Who gets the job?

I resently waited a full day for the warranty repair man to come fix my television that was under warranty. He didn't show up and had to reschedule for another day. As a contractor I thought about how I treat my customers. How do I rate in the eyes of my customers.



Do I show up when I said I would? Do I call if I'm running late or can't get there at all? Am I more concerned about catching up on ESPN scores in the morning than being where I said I would be. This can also run into other areas; courtesy, cleanliness, and knowledge of work, to name a few.


I do a lot of work in apartment communities throughout Sacramento, El Dorado, and Placer counties. I have met countless managers, assistants, and maintenance personnel. The staff at these communities do not want any additional frustation in their day. My television going out was a problem that I needed to deal with, the repair man left a bad impression about that company. So I think it is very important that a contractor reduce any unnecessary stress and frustration at all time.





What if I treated my customers the same way that I would like to be treated? What a concept! If the repair man comes into my house late smelling of liquer, dirty, and impolite. I'm not calling him again. In fact I would probably take steps to have him terminated. He hasn't met my reasonable demands, so I get frustrated. He becomes a part of the problem and NOT the solution. Well Tom, that's just the way it is in the trade. I don't think so.


There are plenty of qualified contractors out there who get to the job on time, dressed for the job in clean clothes, they say "hello" and "thank you", and maybe even smile while on the job. That is the contractor I want to be, because he is the one that gets the job.


I want to be the contractor who is genuinely concerned about the owners' project. Usually the project is a problem that needs to be fixed. If I'm qualified to do the work, I can make the customer want to work with me again. I can make their life a lot easier today.





If I were given a choice between working with someone who can fix my problem, or someone who only raises my blood pressure, I'm going to take the less stressful route. In fact, I would probably be willing to spend a little more to get that person. If the repair man burns up most of my day, creates more frustrating phone calls and scheduling, this is costing me more time and money. When the right person for the job is charging a little more, he may be saving me money in the long run.