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Question:
We recently awarded a remodeling project to a Contractor based on our relationship with the salesperson / designer representing that Company. As it turns out, the production process was a nightmare.
What could we have done to detect that this Company was not what it claimed to be?
Answer:
Unfortunately you are not the only person who regrets selecting a Contractor based solely on the Company's salesperson.
There is nothing wrong with putting your faith in the salesperson, except that in most cases the designer / salesperson isn't the one who builds the project. They move on to new sales and leave you in the hands of the Company's
production department. The problem with that is that you have no idea who these production people are, or how good they are. For all you know, they might send out a bunch of monkeys to build your project, and by the time you
find out they are no good, it's too late, your stuck.
This seems a little backward doesn't it? I believe this happens because people just assume that since the Company may be large, or has a well known name, or has a
nice booth at the home show that they obviously will perform quality work. NEVER MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION! Sometimes the bigger the Company, the more problems they have with production. So, since many Remodeling Companies have good
sales and design or "up front" service, but are lacking severely in the production end, shouldn't you check out the production area of the Company before purchasing? Yes you should, and here's how to do it.
The
first thing I suggest that you do is ask to visit a job in progress. If the Contractor is hesitant to allow this, take that as a clue. If you do visit a job, simply be observant. Is the site clean and orderly? Was it prepared
to give the owners minimum disruption? If the workers are there, do they look like someone you would want pounding at your door at 8 am? Visiting a job in progress is also a great opportunity to ask the homeowners some
questions about the Contractors production process. Do they return calls promptly? do they show up on time? Do they have employees, or just sub-contractors? Is the process going smoothly? Have there been any extra charges? Just
ask questions. You will be surprised how many things you can learn just by looking around and asking questions about how the Contractor produces their product.
But don't stop there. Any Contractor can run one smooth
job, and maybe the one you just visited was their one smooth job for that year. The next thing you need to do is to call lots of referrals. I suggest that you ask for a list of every project the Contractor has completed within
the past year. If they again are hesitant, there's another clue. Examine the list, is it big or small? Naturally, the more names you are given, the more the Contractor is disclosing to you. DON'T BE SHY! Call people. Ask them
about the Contractors production process.
If you are truly concerned about your project, you must make some inquiry's. Remember, the product is production. Inquire about how they produce their product!
Answered by: Patrick Benkowski, CR
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