By Craig A. Shutt
Once a remodeling job starts, there are 10 billion little details to discuss, updates to provide and decisions to be communicated between the client, the field and the home office. Too often, some of them fall through the cracks because the communication system breaks down—or never existed to begin with.
"There has to be a prescribed set of mechanics for delivering information, and it has to be a two-way street," says Tim Faller, president of Field Training Services in Westerly, R.I., and the creator of a well-known lead-carpenter system. The process should be explained to and discussed with the clients right at the beginning of the project. That's the only way to be certain that everyone understands what will happen and is comfortable with the procedure.
Tim's preferred system focuses on four key mechanisms:
- Beginning of the day. Tim suggests that the lead carpenter set aside the first half-hour of each day to discuss concerns and ideas with the client. It takes time, but the benefit comes in discouraging clients from interrupting work the rest of the day with considerations they just remembered. Instead, the carpenter can ask the client to hold comments until the next morning—and the client knows they won't be forgotten, because a format exists to discuss them.
"This saves the questions until both of you can be focused, and it ensures it gets
written down," Tim points out. Too often, questions during the day disrupt work
and are handled verbally, with no follow-up or record of the discussion reaching
the office.
- Question board. Tim also installs a give-and-take vehicle at each job. Its format depends on what the lead carpenter likes. Typically, it consists of a dry-erase board, a notebook or even a mailbox-like box to leave comments and pass along questions. This not only facilitates communication and decisions on key points in the critical path, but it reassures the client that questions will be answered.
- Weekly meetings. The lead carpenter and client should schedule a more formal meeting once a week, typically at the job site, to review progress and upcoming decisions. "This meeting should have a written agenda so nothing gets left out," he stresses. If key areas to be discussed involve other players, such as the designer or subcontractor, they should attend the meeting too.
Ideally, the meeting is held at the same time each week to develop a memorable
pattern, but it can be adjusted as the client needs. At the meeting, the supervisor
should ask the customer to remain proactive in watching for anything that is
needed or might be changed based on what they see to date.
The meeting should discuss at least five specific areas, Tim notes:
- The schedule and what will be happening in the coming week;
- Changes that have been requested and how those affect timing and the budget;
Specific concerns or problems that have arisen and need to be addressed;
- Client selections or decisions that must be made to keep the project moving smoothly;
- Client satisfaction to date or any changes that could make life more pleasant in the household.
This fifth one often is overlooked, he says. "Remodelers are hesitant to encourage
customers to bring up problems, but this can clear the air before it grows out of
control."
- Interruptions. "Set parameters of when the crews can be interrupted," he says. "If water is streaming into your kitchen from the second floor, come and tell us; if you just decided on the color of the toilet you want ordered in three weeks, save it for tomorrow's meeting."
The best test of how these systems work is to track customer satisfaction and comments in after-project surveys. "Ask your clients how the project went and how satisfied they were with on-site communication, and then do something about the response," Tim says. "That way, the next people will benefit. Waiting to act until you get a phone call from an upset customer won't end up with a good result."
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