Marty Cullen is the owner of A1 Plumbing in Boise, Idaho. We spoke with Marty recently about how he came to own a plumbing service business, the changes that he has noticed in the industry, and his experience with ServiceTitan.
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Q: When did you get into the business and what changes have you experienced?
A: I purchased A1 Plumbing in 2008 from the previous owner. At that time, A1 only offered plumbing services, but we have since added heating and air to our capabilities. I knew about plumbing, but brought my experience in business to the market. When I bought the company, we were at the peak of the economy and construction market; in two years, the business dropped by 35 percent. Since then, my business has grown by 300 percent by being able to change to meet market demand and to incorporate new technology to make the business better, which is why I have enjoyed working with ServiceTitan.
Q: How has ServiceTitan helped your business and customer service?
A: It’s been just two months since we started using the ServiceTitan platform, and the biggest factor I have found so far is how it has enabled our techs to better communicate with our customers. Being able to attach videos and pictures from our sales team to the install teams has really improved our ability to ask customers questions just once, instead of multiple times. Our field teams are really happy with ServiceTitan. The ServiceTitan implementation team conducted hands-on training with our techs before we migrated to the new software, which allowed us to have a great idea of how things worked before we actually started. I am a firm believer that you get out what you put in when it comes to software integration; we put a lot of time and effort into integration and that made it easier for everyone once we started.
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Q: How was the integration process for your business with ServiceTitan?
A: The integration plan and process from ServiceTitan can be summed up in one word: exceptional. There was someone from ServiceTitan with us the entire way through the process. Senior leaders from ServiceTitan have been extremely helpful, and working together, it went very well. We dedicated one of our staff members to work closely with ServiceTitan and she owned the process, which I thought was vitally important. The ServiceTitan integration specialists went through everything in excruciating detail for the data conversion, provided extensive documentation, and had everything buttoned up before we went live. The level of support and assistance from ServiceTitan has been nothing short of amazing; even after we went live, the ServiceTitan team has gone out of their way to help us. The analogy for me is like golf —you can have the most expensive club, golf balls, and equipment, but it is still up to you to swing; if we swing and don’t get it right, ServiceTitan has been there to help us correct our mistakes.
Q: How did you handle your operations before ServiceTitan?
A: We were with another provider and just switched over in March of 2016. The product that we used before was a good product, but it was more difficult to integrate with our systems. We had to use a Windows 8 tablet with that product, but with ServiceTitan, we have a number of mobile products that we can use and our techs love how ServiceTitan works.
Q: Would you recommend ServiceTitan to other plumbing and HVAC businesses?
A: Absolutely. ServiceTitan’s support and service has been amazing, and they have kept all of their promises. My recommendation for other businesses is that if you are looking for a silver bullet that will solve all of your problems, you need to get out of the business. To successfully implement a new software like ServiceTitan requires work — you have to look at your processes and data and put in the effort. This is a good thing though, because by going through the process, you understand how to use the software to make your business better. The easiest way to say it is that what ServiceTitan has to offer is a fabulous tool, but you have to use it to better understand how to improve your business, and that is what the platform has helped me to do for A1 Plumbing.
ServiceTitan Software
ServiceTitan is a comprehensive software solution built specifically to help service companies streamline their operations, boost revenue, and substantially elevate the trajectory of their business. Our comprehensive, cloud-based platform is used by thousands of electrical, HVAC, plumbing, garage door, and chimney sweep shops across the country—and has increased their revenue by an average of 25% in just their first year with us.
