happening is we force a ride along... How do we support this guy?"

This individualized attention ensures that each technician receives the necessary support to overcome personal or professional challenges, enhancing overall team performance.

Balancing Technical and Sales Training

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the dual importance of technical and sales training. [23:27] Jack Carr discusses the integration of product-specific technical training based on team feedback:

"Most requested was more technical training... product-specific stuff."

[23:57] John Wilson elaborates on their technical training initiatives, such as refrigeration changeovers and water heater functionalities, ensuring that technicians are well-versed in the latest products and technologies.

This balanced approach not only empowers technicians with the knowledge to perform their tasks effectively but also equips them with the skills to confidently upsell additional services.

Overcoming Training Challenges

[27:11] Jack Carr addresses the common challenge of balancing training time with urgent service calls:

"The problem is like... we got an active water leak on this just super juicy call and all the plumbers now they're sitting in a training..."

He emphasizes that while urgent calls are inevitable, the long-term benefits of ongoing training far outweigh the occasional disruptions.

[28:20] John Wilson mentions the cost and value of comprehensive training solutions like Nextar:

"Nextar is the right answer above a certain point... easily paid 80 to 100 grand additional for training."

Despite the substantial investment, the returns in terms of improved conversion rates and customer satisfaction make it a worthwhile expenditure.

Building a Sustainable Training Rhythm

The hosts advocate for creating a sustainable training rhythm through repetition and consistency. [30:22] John Wilson advises:

"Make it simple, same five topics, 12 weeks... People have to hear stuff seven times for it to get in."

By maintaining a consistent training schedule, businesses can ensure that their teams remain knowledgeable, motivated, and capable of driving sales growth effectively.

Conclusion

In closing, John and Jack reiterate the paramount importance of structured and consistent training programs in driving business growth. They encourage listeners to prioritize training despite the inherent challenges, highlighting the substantial returns in performance and customer satisfaction.

For more insights and resources, listeners are directed to visit www.ownedandoperated.com and join their active Facebook group, fostering a community of like-minded home service business owners dedicated to continual improvement.

Notable Quotes:

• [00:00] John Wilson: "Thank you, Evoca, and thank you, Tyson, for your partnership."
• [10:36] John Wilson: "Public dashboarding is the easiest way to do it... make that a part of your culture."
• [16:28] John Wilson: "Who's doing the training? That seems to be the biggest differentiator."
• [23:57] John Wilson: "Here’s how the new fire alarms work... our salespeople need to know so they can sound intelligent."
• [27:11] Jack Carr: "The time that that goes into training... those 15 are going to be more important than that singular call."

By implementing the strategies discussed in this episode, home service business owners can effectively build confident, high-performing teams capable of driving sales and enhancing customer satisfaction, ultimately leading to sustained business growth.