Noritz America unveiled a dramatically upgraded version of its 13-year-old PROCard trade incentive program, going beyond rebates-for-purchases to offer a robust lead-generation service for plumbing and HVAC contractors.

The overarching goal of the revamped program is to deliver more sales leads more quickly to installers and technicians in the field, better enabling them to grow their businesses through tankless water heaters.

“The power of this new program is in how it allows any contractor — regardless of company size — to build a higher marketing profile in his locale by more aggressively pursuing tankless water heater installation and service work,” explained Jason Fleming, marketing and customer care manager at Noritz. 

Contractors will be able to receive and respond to consumer leads at the PROCard.Noritz.com website, using any digital device: tablets, PCs, Macs and smart phones.

But the key aspect of the new program is the new PROCard app that will deliver leads to a contractor’s cell phone more quickly, so that he can, in turn, respond with equal speed — both to Noritz and to the prospective customer.

The revamped program operates as follows:

• If not already a PROCard member, a contractor must register on the program website.
• A homeowner contacting Noritz online or by phone will have the option of selecting one or more installers on the brand’s website. Contractors will be listed according to their Noritz Power Rankings, which will reflect the depth of their involvement with the brand, its products and programs.
• As an alternative, the prospect can ask Noritz to recommend potential installers in his or her locale. Noritz will select up to five, based on their Power Rankings.
• If selected by the prospect or Noritz, the contractors will be immediately notified.
• The contractor accepts/rejects the lead online or — more quickly — via the app.
• In this first-come/first-served program, a contractor’s accepting the lead will automatically foreclose that opportunity for the other, selected contractors. (However, the consumer has the option of contacting multiple contractors to submit bids.)
• Once the contractor who accepted the lead completes the installation or the service work, he registers the activity by going online or by scanning a QR code on the water heater with his smart phone. The QR code feature is new for Noritz.

Each registered installation boosts the contractor’s Power Ranking, which is based on a number of other criteria as well:

Customer reviews: In the past, a customer would need to go online to complete a review of a contractor’s work, usually at his request. Under the new PROCard program, an email will be sent to the homeowner with a link to rate the installation. “There should be a lot more reviews under this new process,” says Fleming.

Website activity: Every time a contractor logs into the PROCard site, the system records it — the more, the better.

Response time to leads: Noritz will be able to track the interval between contractor acknowledgement and acceptance/rejection of the lead — the faster, the better.

Training activity: Contractors will receive credit every time they attend a Noritz workshop in person or take an online course on the Noritz University website.

“Our Product Trainer Team will soon launch a campaign to train as many contractors as possible nationwide,” said Fleming, “and we look forward to crediting those trades people for their participation.”

A vital component of this new program is, of course, the ready availability of qualified, homeowner sales leads. Noritz currently receives several thousand leads per week through a variety of channels: telephone, e-mails, online chat, advertising, and trade show and home show exhibits. All such leads, regardless of source, will now be routinely processed through a single program: PROCard.

“We cannot predict the precise impact on an individual contractor’s business because of all the variables involved,” said Fleming. “But with the internal changes we have made and our ongoing efforts to drive consumers to our website, the number of leads flowing through our system to contractors should rise substantially.”

Fleming recognizes that the PROCard program’s shift in emphasis from rebates to leads is a bit unusual for the plumbing industry. But numerous conversations and focus-group discussions with Noritz installers in recent years have left him no doubts.

“Contractors love and want the rebates, and we certainly understand that,” he says. “But what makes the biggest impact at the top and bottom lines of their businesses is getting more work in the form of more tankless installation and servicing opportunities. The need for good leads in this business is strong and constant.”

For more information on the Noritz PROCard Program, visit http://procard.noritz.com/procard/.

To download the PROCard app for Apple, please visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/procard/id1110311645?mt=8.