By Wayne A. Endicott
Ever feel like the only thing you do all day is deal with dissatisfied customers and their complaints? You know, it doesn't have to be that way. A little preventive medicine can cure your callback headaches.
"We hear people say, 'There will always be problems,'" says Dave Kunzweiler, vice present of Cabinets Plus, Palatine, Ill. "The problem of callbacks in remodeling seems to fit this expression particularly well. But it doesn't need to be that way." Dave's brother Steve, who is president of the firm, concurs. "Try to eliminate the problems before they occur," Steve says. "How you address the issue in large part determines what kind of company you are going to be."
The following steps can help remodelers head off problems before they result in callbacks—or, even worse, unhappy clients:
1. Check the work done by each trade contractor as soon as it's finished. You'll be able to spot any problems with electrical work, heating ducts or plumbing a lot more easily before the drywall is up. Make sure the work is done as specified in the statement of work and meets your quality expectations.
2. Do periodic walkthroughs with clients to give them the chance to see what has been done and ask any questions. While it's unrealistic to expect them to spot technical mistakes, they may see differences between what they expected and what has been done, which you can address right away. And they'll almost certainly feel better about the whole process if they have the chance to provide some input.
3. A simple way to head off any problems right up front is to find a conspicuous place to post a punch list sheet—a form where the customer can write down any items on which they have concerns as they occur. Be sure the customer knows where the list is and what it's for, and instruct the crew to check the list daily and take care of any problems immediately.
This proactive approach allows questions to be answered and problems to be solved before they balloon into complaints. "Too often, the list doesn't even appear until the job is almost done," Dave says. "By that time, what could have been a simple solution becomes complex."
The brothers encourage their sales people to act also as customer care representatives, to visit the job site often with the homeowner present, and to help answer concerns on the punch list.
4. How tradesmen communicate with each other can forestall future problems. Just about every contractor carries a cell phone these days, so give each one a list of telephone numbers for all the trade contractors on the job.
"It's nice when the electrician can get in touch with the finish carpenter with a question," Steve says. "'Can you move that island a few inches? I can't get the lights centered where it is now because of a joist in the ceiling above.'" This also gets each trade thinking about the potential problems faced by the next guy."
5. Knowing the products you normally use is an important part of preventing callbacks, Dave says. Keep track of products that create problems; you may be able to find a pattern of trouble with some of them. "Keep a database of product failures and pass the information on to the product representative," he suggests. "As a last resort, drop products that continually cause problems. You can quickly eat up the profit margin if you always have to go back and make repairs."
6. Don't keep product information a secret from the clients, either, Steve adds. Place all warranty and product information in an envelope, and hand the package to the homeowners at the end of the job. Remind them to fill out their warranty cards and read all of the information relating to use and care.
7. A company Web site can include a page on which you list product information. List as many telephone numbers and links to the manufacturers of those products as possible. That way, your customer can go directly to the source and solve a problem without even calling you. And don't underestimate the use of a good Frequently-Asked-Questions section. Keep track of questions that come up often, and post them with the answers on the Web site. "If the consumer can solve the problem himself," Dave points out, "that callback may never come."
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