One of the greatest financial assets of a plumbing company is its fleet of service vehicles. Most plumbers treat these as a necessary expense, seeking to minimize their outlays. This is a mistake.  Trucks are mobile billboards that can drive brand awareness, brand safety and calls.  The following is a list of 12 mistakes plumbing contractors frequently make in their truck ID programs.

Accountability is an interesting word. On one hand, it has a positive connotation as something that helps grow a thriving company, but it can also have a negative connotation. It can be associated with blame, punishment and negative consequences.

I’m lucky enough to work with a lot of good-hearted contractors. What I know is contractors in general, despite the skewed view of the media to the contrary, want to do the right thing for their customers and their community.

It sounds simple, but few marketing efforts begin with a clearly defined objective. What, specifically, do you want to accomplish?

In March, the Lovely Christy and I joined our friends from Service Roundtable in Frankfurt, Germany, for the massive ISH trade fair. With more than 2,500 exhibitors focused on sustainability, cutting-edge design trends, and technological innovations, it was a mind-expanding experience, to say the least.

What does getting employees to “released” mean?

Plumbers, like most technical people, value their technical skills above all else. Consumers, who have little ability to discern good plumbing from poor or average work, tend to judge plumbers based on their soft skills. Ignoring the soft skills is like ignoring half of a repair. Here is a 10-point soft skills checklist for your team.

Last fall, a generous plumbing contractor in Las Vegas allowed me to park a trailer-load of four-wheelers in his backyard. It was an incredible backyard. I’ll be happy to tell you his name, but I’m about to tell you about his son.

When I say “the lack of training and systems can be disastrous,” it might sound a bit dramatic to you. I can assure you, however, that the quality of your training and systems can truly make or break your business, your reputation, the level of service you offer, safety on the job and your overall profitability.