Plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, carpenters, landscapers, painters and cleaners — these, along with many other types of professionals, comprise the home services industry. This sector, which in the United States is anticipated to reach $1219.07 billion by 2026, employs more than five million workers.
According to some estimates, Americans complete approximately 511,345,000 home service jobs each year, spending an average of $5,000 annually on such projects. That results in almost $506 billion in direct spending, including $61.9 billion in home maintenance, $23.3 billion in home emergencies and a whopping $420.8 billion in home improvement and renovation.
There are roughly 2.5 million home service businesses in the U.S., making the industry ultra-competitive. HVAC repair services compose the largest segment of the home services market, accounting for more than 15 percent. Although the most in-demand home services in 2023 were HVAC, cleaning, landscaping, pest control and home security, those expected to be especially popular this year include home improvement and restoration, property management and lawn care.
Customer Acquisition Challenges
With so much competition in the home services industry, it can be difficult to land new clients. In fact, it’s a major headache for 62 percent of home service companies.
Phone calls to prospective clients convert to 10-15x more revenue — and 30 percent faster — than web leads. More than 40 percent of organizations report having increased phone conversion rates by 25 percent or more in the past 12 months.
How, then, can home service business owners take advantage of this proven method of communicating with current and prospective customers, especially when so many are short-staffed? An increasing number of them are employing conversational artificial intelligence (AI).
Conversational AI Basics
Advances in technology — especially machine learning and natural language processing — have broadened the capabilities of chatbots by putting AI at the center. Instead of rules-based programming, which limits customer queries, businesses are employing conversational AI.
By combining advanced automation, AI and natural language processing to enable comprehension of and response to human language, conversational AI automates more natural, human-like interactions — or conversations — between computers and users. It generates clear answers that mimic human interaction and asks follow-up questions if necessary
In addition to being equipped to provide a more flexible conversational flow, conversational AI technology learns from information gathered and is built to understand patterns of human behavior. The result is a variety of helpful responses to basic and complex patient questions.
Advantages of Conversational AI for Home Services Businesses
Conversational AI is most beneficial for home service companies when it meets consumers’ preferences for convenience, personalization and efficiency. Consumers also want services that can be easily scheduled and managed, something else this newer technology achieves.
Customers expect convenience from businesses, no matter the industry. With conversational AI, home service businesses of any size are able to deliver quality customer service 24/7, even after hours and on weekends. And, they do not have to hire additional staff or outsource to do so, giving sales and marketing team members more time to focus on other business initiatives.
When home services businesses utilize conversational AI to schedule appointments, they can streamline the process and manage higher call volumes, increasing productivity and improving efficiency. Plus, they often experience lower cancellation and rescheduling rates.
A research survey from Gartner found that 64 percent of people believe customer experience is more important than pricing. For consumers, being able to more easily and promptly schedule appointments results in a better overall experience and improves satisfaction because they don’t have to spend minutes on hold waiting to speak with a customer service representative. They receive proactive, personalized service and consistent follow-up, whether it is for maintenance reminders or a new project.
Revmo Solutions for Home Service Businesses
With Revmo’s Voice-Enabled Conversational Agents, home service companies like yours can cost-effectively engage potential clients with instant, intelligent responses, helping you markedly boost your conversion rates. Our agents are trained to not only understand but also anticipate customer needs, providing personalized experiences that lead to higher satisfaction and loyalty. Contact us to request a demo and learn more!
