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Don't Get Pissed If Someone Cancels A Job

Guest post by: Michael O'Grady

Article Overview: In the home services industry, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, remodeling etc … there are going to be times things happen and people have to cancel a job. As a sales professional, you’ve done your job. You’ve post-closed, made sure everyone involved in the buying decision was comfortable and you get the phone call.

Don't Get Pissed If Someone Cancels A Job

Imagine sitting down for dinner at your favorite restaurant. You’ve just placed your order and anxiously await your delicious entrée, preceded by a nice bottle of wine and some delicious appetizers.

Then BAM, it happens. Your cell phone rings and it’s the baby sitter informing you that one of your young children is sick. You not only have to leave the restaurant immediately, but you can’t even take your order to go. This undoubtedly would be a source of frustration for not only you but the restaurant staff.

Imagine as you explain your situation to the restaurant staff they expressed their displeasure to you and inform you that you would be charged full price for the uneaten dinners. I know if my kids were sick I could care less what someone said or did to me at that moment. But, I know darn well I’d never go back to that restaurant and make sure everyone I spoke to for the rest of my life heard how I was treated.

Things Happen

In the home services industry, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, remodeling etc … there are going to be times things happen and people have to cancel a job. As a sales professional, you’ve done your job. You’ve post-closed, made sure everyone involved in the buying decision was comfortable and you get the phone call.

I want to share a one specific situation that I experienced when selling to homeowners. I was out to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Ackerson on three different occasions over the span of a month regarding the heating and air-conditioning systems for their home. I took notice that their personality types were both very analytical (to an extreme).

The Ackersons had six estimates and finally settled on my company to do the work. This job was well over $20,000 and was keeping four of my installers busy for two days. The equipment had been ordered and delivered and the permits were filed. In other words, much effort and some expense had been put into getting this job ready for installation.

How to make lemonade from lemons

The night before the installation was scheduled, I received the phone call. Mr. Ackerson let me know that he had a challenging couple days at work. He was beginning to have some insecurity about his position at work. He and Mrs. Ackerson had decided to hold off on the installation of the heating and air-conditioning systems. I did more listening than speaking at this point. When I did speak I made sure Mr. Ackerson knew I had true concern, not only for his decision on holding off (especially with the current condition of his heating and cooling system), but also for his and Mrs. Ackerson’s future. In the end I wished him well, asked that he call me with any questions or concerns in the future and thanked him for the opportunity.

In my sales and business career I have come across several times where that exact situation was handled much differently. I’ve seen business owners attempt to bill customers for time invested. I’ve had sales people inform customers that they couldn’t cancel on such short notice claiming “It was against the law.” I’m sorry, but that is just ridiculous! Think about the big picture and how those people must feel having to be put into that situation. How would you feel?

In the end, the Ackerson’s gave me a referral two weeks later. This new customer not only purchased a new heating and air-conditioning system, he also referred me to another customer that purchased a new heating and air-conditioning system as well. All of this would not have happened if I got upset and held a grudge with the Ackersons.



Keeping a a positive attitude when jobs get canceled and doing your best to help others will lead to more referrals and more closed jobs.

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Article Tags: contractor selling, sales psychology, selling to homeowners



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