Restoration has changed massively in recent years. Technology is revolutionizing restoration work, client expectations are increasing, and it’s never been harder to recruit staff. Technology and automation offer ‘cure-all’ solutions, but what about our biggest asset – our people? Both people and technology have a place in our businesses, the question we should be asking is how to get the right balance for long-term, sustainable growth.
Digitization has revolutionized task management, resulting in streamlined workflows and improved efficiency. Many restorers are discovering the business benefits of effortless tracking, assignment, and monitoring of tasks, ensuring timely project completion. It’s tempting to automate everything. But often it’s hard to see what we might lose long-term if we automate everything in our businesses.
Set against a backdrop of clients now expecting instant responses and recruiting team members only getting harder, it’s reasonable to look at automation as the solution. Here is the case for why people matter, and maybe even more so than ever before.
The Power of Human Connection
Human interaction holds immense power. And this is especially true in restoration when clients are facing one of the toughest and most stressful moments in their lives. It’s not a time for voicemail or a bot. Having compassionate, empathetic, and professional people is crucial. At the moment when clients are vulnerable, you want to be the trusted professional they can turn to.
Providing compassionate and professional customer service is challenging for businesses operating at scale, especially when faced with rapid growth or call surges, like after a natural disaster. But it’s in these difficult moments when the value of empathy and customer service is most important. While automation and technology are great to streamline processes, they lack the human touch and understanding that clients seek during distressing times.
Restorers may win in the short term with efficiencies and lower staffing costs, but in the long term what happens when your business sounds like every other automated service? It goes beyond providing compassionate support; it is also a sound business decision for long-term success. Bots and voicemails may offer efficiency, but they lack the human touch and understanding clients deeply desire during challenging times. Engaging with a real person provides personalized attention, immediate responses, and customized solutions that automated systems cannot replicate. By prioritizing human interaction, businesses meet their clients’ emotional needs and gain a competitive edge, instilling confidence in the restoration process, and fostering long-lasting customer relationships that ultimately drive business growth and profitability.
Scaling Customer Service: Overcoming Challenges
Scaling a business brings both opportunities and challenges, particularly when maintaining a personal touch and delivering exceptional customer service. Ask any restorer who has started out on their own and grown their business. As a business expands, it becomes increasingly challenging to uphold the same level of personal connection that characterized its early stages. The transition from being the face of the business to relying on customer service representatives (CSRs) can create a potential gap in the personalized experience that customers expect.
Recruiting and retaining talented individuals in the restoration industry has never been harder. Working patterns and what different generations want from work are changing rapidly. Businesses need to adapt. To succeed, businesses must attract empathetic and skilled professionals who can provide the level of service clients require in distressing situations. And then make this available 24/7.
Scaling customer service operations is a complex undertaking, but when executed effectively, it becomes a differentiating factor that sets a business apart from the competition. Exceptional customer service leaves a lasting impression on clients, leading them to share their positive experiences with friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Word-of-mouth referrals are invaluable in the restoration industry, where trust and reliability are paramount. By prioritizing personalized service even as you grow, you can forge strong connections with customers, enhance their reputation, and secure long-term success.
Balancing Human Connection with Automation
Relying solely on complete automation presents pitfalls that can have long-term consequences. Restorers wanting sustainable growth need to have a good reputation. Technology may offer short-term convenience but will erode credibility and trust over time. Why should someone trust your business when you sound exactly like everyone else?
Clients value genuine care and personalized attention, and when businesses prioritize automation over human interaction, it can leave them feeling disconnected and questioning the authenticity of the services provided. By balancing automation and human connection, businesses can maintain credibility, build trust, and secure long-term success.
In disaster situations, this balance matters even more. Clients seek emotional support and reassurance, which robotic responses can’t provide. The exclusive use of automation risks appearing indifferent and disconnected, undermining credibility and trust. In the moment of the first call, you could argue this doesn’t matter. But no one is talking in a good way to their friends and neighbors about the bot they talked to when things went wrong.
Preserving a business’s individuality and personal touch is crucial, as it showcases expertise, attention to detail, and a commitment to customer satisfaction. Clients value restoration companies that prioritize the human element and offer a personalized approach, which sets them apart in the industry.
Enhancing Customer Experience through Soft Skills
Your CSRs aren’t the only place where customer experience matters. Your technicians need soft skills as well as technical ability. From the moment your tech shows up to the completion of the project, customer service plays a pivotal role in shaping their journey.
Technicians with soft skills excel in effective communication, empathy, and problem-solving. They are also your sales rep. Technicians build trust and rapport by actively listening to customers’ concerns and addressing them with empathy. This positive interaction sets the foundation for a customer experience that is both professional and compassionate.
Soft skills training equips technicians with the ability to de-escalate challenging situations. With conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, technicians can defuse tension, manage emotions, and find mutually beneficial resolutions. By handling difficult interactions professionally and empathetically, technicians resolve issues and contribute to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The combination of technical expertise and people-oriented skills enhances the efficiency and accuracy of the restoration process. Technicians with strong communication and collaboration skills better understand customers’ needs. This understanding translates into precise and tailored solutions, minimizing errors and misunderstandings. Effective communication not only saves time and resources but also ensures that customers’ restoration needs are met to their satisfaction.
Investing in soft skills opens up upselling opportunities for technicians. By building trust and rapport throughout the customer journey, technicians can identify additional services or products that benefit customers. Through persuasive and informative communication, technicians present upselling options that meet customers’ needs.
Final thoughts
To succeed in this industry over the long term, businesses must balance technology and the human touch. Technology improves efficiency, and the human element is crucial for building trust and providing personalized support to clients.
By striking the right balance, businesses differentiate themselves, create efficiencies, and establish a reputation for exceptional customer care, even as they scale. In short, finding the balance is essential for building long-term, sustainable growth for your business.
Mandy Rewis has been helping restoration businesses grow with 
