Customer Service

Frank Besednjak views customer service not as a department, but as the fundamental basis of a successful business. He argues that in the service industry, the technical fix is the bare minimum expectation. True value and customer loyalty are built on the overall experience.

He is a vocal critic of businesses that are so inwardly focused they fail to see their operations from the customer's perspective. His philosophy calls for a higher standard of service in the trades, one that rivals the experience a customer would expect in a high-end restaurant or a doctor's office.

The Customer Care Plus System

In 2009, inspired by the customer feedback surveys he encountered at major chains like Marriott and Burger King, Frank Besednjak co-founded Customer Care Plus with his business partner, Mark Schmidt. He recognized that while large corporations were systematically gathering customer intelligence, most small to medium-sized HVAC contractors were not.

He created Customer Care Plus to bridge this gap, providing an affordable and powerful tool for contractors to track and improve the customer experience. The system, which utilizes software from Mindshare Technologies, is designed to provide immediate, detailed, and actionable feedback.

Key Features

The system goes far beyond a simple one-question survey. Besednjak is critical of surveys that only ask for a recommendation score, arguing that while they might tell you a customer is unhappy, they fail to explain why. Customer Care Plus is a "smart system" that asks a series of pertinent questions based on the customer's initial responses.

For example, it can differentiate between an installation and a service call, and if a customer provides a negative rating, it prompts them for more specific information. This allows contractors to drill down into the root causes of dissatisfaction.

Instant Response and Analytics

The system provides instant alerts to the contractor when a poor rating is received, enabling them to react quickly and resolve the issue, often on the same day. This rapid response capability is a key feature, as it can help mitigate negative sentiment before it escalates to public review sites like Yelp or Angie's List.

The data is also aggregated and analyzed, breaking down results by technician and by question, and presenting the information in graphs. This allows managers to identify systemic weaknesses, such as consistent issues with punctuality or a specific technician's performance, and use that data for performance evaluations and targeted training.

At a cost of $99 per month, Besednjak designed the service to be accessible to businesses of all sizes, from large companies to small five-person shops.

The Philosophy of the Customer Experience

The creation of Customer Care Plus is a direct extension of Besednjak's core philosophy on customer service. He believes that customers measure the value of a service not just by the outcome, but by the entire experience. In his view, the HVAC industry has for too long accepted a lower standard of service.

He challenges contractors to elevate their practices to be on par with other professional service providers. This means paying attention to the "little key things" that customers notice but often have no easy way to communicate back to the company, such as a technician's demeanor or whether they used protective coverings on the floor.

The Unique Emotional Proposition

This focus on the holistic experience leads to his concept of the "Unique Emotional Proposition." He argues that since most buying decisions are driven by emotion rather than logic, businesses must focus on creating an emotional connection with their customers.

A "Unique Selling Proposition" (like a lifetime guarantee) appeals to logic, but a "Unique Emotional Proposition" builds loyalty on a deeper level. This involves understanding and solving a customer's problems, emphasizing benefits that create an emotional tie, and defining a customer experience promise that goes beyond price or product.

He suggests that prioritizing customer happiness as a core value and measuring success by the quality of the customer experience, not just financial metrics, is the key to long-term success. By creating a positive emotional association, businesses can differentiate themselves in a crowded market and build a loyal customer base that is less sensitive to price.