Here is an interesting article that I read this past weekend in the local paper.
A consumer is irritated about the large number of building professionals that rarely keep appointments or return phone calls.
http://detnews.com/2002/homeimprovement/0203/23/e20-447104.htm
Listeners write in about continuing education, minisplit heat pumps, compact home shops, and building science.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I'm starting up a home repair business in the Detroit area. That has to be the biggest complaint I've heard so far. This one lady said she was looking for almost a year for someone to fix a damaged bathroom ceiling. She said people would never call her back after she told them what the problem was. And I hear this from more than one customer. I don't know where all these people are finding so much work they can just blow people off. I know the one thing I've been striving to do is to be on time when I'm suppose to be there. Once you do that it seems you have it licked when it comes to getting a refrence from that person. Their just happy that some one has actually showed up.
I recently set myself up with the possibility of a ton of work through a real estate management company by showing up when I said I would.
One instance that really impressed the owner was when I said I would show up 10:00 am Sunday and actually did. When I walked into her office (where the repair work was) she said, "Wow, you're here!" A few days later, in front of a group, she retold the story then joked that I gave her this look that said "What's the big deal" I barely had enough cards to hand out.
PANTANGO67, I too have heard a lot of complaints. It seems that professionals that operate like us are the exception instead of the rule.
Scott R.
I was thinking about doing the real estate thing also, how's that working for you? Most of my work has been word of mouth and I've been doing ok. Also, where are you from? Being that the article was in the News, I figured you must be in my area somewhere?
Doing work for a real estate management co. is going good. I'm not making my normal rate, but the leads it has generated have been worth the sacrifice during this slow period.
I'm in Livingston County just north of Brighton.
Scott R.
I'm over in the Warren- Roseville- East Point are myself. In between jobs right now.
Next time you have one amazed you showed up on time say " yeah, I flunked out of contractor school on the first day, I showed up on the scheduled day at the right time, teacher was there, sayed "sorry, you don't have what it takes" Not many customers have heard it.....we all have.
Let's face it, contractor or not, some folks struggle to stay on top of the phone calls and faxes and emails and all the other kinds of input we get everyday.
For that 80% of people who are not "naturals" at staying organized, if we can do it at all, it's because we have cobbled together reminder systems and other "tools" for the "knowledge-work" that work at least as well as the tools for the actual physical work. Are there people here who would be interested in doing some discussion of this topic?
David
David, I would have responded to your post sooner but this dammed format is all screwed up and didn't see it until today. (But that's another on going topic).
Organization is one thing, and I'll be the first to admit I'm not very organized. I'm constantly misplacing receipts, forgetting to log checks, heck I've even set my hammer down and spent 15 minutes looking for it.
When it comes to doing what I say, I will knock myself out making sure it gets done. However I make mistakes too. Just a couple weeks ago a lady inquired about replacing some interior doors but she wanted to make her decision by seeing models in a show room, not through a brochure. Well I didn't have a clue where to send her in that area, I told her that I would do some research and call back. My research was to call a friend that would definitely know, but I couldn't reach him with several phone calls. Not until few days later when I saw her name in my organizer did I remember to call her back.
But here is what I did that separates us from the rest of the pack that the article targeted. I immediately called and profusely apologized for not calling sooner. Too many contractors that "forget" to keep appointments or return phone calls just drop the matter and never contact that person.
Scott R.
There are a few folks who I have never called back becauswe of the tenor of their voice or impossibility of their demands indicated in the first call. I would end by saying something like, "I don't think you can do that" or I can do that or whatever to met with a tone that says they already know more.......
so I politely side slip to avoid the controversy - some customers don't deserve a return call.
On the other hand, I just finished a nice little kitchen job that he had been trying to get done for years. I threw in the instalation of a deadbolt he had purchased too. The receipt in the box was dated 1997.
Excellence is its own reward!