Transparency in the service industry can be tricky and sometimes a bit scarce.
Why may you ask? Well, when you call three companies to give you a price on cleaning your HVAC ducts and everyone has a pricing structure of "depends" it can be a bit frustrating, to say the least.
The word "depends" as it pertains to pricing with service companies means, "I want to get the meeting with you, and then we can discuss pricing."
I, as the owner of a Pressure Washing Service company here in Nashville Tn, have a small issue with that formula, and that issue is, that its a lie. It's a lie because, you as the owner or the estimators of said service company know exactly how you price your jobs, you know what you are going to charge and what the range for said prospects job normally is. One thing that separates us from other Pressure Washing companies in our little area is the simple idea that we will be completely transparent on our pricing structure over the phone. I personally will tell you that we charge anywhere from .20-.30 per square foot of surface area or floor plan depending on how its laid out. The other difference is, we do not prefer to work with everyone, that's not our model.
We find our top luxury real estate companies whom we work for LOVE our blunt, transparent, and quick responses, because we do truly care for them, and we just don't waste anyone's time.
Look, many companies run their business this way, and you can be successful with this formula (get the meeting at all costs). The issue is that you have zero separation when it comes to other businesses in your area. The goal is to separate yourself. High Ticket positioning comes in the form of posture.
This simple change among a few others in our business has brought a new closing ratio above %70 and still as the highest priced in town. Our takeaway from this is simple, be completely transparent with your customers (almost to a fault) and you will see a shift in your business. That shift will come in the form of, peace of mind and you will love working for the people you work for.
Second, it will proverbially "run off" the cheap prospects that want something close to free service.
Most service industry company operators have a massive fear of loss and they will do anything to get to the client's location, to "win" them to their side of the coin and "sell" them. This is working from the scarce mode of thinking.
70% of callers to your business already have made their decision as to who they would like to buy from before they make the first call. So, if you can implement another qualifier into your marketing, you niche down another level to who you want to work for being a quality customer.
Be honest, be completely honest and watch as the rewards in your business flourish. Obviously one would need to have their marketing dialed in, and have or understand that it's going to take a bit of time before you feel comfortable telling prospects the word no, and that you're just not going to work for the price that "John on Craigslist" will blow the siding off of your house with his pressure washer will work for.
If you truly are an integral person, and you do quality work, the implementation of this technique will serve you well. And it almost sounds trivial, because of course, you would be completely honest and transparent right?
You'll position yourself as THE company to have service your home, and we all know that positioning is everything.
