Roughly 18 Months Ago, Dustin Wasn’t in the Plumbing Industry. Today, He’s Become a Skilled Technician & Passionate Advocate for BioOne, Selling 528 Units Last Year.
by Bob Houchin
I interviewed Tom and Dennielle Hearn for a feature story for The COMPASS MAGAZINE. Before hanging up the phone, Dennielle stopped me. She said she had something important to share.
“There’s someone we need to mention. We have a plumber named Dustin Romanowski. He set a goal for himself going into 2019 to be number one in BioOne sales, so he can walk across the stage [at the Spring Awards Gala] at Expo.”
“For the past six months, he’s taken first place on the [PSI] Scoreboard [for that category],” Tom eagerly and proudly interjected. “He’s super engaged in what we’re doing and so goal-oriented. We’re proud of him.”
“Occasionally, he’ll sell BioOne to a customer’s neighbor,” Dennielle added and then laughed. “He’s really an incredible person.”
Naturally, I had to talk with Dustin Romanowski. And I did. I found someone even more interesting than Tom and Dennielle had described.
Leaving Car Sales for the Plumbing Industry
Prior to coming to Hearn Plumbing & Heating roughly 18 months ago, the 73-year-old Madison, Ohio-landmark with a sterling reputation, Dustin wasn’t even in the trades, let alone plumbing. He had been selling cars for the past five years.
“I’ve always had a knack for talking to people. That’s how I got into car sales. I saw that as more of a career. I didn’t have great benefits there, and there’s no guarantee of a check. It’s all commission. My fiancé and I are getting married this Saturday, and we’re planning on having a family. I wanted to do something that was more sustainable,” Dustin said.
“I know the connotation that comes with car sales, but I never lied to a customer. I always tried to find a solution for every person that made the most sense for them. I never wanted someone to stop me and yell, ‘You sold me a junker!’ I wanted to help. While I liked the job, it was time to move on.”
In high school, the now 27-year-old Dustin took carpentry. He remembered how much he enjoyed working with hand tools and troubleshooting. Dustin went looking for a new career in a new industry. He answered an Indeed® ad placed by Hearn Plumbing & Heating.
“It said they were looking for plumbing and HVAC superheroes. It really caught my attention,” Dustin explained. The interview process was elaborate. “Oh yes, they made me take a DiSC® profile. They wanted to see my mechanical aptitude. I went on four ride-alongs with the guys to see if I could get along with everyone. They also wanted to see if I was committed.”
Dustin gained everyone’s approval, and then gained a new job at Hearn Plumbing & Heating. Then the real work began.
Dustin Eagerly Accepts the Challenge of Learning a New Trade
Dustin had much to learn, and Tom put him through a plumbing crash course accompanied by daily ride-alongs. It didn’t take long for Tom to see how competitive his new employee truly is.
“In our training, Tom would mention a valve and explain what it did. I took it as a personal challenge to remember exactly what it was and what it did,” Dustin said. “The next day, I would ask him to ask me questions about that valve. I wanted him to hold me accountable.”
Dustin’s intensity and diligence made Tom’s decision to send him to outside training an easy one. Dustin visited the Ultimate Technical Academy in Arkansas five times over nine months to hone his technical abilities. Dustin also attended Learning Alliance’s Service Essentials in Indianapolis and later Plumbers Advanced in Dallas to further refine his communication skills.
“The investment they made in me is something else. Coming to work for Hearn has been the best decision I’ve ever made,” Dustin said enthusiastically. “It’s been awesome.”
Dustin Aims for #1 in BioOne Sales
Dustin has rewarded Hearn for the time and money they’ve committed to him. Dustin consistently accumulates five-star reviews and his average ticket is just shy of $800. Where he’s shined is in his BioOne sales. He sold an astounding 528 units on only 475 jobs, placing him first in the category.
“Previously, as a company, the most we sold in a year were 60 bottles. At the beginning of the year, I wanted to be number one,” Dustin shared. “I offer it as an option on every job. If I go do a gas-line job, it’s included. If I do a toilet, a sink, a drain job, it’s included. It’s on every option sheet. Every customer gets offered it. I believe in it that much. I’ve also always been a very competitive, goal-driven person.”
“But I’m never pushy,” Dustin was quick to add. “If I were selling things that people didn’t need, I would get pushback. And I wouldn’t have a job the next day. If Tom thought I was doing something unethical or was misleading people, he’d cut me loose immediately. It wouldn’t matter how well I was doing for the company. That’s not how Hearn works. It’s a big part of why I love working here.”
“You know, working at Hearn, we don’t need to be pushy. They set you up to hit homeruns,” Dustin continued. “People respect the company. We were just at the Dollar Store. Some lady I had never seen said to someone else in line, ‘Those people are amazing. Hearn has the best people you can have in your home.’”
“When you hear stuff like that, it makes what you do that much more fun. I really enjoy what I’m doing. I love meeting new people, getting to know their story, and the challenge of handling something different on every call.”
How does Dustin earn the trust of homeowners? What kind of open-ended questions does he ask? How does he bring up BioOne on every call? Learn these answers and more in this issue’s “Learning from the Best.”
How do you prepare for each call?
I try to look up people on Facebook™. I just quickly see if there’s anything we have in common or anything we can talk about. Do they have a family? Do they have any hobbies or interests I notice? I like to build common ground right away. You can tell a lot in just a few minutes looking online. For example, I’m a high-school football referee, too. I enjoy talking football with people who are into it.
Do you also look at the client’s history?
Oh, absolutely. I’ll look to see if we’ve been there before. I look to see if we’ve presented anything to them in the past. We had a customer who turned down some IAQ work a few weeks ago. At the time, they said they would think about it. I touched base with them, and I ended up selling the package to them for $1,800. I was there for a spigot call.
Once you reach the home and meet the homeowner, how much time will you spend talking with them initially, warming them up?
I try to spend at least 30 minutes with the customer going over everything about our company. I love to ask them questions about themselves. What do they enjoy doing? I look for keys around their house. If they have pictures all over the house of their family, I’ll compliment them on their photos. Before you know it, the person will give you a complete rundown of who everyone is in the family. I’m always looking for hot buttons.
How do you get customers to trust you?
I really think Hearn has done that for us. It’s pretty rare that we go into the home of someone who hasn’t been a customer. Hearn has been here since 1946. A lot of the houses we walk into, the people will tell us that Hearn did the original work forever ago. These people don’t even know me, and yet, they absolutely love me. They believe you’re the absolute best technician they could have at their house. They know what they’re getting into. We’re not going to present anything to them that they don’t need. It’s very nice having that type of credibility.
What kind of open-ended questions will you ask to get more information from a customer?
I’ll ask how long the issue has been going on—that may lead them to telling me about another issue they’ve been experiencing. As part of our service, we explain they get a free whole-house evaluation. I’ll get them to walk with me throughout the home. I’ll get the age of their water heater. We’ll go over their drain lines. I’ll point out anything that concerns me, but I tell them, “I’m not down here to create a larger bill for you—I’m trying to be an advisor. I’d rather you know about these issues now before they become a problem on a Sunday evening. Then, you’ll really be put-out and you have to pay a larger service fee.” If you are the type of person who’s proactive, I want you to be able to make that decision.
Will you do the inspection immediately after looking at the problem you were called to repair?
Definitely. That allows me to build options for them. I test water pressure. Anything over 80 psi, I’ll quote them a pressure-reducing valve and an expansion tank, too. So, I always carry a water-pressure gauge with me. I’m a very thorough person. I want them to know everything that’s going on in their home.
Obviously, you know how to present BioOne. How do you transition from a spigot call to BioOne? Is it through your inspection?
With BioOne, a bottle of it goes with me into every house. No one is going to purchase something they can’t see. People want to put their hands on things they’re going to purchase. They want to get excited about it. That’s one of the things I always focus on: I try to be as excited as I can about anything I’m presenting. And I’m as positive as possible.
Another thing I do, if I have a flapper leaking on a toilet, I’ll pour a little bit of BioOne into the tank. It’s blue, so that way, you can see it leaking into the toilet. Then, people ask what it is. I never put a product in the face of a client and say, “This is what it is. You have to buy it, it’s so great.” I get them to ask me what it is. Most of the time, I just set a bottle on the counter with all my paperwork and I leave it. Nine times out of 10, someone will ask, “What’s in that bottle.”
What do you say about BioOne once they ask?
I tell them it’s the yogurt for your home’s drain system. Really, anything I do or talk about, I try to put in layman’s terms. A lot of people don’t understand how important it is to maintain certain entities in your home unless you can relate it to something they do know.
A lot of people know that yogurt is a positive bacterium. That’s all that BioOne is—positive bacteria for your home’s drain system. I’ll say to people, “I know you don’t deliberately dump grease down your sink. But it still gets in there. You can paper towel off a pan, but there’s still going to be some residue. You can feel it. That residue is making its way into your drain. It may not do anything now, but after 20 years of residue, it continues to build up.
I’ll then usually present to them the cost of opening up their drain line by jetting it out. I think for us it’s something like $687. Or for $165, they’ll get a year’s supply of BioOne to treat their entire home. And that’s not even taking into account the time you’ll need to take to have someone back out to clear the line.
So, you always sell a year’s supply of BioOne?
Yes. I will never present just one bottle, unless they’ve said no twice to me on the year’s supply. I like to ask them early in the call when they ask about it. If I get a soft “no,” I’ll drop it. Later in the call, I’ll bring it up again. If they say “no” again, I’ll say, “You don’t’ have to spend $165 for the year. You can always get one bottle, which will cover you for three to four months, for $65. But if you buy it by the year, you save $10 a bottle.”
You always have that many bottles of BioOne on your truck?
I do. I try to keep at least 12 bottles on my truck every day I go out. That way, if I get three calls a day, I have as much as I need. We shock septic tanks with it, as well. I think I sold 17 bottles on one appointment. That was for a nursey because they had multiple bathrooms. It takes care of the customer, builds my average ticket, and I get spiffed on it, too. So, everyone wins.
Once you sit down to discuss options, do you get much pushback? You were called to replace a flapper, and suddenly the homeowner is looking at some potentially pricey repairs.
When I’m building value around the house, I’m trying to get 10 yeses. In other words, I’m asking questions that I know they will say yes to. That way, they’re building the value themselves. If their water heater is 10 years old, I’ll say, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have the peace of mind knowing your water heater won’t breakdown on a holiday weekend?” They’re going to say, “Yeah, obviously.” I’ll do that as we walk throughout the house.
Another question I’ll ask is, “Do you ever get an odor out of your garbage disposal?” Sometimes they’ll say, “Yes.” I’ll explain it’s caused by the bacteria growth.
I try to get 10 yeses from someone before I present anything to them. They’re recognizing the value and acknowledging that these are all good decisions.
You’re often presenting and selling significant work to homeowners. Do you offer financing?
We do. The work used to have to be over $1,000 to use financing. Now, we can finance $10.
Why do you think people ultimately buy from you?
I think I‘m creating the right solutions for them. Customers never tell me that they feel like I’m quoting them something they don’t need. They know Hearn and they trust us. Our slogan is, “Peace of Mind Every Time.” They know when we leave that we’ve done the best job possible. I take pride in working for a company with that mentality. I make sure to honor it.
I want to be the very best at everything I do. I obviously have financial goals, but my biggest goal is to leave every house with a happy customer. I never want someone not happy with me and the work that we’ve done. I’ve had customers who were hot, as angry as can be, and by the time we left, they said this was the best experience. And they left us a five-star Google review. Sometimes all it takes is sitting down with someone at their kitchen table for 30 minutes and just talking with them.
How do you turn angry customers into fans leaving you five-star reviews?
Listen to them and relate with them. People want to know that they have the same problems as everyone else. For example, we had this customer who was red-hot mad. She said she thought our prices were too high. Well, I kept talking with her, and I found out that the cable company had just really raised their rates on her. It just happened. I sat down with her. I told her that had happened to me before, and we had a real conversation. She saw that I was a real person. I’m not some utility robot walking into their house.
What advice would you have for technician starting out in residential service?
Be the largest sponge you can possibly be. Take everything in. I took notes constantly. Everything you’re being taught—whether from your peers or your boss or the trainings you go to—it’s all designed to make you successful. If you’re successful, you’re going to do well financially. The company is investing in you—invest in yourself by valuing it all. Absorb everything you can. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask to try to do something. That’s how you learn.
Also, be positive every day. Nobody is going to accept any options you give them if you walk into their home upset because you got into an argument with a friend the night before or something. I go into every home as positive as possible.
I also always remind myself of my goals. I know what’s expected of me in terms of production, and I work hard to meet it. At the end of the day, I want happy customers, and I also have a responsibility to Hearn.