In 60 Seconds
- •The 'Name/Phone' Trap: If you only collect Name and Phone, you are blind. You cannot segment. You cannot market.
- •Equipment Data: You must know the Age, Brand, and Model of their equipment. This allows you to send 'Your unit is 10 years old' emails.
- •House Data: Year Built, Square Footage, Gate Codes. This operational data saves the technician's time.
- •Source Attribution: Every record must have a 'Source' field (Google Ads, Facebook, Referral). If you don't track this, you don't know ROI.
- •LTV (Lifetime Value): The record must calculate total spend. VIPs (High LTV) should get faster service than one-time callers.
Data is the new oil. But unrefined oil is sludge.
If your CRM is full of duplicate contacts ("Bob Smith", "Bob S", "Robert Smith"), missing emails, and zero equipment data, you cannot run a modern business.
You need to enforce a Strict Schema for your Customer Record.
The Anatomy of the Record
1. Identity (The Basics)
- First/Last Name: Separate fields! (Not "Bob Smith" in one field).
- Mobile Phone: Label it Mobile. Landlines break SMS automation.
- Email: Mandatory. No email = No marketing.
2. The Property (The Context)
- Year Built: Crucial for Plumbing/Electrical (Lead pipes? Aluminum wiring?).
- Gate Code: Save this forever. Don't ask every time.
- Dog Name: "Beware of Buster" prevents lawsuits.
3. The Assets (The Money)
This is where the money is.
- Equipment 1: [Brand] [Model] [Install Date] [Serial].
- Why: In 2029, you can run a report: "Show me all Carrier units installed in 2019 that are out of warranty." -> Send Sales Campaign.
4. The Source (The ROI)
- Lead Source: "Google LSAs".
- Campaign: "Summer AC Promo".
- Why: Tells you where to spend your marketing budget.
Data Entry Discipline
The software won't save you if your humans are lazy.
- The "Required Field" Rule: Make Email and Lead Source mandatory fields. The CSR cannot save the booking without them.
- The "Technician Audit": The tech cannot close the job until they scan the Model and Serial number of the unit.
Verification Checklist
- Deduplication: Do you merge duplicates weekly?
- Tagging: Do you use tags for status? (
VIP,Do Not Service,Membership Member). - Validation: Does your form check if the phone number has 10 digits?
Common Mistakes
[!TIP] Separate Billing vs. Service Address Landlords live at A, but the service is at B. If you mix these up, you will send the invoice to the tenant (Angry Owner) or send the tech to the Owner's house (Angry Tenant). Maintain two address blocks.
- Free Text Fields: Don't let reps type "Google" in a text box. They will type "Gogle", "Googel", "Ads". Use a Dropdown Menu.
- Deleting History: Never delete a customer. "Archive" them. You need the history for warranty disputes.
FAQ
Q: What if the customer refuses to give email? A: Train the CSR scripts. "I need your email to send the confirmation and the technician's photo for safety." They will give it.
Q: Should I buy data (append services)? A: Yes. Services like Clearbit can take an email and give you the LinkedIn profile and Company info. Useful for Commercial sales.
Sources and References
- Twilio Segment: The Customer Data Platform Guide - Schema best practices.
- ServiceTitan: Data hygiene for contractors - Cleaning the list.
Changelog
- 2024-07-18: Initial publication.
Read Next in This Hub:
- Data Hygiene - keeping it clean.
- Job Costing - Using the data.
Related System:
- Automation Architecture - Setting up the fields.