In any profession, no matter the industry, there’s one universal truth: if you don’t stand out, you will only blend in. And blending in is a fast track to becoming irrelevant in the eyes of customers who are overwhelmed with a plethora of options. To be successful, home service companies need to ask themselves this every single day: “How am I setting myself apart from the competition?”

Price should be secondary to value

When a customer pushes back on price, it’s not always about affordability. More often, it’s because they haven’t seen the true value in what’s being offered. If you’re constantly hearing that your price is too high, it’s not just your rates that are under scrutiny. It’s your ability to clearly communicate why your service is worth it and how customers will benefit. 

Imagine a homeowner calling two HVAC companies for a quote on replacing their aging air conditioning unit. One company gives a flat quote over the phone. The second sends a technician for a detailed inspection, offers a report showing where energy is being lost, recommends a high-efficiency unit that saves hundreds annually on the power bill, and includes a three-year maintenance package with priority service. That second company’s quote is 20% higher, but the customer feels reassured, informed and taken care of.

When you highlight how your work enhances safety, long-term savings, and peace of mind, you shift the conversation from “how much does it cost?” to “how much is this worth to me?”

To shift the conversation, ask yourself:

• Am I selling an air conditioning unit or offering year-round comfort, better air quality, energy savings, solid guarantees, dependable service and total peace of mind? 

• Am I offering a plumbing fix, or am I offering a long-term solution with warranties and follow-ups?

That’s what you want to be selling as opposed to simply swapping a box, which is what most competitors are doing. Your differentiation is your value, and that needs to be obvious.

Personalization is the new standard

Today’s consumers expect services that feel customized and relevant. One-size-fits-all is out; thoughtful, attentive experiences are in. Personalized service makes customers feel seen and heard, and that creates loyalty that often beats low prices.

Consider an HVAC company that schedules seasonal service for its clients. Instead of simply showing up for routine maintenance, they check for any potential maintenance that may bubble up during the warmer or cooler months. They notice a client’s system has a defective part and proactively recommends a replacement. Or they send a friendly reminder before colder months to ensure the system is set for winter.

They also note client preferences. For example, maybe the client hasn’t upgraded to a brand new unit, but could be in the market for one in the near future. That detail is saved in the CRM and revisited when the time is right for a conversation. That level of patience builds trust.

When home service companies personalize interactions, such as remembering pet names, recommending upgrades based on past work, or offering flexible appointment times, the relationship transforms from transactional to relational.

Build genuine relationships

Trust and authenticity matter. People don’t want to feel “sold to.” Rather, they want to feel understood. Home services are especially personal; you’re being invited into someone’s home or yard, so human connection is even more critical.

A plumber arrives at a customer’s home and takes a few extra minutes to ask about the family’s concerns with their aging pipes. He mentions that he’s dealt with similar issues in homes built in the 1970s and even shares a quick story about how a client avoided a disaster by replacing pipes before winter.

The customer mentions they’re headed to a local high school football game that night. It turns out the plumber is an alum and played on the same field. Now there’s a bond that has nothing to do with plumbing and everything to do with being relatable.

Next time that customer has a leak, or a neighbor does, guess who comes to mind first? Your company will benefit because the customer will remember the thoughtful service you provided them. 

Genuine relationships aren’t built with discounts. They’re built through curiosity, empathy, shared experiences, and consistent follow-through.

Make excellence a daily habit

Standing out isn’t about making one great impression. It’s about making hundreds of small ones every single day. A company’s brand isn’t what it says in its ads; it’s what customers say after every visit, every phone call, every invoice. Even the smallest actions have the ability to make a considerable impact. 

Make it standard for your team to wear clean, branded uniforms, use shoe covers inside homes, clean up every work area, and leave a hand-signed thank-you note after completing a job. Then, as the owner, you follow up with a personalized text to the customer the next day to ensure everything works perfectly.

This consistency builds trust. The customer may not remember the breaker you replaced, but they’ll remember how you respected their space, communicated clearly, and took responsibility for the details.

And when your techs take pride in these daily habits, your business reputation builds quietly but powerfully. Excellence isn’t loud. It’s repeatable. And in the home services industry, that’s how you become a go-to name in your market.

Use technology and AI to improve sales training

In the past, training your sales or field staff meant ride-alongs, occasional shadowing, or post-job reviews. Today, technology, especially AI, is giving service providers unprecedented insights into how to refine their communication, better serve customers, and close more deals.

Let’s say you’ve equipped your customer service team with a call analysis platform that uses AI to review calls and highlight moments when customers asked about services not addressed or showed hesitation. It flags instances where reps interrupted too early or failed to clarify customer concerns.

One recorded call reveals that a customer was interested in long-term preventative maintenance, but the rep only focused on a one-time solution. You use this call in a team huddle to coach reps on listening for buying cues and discussing maintenance packages.

Or maybe your field techs use tablets that let them record brief summaries of each job, which you later analyze to understand how different technicians explain services. You can then build training modules based on real examples, turning average calls into teachable moments.

Over time, this kind of data-driven coaching increases close rates, boosts customer satisfaction, and not only helps your team understand what they’re saying, but how it’s being heard and interpreted by the customer.

Your reputation is your differentiator

In crowded home service markets, where dozens of companies might offer similar services, what sets you apart isn’t your logo, your trucks or even your prices. It’s how you show up—consistently, authentically, and intelligently.

Differentiation starts with:

Making your value clear.

Personalizing your service.

Showing genuine interest in your customers.

Committing to daily excellence.

Using smart tools to get better every day.

When you focus on these fundamentals, you create a business that doesn’t need to compete on price. You build a brand that customers return to and tell their friends about. That’s how you go from blending in to being the company everyone remembers and wants to book a service with to work on their home.

Tom DeSantis is the vice president of field sales for Redwood Services. In this role, he works closely with Redwood partner companies and their sales leaders on developing and executing sales and operational strategies that drive profitable revenue growth.