Got a Concern? Start by Being Nice to Your CONTRACTOR!

What do you do when you want to call your Contractor with a Concern or a problem? Do you assume they do not care to listen to you or that they will not attend to your concern? Will, they do not return your E-mail?  The first thing to remember before you make assumptions predicting the worse, YOU picked this Contractor because in some way you trusted them and thought they would be a good fit for you. This is where choosing a Contractor based strictly on price may come to pass as a bad decision. However, either way, give your Contractor a chance to attend to your needs or concerns in a good way. Don’t assume the worse! Even though you may be frustrated, be patient, kind, and express yourself in such a way that would lend that person on the other side of the phone or e-mail a real opportunity to make something right. Good Contractors and their support staff are very driven to please their Clients and most will do whatever it takes to do so. Give them that chance before anger or frustration take hold.  There should never be good cause to yell or create high levels of stress unless you HAVE been ignored or commitments made are not kept.  No Service Industry Contractor can perform to a perfect level or not have misunderstandings. A true indicator of a GREAT Contractor is what do they do when something goes wrong vs. the 99% of the time when things are great.  Some things to consider before you make that call:

 Have you addressed your concerns with the onsite Crew Leader or Project Manager in charge? ,

 Are you being reasonable with your concerns or demands? ,

 Have you reviewed your Proposal to ensure that you understand what was agreed upon to begin with?

Again, are your expectations realistic? Some Surfaces cannot be made to look perfect if they were not so or compromised to start with.  This is especially true for Older Homes where there might be a lot of irregularity to areas that have been scraped to Siding or Trim. Paint is difficult to sand thru an exterior spackling these surfaces is not advisable as they will Blemish & likely crack out due to over-application and associated expansion & contraction of temperatures. A clean scrape and lockdown primer is always appropriate to these areas and is what should be expected.

What was agreed upon between you and that Contractor in that Proposal is really key?  If something is not being done to your liking, express it kindly and I can assure you again the really Good Contractors will take care of the concern.

 Successful completion of a Project is a two way street in the sense that a Contractor needs his Client to take the time to conduct the Final Walkthru.  Make that appointment as your Crew Leader is anxious to take care of any touchups or concerns on the spot. Contractors want immediate gratification and not for something to fester and be addressed days or weeks later. If you are happy, reward your Contractor by paying them promptly or as agreed.  Remember, Quality and Hard Working Contractors live and die to make their clients happy. Lend them that opportunity and you will always reap the benefits.