FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
All pricing is done on a per project bid basis or a time and materials basis. The customer can choose which way to proceed when working with us. When we bid a project, no matter how small or how big, we do not try and "pad" any project with excessive profit or "wiggle room" so as to be able to negotiate or haggle with prospective customers. Our main goal is to provide excellent service and make happy customers with great results. Of course, to be able to continue doing this for many more years we need to make a profit and pay our vendors and employees. To this end, we try to make every bid as accurate as possible, calculating all the aspects of the project and it's related expenses into our price so our customers can be assured that they are getting the expertise they deserve at a price that is reasonable for all involved. After all, who would want some contractor cutting corners just to get the absolute lowest price bid on something as important as the safety, durability and comfort of their family home or business?
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
The first thing we need to do is sit down and fully identify what the prospective client is looking for and what their budget is. We can then gauge if their budget matches their ideas and make any adjustments to possible directions for the project. From that point, it is really a two-way interview. Both prospective client and I have to feel comfortable with each other and see if there is a fit between their needs, desires, and disposition and mine. We need to demonstrate that we can help the client achieve the outcome they desire in a timely and cost effective manner. I speak frankly with the client about all the ups and downs of a major remodel or building project, which many people in this business seem unwilling to do. I hope to be able to enlighten the client while also being able to help identify any possible issues before they arise in the middle of the project. I really do not take every client or every project offered to me. If that project or prospective client does not seem to "fit" our areas of core competency the result can be very disappointing and stressful to both parties. The client is trusting my company with what could be their largest investment, their home or business property. While I am using my company's core asset, our time and expertise. When things go well, as they do most of the time, our new customer ends up with exactly the project result they desired and we get the great feeling of a job well done and a reasonable profit. If things were to go poorly in the client/contractor relationship, and the world is full of stories about that, no amount of money in the world makes up for the bad feelings that can be generated and the time lost for both parties. Thus the importance of comfort and confidence with both parties, customer and contractor. From that point on it is usually a very exciting time, new ideas, design concepts, and the ever fascinating process of bringing ideas from paper plans to concrete reality for the customer. We communicate on a constant basis with the customer, detailing all phases of the project, insuring that the customer never feels overwhelmed by the process or left in the dark about anything. From planning to permits, from flooring to doors and windows, we try to make the project as worry free as possible.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am constantly reading about new procedures and materials to use that last longer and make life easier for property owners. I am also an investor in real estate, so I am always looking for things which make my job easier, make the homes last longer and keep residents happy. All of these things make a huge contribution to the customer remodeling side of the business.