Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeff Morgan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jeff thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Has Covid resulted in any major changes to your business model?

We became more involved with our employees. Their needs and dreams. We noticed the toll COVID was taking on everyone and did something about it.
We eliminated 24/7, nights and weekends
Immediately our thoughtfulness paid dividends.
More productive, healthier and happier workforce.
We also attracted better personal to come aboard.

Jeff, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a son of a son of a plumber who began his career in the summer of 1978. After working with family and a large national franchise for a total of 19 years I set out on my own in 1997.
I remember numerous customers asking me when would I start my own business and those types of statements sparked my imagination.
After watching how plumbers were treated as merely numbers I knew there had to be a better balance, a better way to treat plumbers.
It took decades to finally find that balance but we never gave up in believing that there has to be a better way.
Believing in yourself, your abilities, your mission and never wavering or giving up is crucial.
After all, if you never give up you can not lose.
There were lean, dark moments along the way. Times when you realized why so many of us small business owners give up because, man, it’s not easy.
It’s not easy when your employees are late, your material bills are due and your customers are screaming for satisfaction.
It’s not easy informing your spouse there will be no check this week, month, quarter.
But we never gave up.
You have to be willing to make changes, make the tough decisions and live with them.
We have always been great at taking accountability for our actions and that has helped us maintain a fantastic customer base within this community.
This area is not that large so if you are out there taking advantage of people it doesn’t take long for our metro area to find out and be wary of you, your name, your reputation.
Because we always took accountability some of our vendors, many of our vendors, bent over backwards to see us through.
It wasn’t until the middle of COVID that we made the greatest change of all.
We noticed our plumbers looked tired, lethargic even. The energy level to keep going was just too much. So…
We cut out nights and weekends.
No more 24/7 as most of the rest of our industry provides.
It was one of the scariest moves we ever made and it paid off instantly.
It gave our associates time to relax, be with their family, take care of themselves.
No more worry about on call scheduling.
Immediately our staff was more productive, plugged in, responsive and receptive.
Sales climbed, customer satisfaction increased and our plumbers brought ideas to the table to make this place better that the rest.
It’s something I wish we had done 20 years ago.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Being present. Being accountable. Doing what you say you will do. Sometimes, the customer is the wrong fit. It’s important to cancel that business relationship and never go back.
That is doing what you say you will also. Going back for the sake of a sale, or monthly goals, would destroy your credibility with your team.
So, spending the right amount of time with the right customer is vital.
One more thing:
It’s never been as easy to find customers or for them to find you. Be where they are looking and be there consistently.
It is not the customer’s job to remember you. It is your responsibility to maintain contact in a way that they will always want you.
Be known before you are needed.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

We send a custom thank you card via “snail mail” for every customer. They are witty, thoughtful and memorable. We also send “special” gifts to those who spend over a certain threshold.
Many times our plumbers will report our customers show them the last thank you card they recieved and are looking forward to the next.
Our customers also get special discount cards delivered to them that are exclusive to just them.

Contact Info:

• Website: MorganMillerPlumbing.com
• Instagram: Morgan Miller Plumbing
• Facebook: Morgan Miller Plumbing
• Linkedin: Morgan Miller Plumbing
• Twitter: Morganmillerkc