I hear this from teams all the time.
The first thing I do is pull the phone logs which normally tell a different story….
20 calls yesterday. 5 missed plus 5 more told “not today.”
That’s not a marketing problem, it’s an execution problem.
For example, if a customer calls at 4pm with a flat tire (we close at 5pm) how do we respond?
The lazy manager thinks: “That’s only $30, and by the time they get here it could be past 5pm…”
So they ask the customer to come in tomorrow morning.
The best manager says: “I’m sorry to hear that. Can you come right now?”
That flat repair seems small. But there’s a domino effect.
We miss out on a $30 sale today.
We miss out on creating a customer for life who tells their friends about us.
All because someone wanted to leave the second the clock hit 5:01pm
In most service businesses, the phones are the lowest-hanging fruit.
Customers call before booking an appointment or stopping by. They’re testing you.
Can I trust these people? Do they actually want my business?
How your team answers that call determines whether they walk in or call the next one.
Before you spend another dollar on marketing, run this experiment:
Call your own business. Pretend to be a customer. See how they handle it.
You might find out the leads aren’t the problem.
Cheers!
Brian
P.S. In today’s Cash Flow Club email (coming out at 12pm EST), I’m breaking down the leadership rule I wish someone taught me years ago.
If you’ve ever been frustrated with your team’s behavior, this one is for you
