Partner – TP Mechanical Blog

A business is only as good as the clients it serves. No business gets far by losing clients. One key to our success is building relationships that go beyond one-time projects to provide value to clients on a consistent, ongoing basis.

After 15 years in the Mechanical trade, I have personally learned several factors that make a business successful. Among them, I have learned to broaden my wisdom of knowledge on building and maintaining relationships. This starts inside the business as well as when we interact with clients.

Communication

Clients depend on you to keep them informed. Providing regular communications with them is one of your priorities. This includes updating them on various projects, as well as letting them know about any bumps in the road you encounter. There is no such thing as over-communicating.

Be Useful

The more value you offer, the more a client comes to depend on you. Don’t hesitate to share information clients may find useful, whether or not it benefits you in any way. In the same respect, refrain from bombarding them with irrelevant news or gossip, and don’t bother them with offers that won’t interest them. Sometimes, you should only speak when being spoken to, but be careful when applying this method. But speak up to identify issues and share solutions with the client.

Be Honest

No long-term relationship survives if the two parties aren’t honest with each other. Your chief responsibility is to be open and honest in all of your dealings. Today, the client is more educated than ever. You must build a reputation of integrity, or you’ll never be able to cultivate the kind of long-term relationship your business depends on.

Reward Loyal Clients

Clients should be honored for their loyalty and receive the preferential treatment they deserve. Be free with your expressions of gratitude and look for new ways to say “Thank you for your valued business.”

Win with the Client

A client who determines you’re in it for the long haul and motivated to help him or her succeed soon begins to see you as more than just a vendor or supplier. You become a partner in their enterprise and someone they can grow with today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.

Zig Zigler once said, “When your alarm rings in the morning, consider this as another opportunity for you to become successful and to build relationships that benefit your business and yourself.”

The ingredients in “Building Long-Term Relationships and Keeping Them” are communication, being useful, being honest, rewarding loyalty, and being a valued partner to the client. We should all take the time to include them in our work – every day and with every client.

By: Tony Pate, Regional Representative Service Division, TP Mechanical

In these first few weeks of 2013, is money on your mind?

Taxes, the fiscal cliff, the state of our economy – across the board, businesses and corporations large and small are working to tighten budgets, cut extraneous costs and maximize efficiency to keep that bottom line where it should be.

So it seems that a discussion of how TP Mechanical can help our customers save money and make the most of every dollar would be the perfect topic to kick off the New Year.

Mechanical systems claim a large portion of operating expenses. It has been estimated that HVAC alone comprises approximately 40-60% of a facility’s energy costs. Just one minor loss in a system’s efficiency can translate into major increases in energy expenditures over time. When a system malfunctions or fails, disruption, repair and equipment replacement can become costly.

Properly tuned equipment runs efficiently and is a key component to keeping operating costs down. We understand that when it comes to routine maintenance, service and repair, keeping your systems running smoothly can be time consuming and expensive.

The TP Mechanical Total Systems Agreement is one example of our commitment to serving customers with excellent service and one solution to helping our clients cut costs. We’ll partner with you to create a customized plan unique to your facility and specific equipment needs. With this type of plan, we bundle relevant regularly scheduled preventative maintenance together with repair and scheduled replacement services into one convenient package that will:

keep your system running at peak efficiency
uncover symptoms of potential malfunctions before they occur
reduce repair and replacement costs today and over time
extend the life of your equipment
increase your energy savings
minimize time spent managing your mechanical systems so you can focus your attention elsewhere

It’s the perfect time to consider building a Total Agreement Plan into your annual budget. When you build essential system maintenance costs right into your annual expense forecasting, you can proactively address problems before they arise, better predict and manage costly repairs and replacements, and ultimately gain a sense of control over your mechanical systems budget. Consider incorporating our energy audit and inspection services into your customized plan to optimize your system’s productivity.

In addition to the reduced costs associated with our bundled services, our Total Plan Agreement clients receive agreement benefits, such as a guaranteed emergency response time of four hours, a $10/hour labor discount and 15% off parts and materials.

Peace of mind is priceless when it comes to operating a business, and when you trust your mechanical systems to TP Mechanical, you can rest easy knowing we’ve got you covered. We do our best to partner with our clients and support them any way we can – and that includes helping them stick to their New Year’s Resolutions.