Emotions can run high in an industry where restoration customers are dealing with the stress of property damage. As a restoration contractor, noticing signs that restoration customers are becoming frustrated with you and implementing the right strategies to de-escalate is critical. Jake Scorse, Contractor Success Manager at OCS, works with restoration contractors navigating customer relationships everyday. Here is his advice for how to successfully lower tensions and de-escalate with restoration customers.
Many of the signs that you need to de-escalate with restoration customers are similar to the cues of frustration in everyday life, like raised voices, crossed arms, or being unwilling to cooperate. One of the less obvious warning signs Jake recommends contractors watch out for is restoration customers bringing up the same issues repeatedly.
“Some people get really hung up on one or two things,” Jake says. “If they keep bringing that up, they don’t feel like it’s resolved.” Once you identify tensions are rising, take action to resolve the customer’s concerns right away. If restoration customers continue to remain frustrated, it can lead to bigger problems down the road like demands for immediate resolution or refunds.
So you’ve realized one of your restoration customers is becoming frustrated or concerned with your work. Where do you go from there? The way you try to de-escalate with restoration customers when tensions are rising can have a big impact on the outcome. Here are the strategies Jake recommends for restoration contractors when they’re trying to de-escalate with restoration customers:
Remain calm while addressing your customer’s concerns. “I don’t think you need to overreact most of the time,” Jake says. “It’s always about just being level-headed.”
“It’s all about active listening,” Jake says. Acknowledge the customer’s concerns and feelings, regardless of what they’re about. When restoration customers feel heard and understood, it can help lower tensions.
If you’ve followed all the correct restoration processes, then you should be confident and stand by your work. “If you’re not confident in the answer that you’re providing, it’s not going to come through very clearly,” Jake explains. Restoration customers will be able to see that, and it might further fuel their concerns.
Be careful to avoid becoming defensive or using confrontational language, even if you believe you’ve done everything correctly. If you become defensive, it can make the customer feel like you’re trying to dodge responsibility and aren’t actually listening to them. Instead, acknowledge your role in their frustration and explain how you will assuage their concerns going forward.
Once you’re able to identify their core concerns, commit to changing your behavior going forward to lessen their concern. Even if you don’t feel that you’ve done anything wrong, offers like increased communication, transparency, and explanations can often help put some of your customer’s concerns to bed.
At the very end of every job, ask your restoration customers to sign a Certificate of Satisfaction indicating that they are satisfied with the work and the job was completed. This helps provide a time for customers to voice any additional concerns at the end of a job. It also provides helpful legal protection for your restoration company.
To learn more about Certificates of Satisfaction in the restoration industry, read this blog post.
If you’re a part of the restoration industry and interested in hearing more advice from seasoned industry professionals, subscribe to OCS’s newsletter.
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Hi there! I’m Connor, the Account Executive for One Claim. My goal is to guide our contractors through the sales process, ensuring you’re equipped with all the information you need to make your decision and hit the ground running once aboard. We view ourselves as an extension of your business and I strive to make the process an enlightening and consultative one.
My career has primarily been focused in software sales over a few different industries but the last few years were spent helping general contractors solve similar problems to what we’re doing here at OCS! Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, cooking and boating during the summer months.
Hello! I’m Nicole, and I’m here to champion for our employees, recruit for new talent, and impact culture at One Claim Solution. I find satisfaction in supporting a memorable employee experience and bring innovation, problem solving, and strategic view to the process. Nothing is more important than our people, and a healthy culture is my top priority! I have had the pleasure of building my career in various sectors, specializing in small to medium size firms focused on high-growth. My experience is centered around driving and implementing change, leading high-performing teams, and driving process improvements. I am excited to make an impact at One Claim. Outside of work, my family and I enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible to explore beautiful Colorado!
Great to meet you! I’m Elizabeth, and I’m the one behind all the emails and advertisements you’ve been seeing. As the Demand Generation Manager at One Claim Solution, my mission is to connect with contractors like you who need our services. I’m passionate about having an impact on others and I bring a wealth of experience in demand generation and marketing strategy to create moments of delight, curiosity, and education for you.
Prior to One Claim Solution, I had the privilege of building marketing departments from the ground up at companies in a variety of industries, including IT consulting, first protection, and healthcare. Personally, I love being outdoors, playing Dungeons and Dragons and board games, singing, and traveling.
Welcome! I’m Alisha, and I’m here to champion your success as the Director of Contractor Success at One Claim. With a passion for helping contractors thrive, I bring a wealth of experience in onboarding, customer service, and account management to ensure your journey with us is nothing short of exceptional.
Prior to joining One Claim, I had the privilege of scaling SMB and Enterprise Customer Success teams at fast-growing SaaS startups. With over six years of experience at companies like Mavenlink, Teamwork, and ServiceTitan, I honed my expertise in building high-performing teams and fostering proactive, consultative relationships. This background has equipped me with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by businesses like yours, and I’m dedicated to helping you overcome them.
Hi there, my name is Eric! I am the Chief Technology Officer here at OCS, spearheading our technical strategy. I have a background in computer science, graduating cum laude from BYU-Idaho with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Technology.
Before coming to One Claim, I served as the Director of Engineering at Slingshot Technology, Inc., a company later acquired by WorkWave in 2021. My professional journey has spanned both emerging startups and established corporations, with a steadfast focus on cultivating high-trust, low bureaucracy teams and innovating technology using agile methodologies.
In my free time, you can find me flying drones, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with my family.
Hello, my name is Cam, I’m the COO of One Claim Solution! I come from a management consulting background (Bain & Company) and hold an MBA from the University of Michigan. I have worked at a wide variety of organizations, from Fortune 500 to small-cap, in an equally wide variety of industries. I have over 15 years of experience in operations and strategic growth, and I have spent much of my career focused on developing high-performing tech-enabled service organizations through early stage and high growth phases.
Outside of work, my wife Brittny and I have four kids, ages 13 to 6. As residents of Mesa, Arizona, we love to ski and explore the national parks of the southwest!
Hello, my name is Dan, and I am the CEO of One Claim Solution. I am super excited by everything we are doing at OCS to be the market leading insurance billing specialist that advocates on behalf of our restoration contractors.
My professional experiences are predominantly corporate in nature. My career started at General Electric in finance and accounting. Immediately prior to joining OCS, I spent time as an investor at Bondcliff Partners and management consultant with Bain & Company. I also hold an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and got my BS in finance and accounting from Northeastern University.
Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time with my wife, two young children, and our family dog, Whiskey. We live in Charleston, SC and take advantage of the beautiful weather by spending as much time as possible outside at the beach or adventuring around town
Hi, I’m Josh! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Jeremy Traasdahl, and I serve as General Counsel of One Claim Solution. Working in the restoration industry, Jeremy and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to see our company grow and to advocate for our clients as general counsel.
Outside of my passion for helping the restoration industry, I enjoy spending time outdoors, fly-fishing, hunting, skiing, and coaching my kids’ baseball teams. I’ve been married to my amazing wife for 20 years and we have a beautiful family of 5 children.
Hey, I’m Jeremy! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Josh Ehmke. Working in the restoration industry, Josh and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to lead our amazing team.
Prior to One Claim Solution, I started my career as an inside sales rep for Avnet, then moved to Pepsico as a district sales manager. Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife and four children, two boys and two girls!
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