Over 91% of companies with more than 11 employees use CRM software.
If you’re running a service-based business and you’re not using a CRM, you’re missing out!
A CRM (customer relationship management) system can help you track your customers, manage your sales pipeline, and automate your marketing.
This can free up your time so you can focus on what you do best: providing excellent service to your customers.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best CRMs for service-based businesses and provide a guide on how to choose the right CRM for your business.
What is a CRM?
A CRM is a system for managing your relationships with your customers. It can help you track customer interactions, manage leads, and automate marketing tasks.
Studies have shown that CRMs can also help you improve customer service and increase sales.
Why do service-based businesses need a CRM?
Service-based businesses need CRMs because they help manage customer relationships and streamline operations. A CRM can help you:
- Improve customer satisfaction: CRMs help you provide personalized and timely services, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. For example, a cleaning company can use a CRM to track customer preferences for cleaning products and specific cleaning instructions for each room. This personalized approach leads to higher customer satisfaction and repeat business.
- Increase customer retention: CRMs help you keep your existing customers by providing them with a positive experience. For instance, a landscaping company can use a CRM to track customer service history, ensuring that any recurring issues are addressed promptly and efficiently. This proactive approach to customer service can significantly improve customer retention rates.
- Boost revenue: CRMs can help you upsell and cross-sell services to your existing customers. For example, a salon can use a CRM to track customer appointments and purchase history, enabling them to offer personalized recommendations for new products or services based on past behavior. This targeted approach to upselling can lead to increased revenue.
- Improve team collaboration: CRMs provide a central location for all your customer data, which improves communication and collaboration between team members. For example, a home repair company can use a CRM to share customer contact information, job details, and scheduling updates with all team members, ensuring everyone is on the same page and can collaborate effectively.
- Save time and money: CRMs can automate many of the tasks that service-based businesses typically do manually, such as scheduling appointments, sending invoices, and following up with leads. For example, a dog grooming business can use a CRM to automate appointment reminders, reducing no-shows and saving valuable staff time.
- Enable seamless scheduling and dispatching: CRMs can help service businesses efficiently coordinate jobs and technicians in the field. For example, a mobile pet grooming service can use a CRM to optimize routes, track technician availability, and assign jobs based on location and expertise, ensuring efficient scheduling and dispatching.
- Provide a customer portal: CRMs can offer a self-service portal where customers can book appointments, view service history, and make payments online. This empowers customers and reduces administrative burden on the business.
- Automate follow-up for invoices and estimates: CRMs can send automated push notifications for overdue invoices and pending estimates, improving cash flow and reducing the need for manual follow-up.
What are the best CRMs for service-based businesses?
There are many great CRMs on the market, but some of the best for service-based businesses include:
monday.com
This is a flexible and scalable CRM that is easy to use. It offers a variety of features that are beneficial for service businesses, such as data-driven dashboards, custom automations, and multiple work views.
In-depth reviews highlight monday.com’s intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, impressive customization options, and constantly evolving feature package, including time-saving AI capabilities.
It also received a high score for data visualization, making it easy for service businesses to track key metrics and performance.
HubSpot CRM
This CRM offers a free plan with basic features, as well as paid plans with more advanced functionalities.
It is user-friendly and includes great sales tools. It offers a variety of features that are beneficial for service businesses, such as a universal inbox, live chat, and a meeting scheduler.
One standout feature is HubSpot CRM’s ability to track attributed revenue, allowing businesses to see exactly which marketing efforts are driving the most revenue.
Zoho CRM
This is a good option for service-based businesses that want to build a memorable customer experience.
It offers a variety of features that are beneficial for service businesses, such as the ability to track and assign jobs, schedule appointments, and unify customer data.
Zoho CRM is particularly strong in multi-channel communication, allowing businesses to connect with customers on their preferred platforms, whether it’s email, phone, or social media.
Close CRM
This is an industry-leading CRM platform that is one of the best tools for tracking customer engagement and business processes.
It offers a variety of features that are beneficial for service businesses, such as a mobile app, Workflows, and a comprehensive customer support knowledge base.
Housecall Pro
This is a market-leading home service CRM that is packed with all the features you expect from a tool like this and more.
It offers a variety of features that are beneficial for service businesses, such as scheduling, reporting, customer data, invoicing, review management, and more.
Housecall Pro offers flat pricing for up to 15 users, making it a cost-effective option for growing service businesses.
Salesforce
With a dominant 21.7% market share, Salesforce is a leading CRM provider.
Its CRM solutions include Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, Market Cloud, and Commerce Cloud, alongside platforms for specific industries.
Salesforce connects all its CRM apps with Data Cloud, its customer data platform (CDP), unifying data across the customer experience ecosystem.
CRM Reviews and Case Studies
Here’s a summary of reviews and case studies for the CRMs mentioned above:
- monday.com: Reviews of monday.com are generally positive, with users praising its ease of use, flexibility, and visual data representation. Some users find the interface initially complex, but the drag-and-drop functionality and live chat support help with onboarding. Case studies show how monday.com has helped businesses improve efficiency, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.
- HubSpot CRM: Users appreciate HubSpot CRM’s free plan and comprehensive suite of tools. Some find the pricing complicated and higher tiers expensive. Case studies demonstrate how HubSpot has helped businesses increase leads, improve sales performance, and enhance customer engagement.
- Zoho CRM: Reviews highlight Zoho CRM’s multi-channel communication capabilities and advanced analytics. Some users mention a learning curve and occasional integration limitations. Case studies show how Zoho CRM has helped businesses streamline operations, improve customer service, and reduce costs.
- Close CRM: Users praise Close CRM’s focus on sales and its built-in calling and SMS features. Some find the pricing high compared to other solutions. Case studies are limited, but available information suggests Close CRM is effective for sales-focused businesses.
- Housecall Pro: Reviews indicate that Housecall Pro is a user-friendly and comprehensive solution for home service businesses. Some users find the cost high for solopreneurs or those with limited needs. Case studies show how Housecall Pro has helped businesses improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and revenue.
How to choose the right CRM for your service-based business
When choosing a CRM for your service-based business, it is important to consider your needs and budget. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:
- The size of your business: If you are a small business, you may not need all the features of a larger CRM.
- Your budget: CRMs can range in price from free to hundreds of dollars per month.
- The features you need: Some CRMs offer more features than others. Consider which features are most important to your business. For example, if you need a CRM with strong scheduling and dispatching capabilities, Housecall Pro might be a good option.
- The integrations you need: Some CRMs integrate with other software that you use, such as accounting software or email marketing software. For example, if you use QuickBooks for accounting, you’ll want to choose a CRM that integrates with QuickBooks.
- The level of support you need: Some CRMs offer more support than others.
- Mobile access: If your employees work in the field, you’ll want to choose a CRM with a mobile app that allows them to access customer data and update information on the go.
Comparison Table of Top CRMs for Service-Based Businesses
| CRM | Pricing | Key Features | Best For | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| monday.com | Starts at $12/seat/month | Data-driven dashboards, custom automations, multiple work views | Service companies looking for a flexible and scalable CRM | Can be complex for new users |
| HubSpot CRM | Free; paid plans start at $15/user/month | Universal inbox, live chat, meeting scheduler | Service teams looking for a free, user-friendly CRM with great sales tools | Pricing can be complicated; higher tiers expensive |
| Zoho CRM | Starts at $14/month/user | Track and assign jobs, schedule appointments, unify customer data | Service-driven industries focused on building lasting customer relationships | Can have a learning curve; some integration limitations |
| Close CRM | Starts at $19/user/month | Mobile app, Workflows, comprehensive customer support knowledge base | Sales-focused service businesses | Expensive compared to other solutions |
| Housecall Pro | Starts at $59/month | Scheduling, reporting, customer data, invoicing, review management | Home service businesses | Can be expensive for solopreneurs |
| Salesforce | Starts at $25/user/month | Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, Data Cloud, industry-specific platforms | Businesses of all sizes, especially those with complex needs | Can be expensive; can have a learning curve |
A CRM can be a valuable asset for any service-based business. If you’re not already using one, I encourage you to try one out today.
You can sign up for a free trial of monday.com, HubSpot CRM, or Zoho CRM to see which one is right for you.
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