Fresh out of Lowe’s 2019 Provider Summit in Mooresville this month, change is certainly in the air for Lowe’s Installation program! From the IMS portal advancements, CPO/IST staff restructuring, installer consolidation, a host of new corporate roles lead by the new CEO, programs cuts to grow other categories, this just scratches the surface to what’s changing and what’s more to come.
So, what does this mean for you, the local installer? What’s the impact to your day to day? How is my performance being measured and compared now? All great questions which we’ll start to answer, and how we (Cilio Technologies) helps our clients using our CiO software app to get ahead.
How Lowe’s is Now Rating and Comparing Installers:
There are (7) primary ways: C&P, LTR, Capacity, Close Rates, IMS Cycle Times, Overdue IMS Activities, and Installer Involvement. Let’s break it down…
1. Craftsmanship and Professionalism
Been around forever, this is the old 1-7 scale that surveyed customers will rate you on.
- What’s new?
Lowe’s is making an effort to really boost the number of surveys to customers by adding email/texting capabilities instead of traditional phone calls alone - How CiO helps:
Cilio CiO allows you to instantly see what happened on any job to validate a good or bad survey and provide instant answers to your DSM. We can also help track completed survey’s back to your individual field techs to identify who is helping or hurting you!
2. Likely To Recommend
Traditionally many providers thought of this survey rating as primarily the reflection of store performance since their C&P score was all about them.
- What’s new?
Lowe’s is moving to hold everyone who touches an install accountable for delivering this score (store – salesperson – production – installer) and using it as a benchmark to rate the service of the install experience, the way it was originally meant to be used. - How CiO helps:
You can easily document in-app, when issues arise. Maybe it’s a bad salesperson who frequently mis-orders product, a store that can’t deliver the right product, or one of your own techs doing poor work. It’s powerful to click one button and produce a consolidated list of these issues to address with your DSM, which ultimately helps the LTR score!
3. Capacity
This is a measure of the local installers ability to handle the amount of work sold during a given period.
- What’s new?
Lowe’s is developing much improved sales forecasts that weighs past performance, sales promotions, and a variety of variables to know what they expect to sell when. The quarterly capacity survey completed by installers tells Lowe’s if they have enough of your talent available to handle the coming load. - How CiO helps:
With just a few clicks, you can quickly look back to see how much work was sold from each location over a given period, how much each tech did, and much more so you’ll better see where you need to have people before the busy season hits.
4. Close Rates
This is a measure of how many details you do vs. how many become sold installations.
- What’s new?
The past problem was Lowe’s couldn’t easily measure salesperson performance. They are now implementing “Salesforce”, which gives them much better visibility to who is selling what, and how long it’s taking for you to get measures back. - How CiO helps:
The IMS portal requires you to upload scanned copies or electronic versions of your measures. CiO lets you save any measure doc as a blank electronic form that can be filled out right at the jobsite on any mobile device. We can pre-fill any customer or job data on the detail, and even auto-upload it to IMS right from the driveway. Getting clean measures back quickly makes sure the store has every chance to close the job faster.
5. IMS Cycle Times
This is a measure of how long an install takes from Sold to COC.
- What’s new?
With better tools in place to measure it, Lowe’s has set newer standards in place for how long the sale to COC should take, stores obtaining product, install schedule to completion, etc. Installers with better cycle times tend to get more work. - How CiO helps:
It starts with our excellent integration to IMS. Any new work in IMS pops right into your CiO app. You’re automatically informed when product is ready instead of constantly checking IMS activity lists. When a customer signs a COC with their finger on your tech’s cell phone, we immediately auto-upload it to IMS and automatically close the whole job, plus much more! All designed to save hours of effort, and days off your cycle times.
6. Overdue IMS Activities
When IMS launched, it came with a new standard and accountability for “showing your work”. Each step of the install process has a timer, and DSM’s will certainly let you know when you’re past the standard whether you have a good reason or not.
- What’s new?
PSE categories launching in IMS this month make it more consistent of how work is delivered and measured to installers. DSM’s have excellent reporting and will directly interpret the level of service installers provide as to how many overdue IMS activities exist. - How CiO helps:
Prevention starts with visibility, so we show you a clean list of: what’s overdue now, what’s due today, and what’s due in the future. By simply scheduling and managing your work in CiO, overdue activities are usually avoided by just following your normal process. Even so, we have the means to automatically bump out a follow-up date to keep you off any naughty lists if you get busy some days!
7. Installer Involvement
To be clear, it’s not a requirement of Lowe’s for their Installers to get involved with stores or community projects, but it can be rewarding in many ways. Here’s some ideas:
- Lowe’s “Generation T”:
- This is bordering on what you might call a “movement” in the industry, but GenT is a Lowe’s sponsored outreach program designed to bring new people into traditional installation and building trades.
- Goal is to restore honor for craftsmen and develop new talent that will be trained to help build the places we work, eat, and sleep.
- Get Involved: by offering trade expertise, and even has a website where you stay informed or post job offerings to potential team members, located here
- Wins for you: include helping build interest in younger people learning trades, and possibly the talent on your bench in the process.
- In-Store Programs:
- Organized and advertised with the resources of Lowe’s corporate, this is a store-based event that highlights certain product/trade categories on a 4-week rotation.
- For this recurring in-store event, store associates and installers will provide product and installation knowledge to other store associates and customers alike
- Get Involved: by contacting your local store management or DSM for opportunities to join.
- Wins for you: include improving store knowledge and relationships while driving interest and excitement to your trade categories!
Summary:
The only thing constant is change. Lowe’s is making some big investments to be the best installation resource for their customers. The Cilio team with our Customer Installations Online (CiO) app are partnered to help give you the software tools to adapt and excel in your relationship. We focus on what YOUR company needs to help deliver what LOWE’S needs, both today and tomorrow! Let’s talk…
Learn More about CiO: CLICK HERE!
Contact Cilio at: (262) 320-0480 (Ext #2)
Sales@Ciliotech.com | www.ciliocio.com
