In the ever-evolving landscape of home services, staying ahead of the curve is not just an advantage—it's a necessity. At Authority Brands and BuyMax, we're proud to be at the forefront of this revolution, empowering our franchise owners with innovative tools that redefine excellence in customer service.
In keeping with this dedication to innovation, BuyMax launched Rilla to One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky at the end of 2024.
Rilla, a groundbreaking virtual ride-along software, is setting new standards in the industry. Imagine a world where every customer interaction is an opportunity for growth, where real-time insights transform ordinary service calls into extraordinary experiences. Rilla stands at the forefront of virtual ride-along technology for the home services industry, offering AI-powered software that revolutionizes customer interactions.
By recording face-to-face conversations, providing intelligent transcription, and delivering actionable insights, Rilla empowers technicians and sales representatives to enhance service quality and drive business growth. This cutting-edge tool not only optimizes performance through data-driven feedback but also facilitates comprehensive quality assurance and training, ultimately equipping home service providers with the means to excel in a trust-centric sector.
Franchise owners using Rilla have seen great results.
Derek Cole – One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning of Laurinburg, NC
Derek Cole, general manager of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Laurinburg, North Carolina, has found a game-changing solution to the challenges of traditional ridealongs. Rilla allows Derek to leave real-time comments for technicians, offering a more efficient and comprehensive approach to performance evaluation.
Adoption of Rilla in Derek's shop is currently at 20%, with plans to increase usage by tying it to technicians' bonuses. The goal is to have all techs record 100% of their calls, with bonuses awarded for anything over 80% usage. Employees who embrace Rilla appreciate the detailed account of service calls and the opportunity for feedback. Derek notes, "My comfort advisor loves it because he can go back and listen to what happened, and it's a play-by-play. It's a lot easier to talk about what happened with the game film right there."
In the few months since implementing Rilla, Derek has observed positive changes in employee-customer interactions. He advises other leaders in the home services industry to consider Rilla, emphasizing its benefits for technicians, including improved job performance and earning potential. Derek concludes, "With Rilla, you can be much more efficient, much better, and get a real recording of real calls. We're making sure we're doing the right thing by the customer every single time. Yes, you trust your team, but you get to verify that what you teach is what is actually happening out there."
Caleb Corkern - One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning of Lee’s Summit, MO
Caleb Corkern, operations manager at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Lee's Summit, Missouri, faced challenges in conducting traditional ride-alongs with technicians due to time constraints. His brother Kyle, the general manager, helped implement Rilla.
The use of Rilla has led to significant improvements in consistency among staff and positive customer feedback. The software tracks key conversation points, allowing managers to monitor important steps in customer interactions. Technicians are required to record at least two calls per week, and the Corkerns emphasize that the technology is used as a training tool to enhance skills and improve customer experience, not for punitive actions.
Rilla has become an integral part of the company's operations, being used in team meetings, one-on-one sessions, and for preparing follow-up calls to customers with open estimates. The Corkerns liken the use of Rilla to a football team watching game film, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and maintain their competitive edge in the home services industry.
Ron Crabtree - Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, and Mister Sparky Retail Locations
For Ron Crabtree, VP of retail sales and operations, implementing Rilla's AI-powered virtual ride-along software has been transformative. The technology has led to significant improvements, including a $53 average ticket increase for service calls and a $600 average increase in sales prices. Rilla allows managers to efficiently listen to service calls and provide feedback to technicians, reducing the time required for ride-alongs from hours to just 10 minutes.
Rilla has quickly become a valuable communications tool for Ron's team since its implementation. The software is user-friendly, with simple onboarding and easy-to-navigate app and web versions. Ron emphasizes to his technicians that Rilla is an essential tool for enhancing communication with customers, noting that technical expertise alone is insufficient without effective communication skills. Additionally, the software's recording feature provides protection for technicians in potentially difficult customer interactions.
Both employees and customers have embraced Rilla's capabilities. Managers utilize the AI bot "Rick" for quick summaries of service calls and to locate specific information within conversations. The translation feature has proven particularly useful in servicing Spanish-speaking customers. Some technicians have become enthusiastic users of the app, eagerly recording their interactions and seeking feedback. Customers appreciate the accountability that comes with recorded conversations, feeling more at ease knowing that the interaction is documented, which reduces the likelihood of misinformation or dishonesty.
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