Qualified Remodeler Magazine

JUL 2015

Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.

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Weidmann explains. "If it slows down like it did during the recession — while we did have to let some people go — others simply became lead carpenters or working project managers. From a stafng standpoint, this provides more fexibility so I can continue to keep people on even though my work fow may ebb and fow from year to year." Within Weidmann & Associates, project managers become involved with projects as soon as paperwork is signed, and from that point forward they are the client's primary point of contact which is the exact reason Weidmann does not believe a full-time lead carpenter system would work for his com- pany. "In a lead carpenter system and even ome companies determine whether to use a lead carpenter system or a project manager system based on revenue, efciency, company size and many other criteria. Dan Weidmann, CR, CAPS, president of Weidmann & Associates in Roswell, Ga., bases his decision for the "best" system for his company on client sat- isfaction. "Our system is driven by what is in the best interest of the client because ulti- mately if client satisfaction goes down, what follows is our proftability as well," he says. "So we are a project manager system with them carrying a workload that maintains the level of client service and satisfaction that we expect here at our company." However, Weidmann is the frst to say that his company's is not the typical project man- ager system, but instead is more of a hybrid role between that of a lead carpenter and proj- ect manager. Historically the company has used a similar format since the beginning, but the hybrid system also helped retain jobs during the recession. "THE COMPANY started with our proj- ect managers being subcontractor based. Te jobs were smaller, and they were hired to manage several projects and as needed put their tool belts on. We continue to fol- low that model: Te project managers have tools and in an ideal world they are never putting them on, but in reality they do but it isn't every day. Tey are not working car- penters from that standpoint; they are just doing whatever is most efcient, and if that means putting on a tool belt then they will," Management style should revolve around companies' priorities One company's emphasis on customer service has led to the use of a hybrid product manager — lead carpenter system By Kacey Larsen when we've had our project managers spend more time using their tool belts, the problem is that it's hard to be productive and efcient on a job when the expectation, at least in my company, is to be at the beck and call of our client. Any questions, comments, concerns, discussions a client wants to have regarding their project the employee managing it has to be available, which means they have to put down their tools and allocate time to the cli- ent," he says. Te project managers participate in weekly meetings at the ofce to share fore- casts for the next two weeks regarding project plans and needed labor resources, helping ensure availability for clients as needed. ONCE A PROJECT is completed, custom- er satisfaction is measured via internal and external surveys. Weidmann explains that, while GuildQuality — their external survey source — allows them to learn more about the entire experience, he or his brother visit the client for the internal sign-of on the project. And one of their primary questions is for the homeowner to rate their satisfaction with the project manager. He is quick to note the bar is set extremely high for project managers, considering the company's emphasis on cus- tomer satisfaction. | S Our system is driven by what is in the best interest of the client because ultimately if client satisfaction goes down, what follows is our proftability as well. 18 July 2015 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com | ForResidentialPros.com PROFITS: NARI Recertification QR has teamed up with NARI to create a convenient way to earn credits toward your recertification. After reading this issue's article, take the test for CEUs at ForResidentialPros.com/narirecertification.

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