Beating the Competition
in Wainwright

The plumbing business in Wainwright is brutal. You've got 6,500 people spread across downtown, the PMQ area, and South Wainwright, and every plumber in town is fighting for the same emergency calls. When a pipe bursts at -30°C or a military family at CFB Wainwright has a flooded basement, they're not window shopping. They're calling plumbers until someone picks up.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: the best plumber doesn't always get the job. The plumber who answers their phone first does.

With a population of 6,500, Wainwright isn't Edmonton. There are maybe 8-12 legitimate plumbing operations serving the area, from one-man shops to small crews. That sounds like decent odds until you realize that military families rotate through regularly, meaning a chunk of your potential customer base changes every few years. You can't rely on generational loyalty like plumbers in smaller farm towns might.

The military base provides steady work, but it also means competition is fierce. Every plumber in town knows that PMQ calls can lead to referrals throughout the base housing. Miss those calls, and you're missing out on a network of potential customers who talk to each other every day.

Downtown Wainwright and South Wainwright have their own dynamics. Aging infrastructure means more emergency calls, but homeowners there often have established relationships with local trades. Break into that market by being available when their regular guy isn't.

Did you know?

Wainwright plumbers using Buddy capture 40% more leads by answering every call instantly, even at 2 AM.

When someone in Wainwright has a plumbing emergency, they follow a predictable pattern:

First, they call their regular plumber if they have one. If that person doesn't answer or is booked solid, they move to plan B immediately. They're not waiting around.

Next, they hit Google. "Plumber Wainwright emergency" gets typed into phones across town every day. The top few results get called in order until someone answers. Local Facebook groups are another source, especially among military spouses who ask for recommendations.

But here's what really happens: they start calling numbers. Whether it's from Google, a Facebook post, or the old phone book their neighbor still keeps around, they work down the list. First plumber to answer gets the job, assuming you sound competent and can get there reasonably fast.

Word of mouth still matters in a town this size, but it won't help you if you don't answer your phone when the referral calls.

Studies on emergency service calls show the same pattern everywhere, and Wainwright is no exception. When someone has an emergency:

• 75% of callers won't leave a voicemail
• 90% of callers will try at least two other plumbers if the first doesn't answer
• 60% of callers will hire the first plumber who answers, even if they charge more

Think about your own behavior. When your truck breaks down or you need urgent help, do you carefully research options and leave polite voicemails? Or do you keep calling numbers until someone picks up?

Your customers behave the same way. They want their problem solved now, not when it's convenient for you to call back.

Walk through downtown Wainwright or drive past the PMQ housing, and you'll see which plumbers are busiest based on the trucks in driveways. Some guys are slammed while others struggle for work. The difference usually isn't skill or pricing.

The busy plumbers answer their phones.

Your competition might be using answering services, having their spouse take calls, or just being religious about picking up. While you're focused on the job in front of you, they're booking the next three jobs.

Maybe your competitor isn't even better at plumbing. But if military families at CFB Wainwright can reach him at 8 PM on a Sunday when their water heater dies, and they can't reach you, guess who's getting recommended on the base Facebook page?

Some plumbers think they're too busy to answer every call. That's backwards thinking. You're not too busy to answer calls. You're not busy enough because you're not answering calls.

Price matters, but availability matters more during emergencies. When it's -38°C outside and pipes are freezing, homeowners will pay extra to get someone there fast. They'll worry about the bill later.

This doesn't mean you should gouge people. It means that being available gives you pricing power. The plumber who answers at 7 AM or 9 PM can charge more than the plumber who only takes calls during business hours.

Military families are often on tight budgets, but they also can't wait three days for basic repairs. They need reliable service that works around military schedules. Be the plumber who accommodates their timing, and you'll build a reputation that follows families when they get transferred and recommend you to their replacements.

Aging infrastructure in downtown Wainwright means more emergency calls. Homeowners there have dealt with plumbing issues before and know the drill. They want fast response, straight answers, and fair pricing. Answer your phone, show up when you say you will, and charge fairly. It's not complicated.

Even your most loyal customers will call competitors if you don't answer. This is hard to accept, but it's reality.

That military family you've helped three times? If their toilet backs up at 6 PM on Friday and you don't answer, they're calling someone else. They're not being disloyal. They have a problem that needs solving.

Customer loyalty in the trades is conditional. Customers are loyal to plumbers who are available when needed. Miss enough calls, and your "loyal" customers become someone else's customers.

This is especially true with military families who might only be in Wainwright for two or three years. They don't have time to build deep relationships with local trades. They need reliable service providers who respond when contacted.

Every plumber in Wainwright has the same basic challenges: frozen pipes, well system issues, aging infrastructure, and military housing maintenance. The technical work isn't dramatically different from shop to shop.

What separates successful plumbing businesses from struggling ones is how many incoming calls convert to actual jobs. That conversion happens in the first 30 seconds of the phone ringing.

Miss the call, miss the job. Miss enough calls, miss market share to competitors who prioritize phone availability.

Think about the last few jobs you lost to competitors. How many times was it because they underbid you significantly? More often, it's because they were simply available when the customer called.

Start by tracking how many calls you're missing. Most plumbers don't know this number, which means they don't know how much business they're losing.

Set up systems to handle calls when you're busy. This might mean an answering service, a family member who can take basic information, or just committing to checking messages every hour instead of every few hours.

Return missed calls quickly. Even if you can't take the job immediately, calling back within 30 minutes keeps you in consideration. Call back the next day, and the customer has usually already hired someone else.

Be strategic about when you're available. Friday evenings, weekends, and early mornings are when your competition is most likely to miss calls. Be the plumber who answers during these times.

Consider your service area realistically. If you're trying to serve all of eastern Alberta, you might be spreading too thin. Focus on Wainwright and immediate area, and be the most responsive plumber in that territory.

The plumbing market in Wainwright is competitive, but it's not complicated. Customers want reliable service from plumbers they can actually reach. Answer your phone more consistently than your competitors, and you'll win more jobs. It's that simple, and that hard.

Your technical skills matter, but they won't help you if customers can't reach you when they need help. In a town of 6,500 people, every missed call is a missed opportunity that probably went to a competitor. Make sure you're the plumber they can reach.