Customer Spotlight: Handyman Connection of McKinney

We recently sat down with Christian from Handyman Connection McKinney to discuss the growth their business is seeing and how they are using services like ours to reach their fullest potential.

Tell us a little bit about Handyman Connection of McKinney. How did the business get started?

Handyman Connection was established in 1991, and was the first handyman concept to offer franchise opportunities beginning in 1993. But I opened the McKinney location in early 2016. I worked in IT for a Fortune 500 company for about 18 years, and decided I wanted more stability and a change of pace. I moved to Panama, and then Puerto Rico where I bought a house and started doing a lot of home improvements. It ultimately ended up costing me much more than I was anticipating, and I thought that there had to be a way to do this more cost effectively while still providing the same level of quality; there was an opportunity to provide quality, professional home services. That's when I decided to make the career move and start my own Handyman Connection business in McKinney.

Who is your target customer?

Anyone that owns a home or business.

Handyman Connection is a handyman and home improvement franchise concept that serves the repair, restoration and maintenance needs of residential and commercial properties. Handyman Connection specializes in small- to medium-sized home improvements, repairs and remodeling projects that cover a wide range of “around-the-house” type handyman services.

Tell us a little about Handyman Connection of McKinney

Handyman Connection was created in 1991 and is the oldest national branch of handyman services. The mission of the company was to make handyman services more attractive to homeowners while improving the process. Our founder introduced a lot of new technology in the way that we communicate with our customers. As a company, we brought that evolution of the business and are constantly looking forward to what can be done in the future. We tend to focus on small to medium size jobs, so that could be anything from a drywall repair to a whole kitchen remodel. I opened my franchise here in McKinney in the beginning of 2016.

What is unique about your business compared to other handyman services?

We bring a lot of value to the customer by offering quality, professional handyman services with excellent support. We offer more than just a service. Our priority is making sure our customers feel at ease. We communicate with the customers via email and text messages to confirm appointments. We have a tracking app where the customer can see when the handyman is on the way to their home. The support center is always there to make sure everything is operating smoothly. Our customers are willing to pay slightly more to get a quality service that can be relied on.

What were your biggest lead generation challenges prior to using Service Direct? What problem were you trying to overcome?

Consistency. Getting a consistent volume of quality leads throughout the year is a big challenge. When we are very busy, we have an overflow of work. When we are slower, this is when we want to flip a switch and get leads immediately. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. That’s why I want to diversify my marketing efforts and my reach, especially during the slow season. It's risky to put all of your eggs in one basket. Some marketing efforts will work better at different times of the year than others.

Which benefits were the most compelling in terms of addressing and solving those challenges?

To be diversified, to have a wide strategy. I've learned to plan wide and focus narrowly. I have different campaigns, mostly online, some yard signs, and some paper. I’m trying to be a little bit everywhere. Based on how each campaign performs, I'll take different strategies with different audiences. Service Direct tackles one side of it, which is the PPC. It’s very important. A high portion of our requests come from Google search, the ad work and search. You need to PPC, SEO, and SEM to be apart of that market.

How has Service Direct impacted your company, increased the quality of your leads, or solved former challenges?

I don’t think there is one thing that is working 100%. There is always good and bad with any type of marketing. For Service Direct, there is less control about who we are targeting. Without being an expert, the location is targeted rather than knowing the demographics of the person. So quality, we don’t see it much better than other lead sources. One thing that is great would be the ability to get credit back for leads that are not billable.

Can you provide a data point that supports this impact (e.g. a before/after comparison that demonstrates the improvement or business impact)?

Overall, ROI of 8% (this year, but 9% last year) with Service Direct. It’s average, which is good. It’s not just the lead we receive, but how we manage and service that lead. It’s our responsibility to take over and make sure we provide good service. You can bring us the best lead in the world and if we don’t do anything to the lead, it won’t turn into a job.

Which features/benefits have you found to be the most useful? Did you find a feature particularly useful that was surprising or unexpected?

I like the platform. The fact that we can review the calls and there is visibility is really nice. I like that we can see the landing page and make changes from there. It’s easier to facilitate interactions to make adjustments to the campaigns. I think there is some work to be done to the landing page. I think the landing page plays a huge role in terms of converting the lead. I think it’s basic. I want it to have more info about the value we can bring as well as the fact that we are insured and bonded.

Can you provide a quote that highlights you're experience with us that other prospective clients may find useful in their search for marketing services?

I think it is important that every company takes action and is a part of their ads. They need to be secure in SEM. Service Direct is an interesting player and one of the differences is that they are charging per lead and there is flexibility to get credit back on lead. For other players, you set up a monthly budget, but you don’t have the opportunity to get credit back on the lead.

Why would you recommend our product/service to other potential companies?

Getting credit back on leads sets Service Direct a part from other companies.

A big thanks to Christian of Handyman Connection of McKinney for taking the time to speak with us. For more information about Handyman Connection of McKinney, visit https://www.handymanconnection.com/mckinney/.

**Disclaimer: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.**