Sometimes when I am meeting with a prospective client, I get the feeling there are questions on their mind that they are hesitant to ask. Here are some of the things I think people are afraid to ask about.
Will it cost more than you are telling me?
Yes, it could. There are two good reasons the cost of a project might increase after the contract is signed. Both occur on almost every job; we call it “creep”. Number one is that we found something unexpected when we started demo work (like rotten studs inside the wall) and number two is that you changed your mind. It could be something you eliminated initially to save money and now you decide you want, it could be something you want to change after you see it in place, like the location of a window, it could be a choice to upgrade materials as you go.
Will it take longer than you are telling me?
I hope not, but it could. You probably can think of a few things outside our control-weather, City processes-that could delay the finish date. You can also delay your job by waiting too long to start selecting the items we need to order for you, like faucets. The things you’d think we can control, like workers’ or subcontractors’ schedules, are often out of our control. When our best carpenter sprains his wrist playing with the kids on Sunday, the work I have him scheduled to do at your house on Monday isn’t going to get done on time. In my opinion what’s more important than changes in the time frame is whether we do a good job in communicating with you about them and whether we can roll with the punches to keep the job moving forward.
Are you going to make money off my job?
Yes, or at least, I plan to. This is a good thing for you. Look at it this way-if I’m not making money on the projects I do, how long can I stay in business….long enough to finish your job? Besides that, if I’m not making money here, how much time and energy will I devote to your job? How can I pay enough to keep good employees? How can I afford the insurance coverage that protects you as well as my company? Believe me, the contractor who isn’t making money on his jobs isn’t the one you want working on your house.
What can I do to help my project run smoothly?
If I had to say just one thing, be flexible. Remember that construction is an inexact science. The other thing you can do to help is to select your fixtures early. Remember that plumbing fixtures aren’t made up of just the parts you see when everything is complete. There are valves that need to go inside the wall early on in the construction and if those items aren’t picked out and ordered on time, the whole job can be delayed. The other big thing that makes a job go smoothly is communication. Please talk to me, and don’t wait until the end. Whether it’s questions, concerns or compliments, I need to know. I can’t fix something if I don’t know there’s a problem, and I never want you to wonder if you did the right thing hiring me.
Is my job important enough to you?
Yes it is. We turn away projects that don’t interest us or aren’t a good fit with our resources. The thing about your job is that I know you are going to tell your friends and neighbors about your experience with me and our company. These are the people I want to do business with next, and your job could be the thing that convinces them to call us, or not. That sounds like a pretty important job doesn’t it? My goal is to put everything I have into each job when I am working on it, so that at the end of the project, you will be happy and tell others.
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