Local Service Contractors Gain Valuable Competitive Edge Working With American Home Shield

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's economy, savvy service contractors understand the importance of building the right customer mix and working with businesses that can help them not only weather the storm, but grow.  At the same time, businesses that work with service contractors are wise to maintain open channels of communication with them to understand what's working, what's not, and how they can strengthen these relationships.

With a network of 11,000 approved and independently insured service contractors across the nation, American Home Shield, a leader in the home service contract industry, recently surveyed its contractor network, and the feedback was loud and clear:  Working with American Home Shield (AHS) is proving to be a beneficial business decision for service contractors.

In all, 2,300 service contractors/owners in six trade categories voiced their opinions.

• 86 percent said "it is easy and efficient for their company to work with AHS."
• 78 percent responded they "are able to gain retail business resulting from AHS home service contract work."
• 96 percent indicated that they "plan to maintain and expand their relationship with AHS within the next two years."

"Such high regard from our service contractors is a real indicator to us of the quality affiliation AHS offers," says Dave Quandt, AHS senior vice president of field operations. "To gain their loyalty and know we are helping them generate new business opportunities reinforce our belief that we work with the best in the business."

The survey also indicates AHS is greatly preferred among those working with multiple home-service contract companies. Of the more than 1,500 respondents that fit this niche description, 84 percent said they feel "AHS is the best home service contract company for their company to work with."

"The opportunities resulting from our partnership with American Home Shield have helped our business remain competitive, especially in recent economic times," says AHS contractor Mark Lair, operations manager with A-US Air Conditioning of Texas.  "AHS connects us with clients who often call on us for additional questions regarding their home.  These requests help us broaden the range of services and expertise we provide our customers and generate additional work opportunities for us."  

With nearly 1.4 million customers in 49 states, AHS depends on their service contractors to provide timely, professional, top-quality service to their customers – and they ask each customer for feedback on their experience with their local service contractor.

"We ask each customer a very simple question after the service contractor has been to their home: 'Would you recommend this contractor to your friends and/or family?' This gives us terrific insight into their service experience, and we share this information with the contractor," says Quandt. "It allows us to keep a pulse on how things are going in the field, and it helps us address issues as they arise and maintain open channels of communication with our service contractor network."

This customer feedback is an important component of a $1.2 million Contractor Quality Bonus Program that AHS announced in July.

Through the Contractor Quality Bonus Program, AHS will reward a $25,000 bonus to the top performer in each of its six service categories (appliances, electrical, garage doors, HVAC, plumbing and pool/spa).  In addition, up to 180 top performing service contractors will receive bonuses ranging from $2,500 to $15,000, depending on service trade and number of work orders they receive from AHS in 2010.  The company has set up a special website, www.AHSBigScore.com, to keep service contractors up-to-date on the latest information about the program.

About American Home Shield

American Home Shield helped found the home service plan industry in 1971 and remains an industry leader, servicing nearly 1.4 million customers across 49 states. The Memphis-based company operates three customer service centers, employs over 1,800 employees and has over 11,000 approved, independently insured service contractors nationwide. American Home Shield is part of the ServiceMaster family of brands, one of the world's largest and most versatile service networks. The company's brands include TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec.

SOURCE American Home Shield