In addition to making sure a project is done properly, what are the other roles a contractor should play?
Put differently: should a contractor be a general advisor? What role do you play when it comes to your clients?
2 Likes
Wow, that’s a big question. We take a very active role. We do kitchens and room additions, including design, plans and permit documents.
These projects often involve and affect people's retirement savings and plans, so we try to help customers understand costenefit impacts of the addition
emodel as opposed to selling and relocating. After exploring various design and budget solutions we help our clients develop a program that optimizes the use of family resources and best aligns with the families needs.
Once a conceptual design and budget are in place, the actual design process can be pretty time consuming. These are the spaces we sleep in, where we shelter our children, bring our aging parents home for long term care and feed our families. It's a very personal process. I often get calls in the evening or on weekends - a client has just seen a great product, had an epiphany and needs to realign the project orientation or just needs to share some thoughts on the design development.
Once construction starts, the emphasis shifts from theoretical technicalities and details to actual technicalities and details(although the design modification often continues into the actual construction phase). Although a lot of this effort is pretty "behind the scenes" and unseen by the homeowner it's a constant juggling act to keep supplies flowing, work progressing, inspections passing and homeowners updated. When we do our job right, the homeowners aren't much aware of what we do - beyond a regular status update.
As construction continues, we work closely with owners to select materials, colors and products to complete the project as the owner originally envisioned it. Trips to the showroom, design modifications to incorporate new ideas or to take advantage of "found opportunities" discovered during the build. We spend a lot of time in showrooms, looking at color charts and talking about roofing and siding materials.
Throughout the process, we act as a trusted advisor, offering honest opinions and advice based on decades of experience. Our whole process, from an initial sales call then design and budget analysis, through planning, design and construction is based on trust. We're proud to have been offered, and to have honored, this trust for nearly 3 decades.The genuine remodeling contractor not only concern about the job, but they also concern for their client ease and deadline given. Also they seek permission and license from the local authority so that they can complete job without any interruption.
contractor should be in same page as customer and in constant comunication.
A contractor should be there from start to finish with every client, from the first hello to the last good bye. To many times I see people in the stores trying to pick out tile or vanitys for there home and not really know what they are looking for. Contractors need to be there helping there clients pick out there products, showing them what is a good product from the bad ones. Showing them where they can save money on somethings, to use for more important ones. If you leave clients alone to shop for there items they quickly get very frustrated and start to loose there minds. We are there advisor, we are the ones with the knowledge so we have to be there with them. When my new clients start designing and shopping for there project im right along side helping through it. Because at the end of the project, when they shake my hand and say thank you. Thats the best feeling
On a remodeling project, I am there to provide my customers with a few things. First, the high quality product that they deserve and expect from me. This is simply the price of admission and should not be considered as an extra. Second, they are receiving the knowledge and expertise you have in running a project smoothly and more efficiently than they could without you. Lastly, I offer my customers any knowledge I have that will help them make the wisest possible decision for them at that time.
I think this is one of the most valuable parts of our service. To be a resource to your customers and provide them with free information that will help them make better choices is something that they cannot get from every contractor. The goal here is to give, give, give and then give some more before you ever ask for the order. This builds trust and report and, I believe, is the critical ingredient in the relationship.
I look at it like this I know I’m not really going to get rich doing this so I believe in my opinion, to perform your job with pride, and I’ve always try to envision what the end of the project’s outcome. And always try to come as one with whomever your performing the task for.