While Dunright Building Services is only seven years old, its president, Bill McConnell, has been in the business since the 1980s. His early experiences left McConnell wanting his own company so he could do things his own way.
“We wanted to be able to walk it like we talk it,” McConnell says. “We just didn’t have that working for someone else.”
In relatively short order, that desire has turned into a business in which up to 60% of new jobs come from repeat and referral clients. McConnell says that’s because his team treats customer service as more than just a buzzword. For example, if there’s a problem with a manufacturer’s materials, McConnell sends someone from his firm to fix it rather than letting a manufacturer rep deal with it.
“I’m not going to allow some tech we’ve never met destroy the trust that customer placed in our company,” he says. “That also gives us a chance to see if there’s anything else that needs to be taken care of or another job they want done.”
But McConnell isn’t relying only on past customers as he looks to a $2 million 2018. He’s transitioning his marketing from traditional media to digital, but using traditional media to help.
Take radio endorsements. Rather than give up that solid lead generator, McConnell is working with the station to take those endorsements digital as well as over the radio waves. At the same time, he’s branching into the social media world of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Digital aside, McConnell also builds his business simply by being a good citizen. His firm does regular volunteer work and donates to local churches, charities, and fundraisers.
“I think it’s part of what you’re supposed to do as a community business person,” McConnell says. “It’s a responsibility of people who live and work here to help people who are less fortunate.”
