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.
Issue link: https://qualifiedremodeler.epubxp.com/i/143500
about [the clients'] needs and then meeting those needs and expectations and exceeding them," he continues. If the survey results are anything but 100 percent positive, Roberts will do some fact-finding and arrange to talk with the client about the problem. "I think it's appreciated by clients that we take the time to do that," he says. For Roberts, gift baskets to clients are a secondary concern in ensuring customer satisfaction. "I don't believe you can buy their trust or their willingness to refer you; I think you have to earn that by your actions," he says. However, at the end of the year, he does send out modest gift baskets from a local charity. "It's not the actual thing that's important; it's the thought and where it came from." The most important thing is to listen carefully, Roberts advises. "Ask about pets, special conditions, when the cleaning lady is coming and going so we know who is coming into your house at 10 a.m. on Thursday while you're at work." Director of WOW Lainey Dyer, Henderer Design Build, Corvallis, Ore., reports that she's changed her title from office manager to Director of WOW, "because that's what I want our clients to say when they work with us. How many businesses do you know where you What is the response rate to your surveys? 0-10% 5.1% 11-20% 21-30% walk away [from the experience] and say, 'Wow, they really go the extra mile'? "We want to create a customer experience that is like no other. We have tons of competition in town who are really, really good. My job is to spoil our clients, to give them an ultimate experience and to give them a product that is truly outstanding," she says. "I call it 'surprise and delight,'" Dyer says. "Maybe we will leave some of our custom-made chocolates on their counter with a card that says, 'Have a good day,' — just doing things that other companies wouldn't do." The company also stages client appreciation events. "We take them to a baseball game once a year or to a wine tasting or to a brewery. We're having a big chili cookoff this year for all our past clients and vendors," Dyer says. Dyer generally finds clients are not hard to please, aside from the fact they're watching what they spend more closely. "It's harder to portray the value of your company when people are shopping around and getting bids," she says, but because a great deal of the company's business comes from referrals and past clients with whom the company already Do you do an in-person follow-up to negative responses? I've learned that people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel." — Maya Angelou has a relationship, jobs tend to go smoothly. Corvallis, Dyer notes, is home to Oregon State University, a major hospital and industries such as Hewlett-Packard, giving Henderer a client base of professionals from which to draw. "We have a highly educated clientele who want quality and are willing to pay for it," she says. Henderer does not do a formal survey at the end of each job but does do a final walk-through. "We maintain constant communications with the client each week, and if problems do come up, we make sure they're fixed right away. "You can't be ordinary because there are lot of other ordinary guys out there," Do you offer an incentive to encourage clients to complete your surveys? No Yes 17.7% 23.5% 6.1% 5.1% 31-40% 6.1% 41-50% 6.1% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100% 76.5% Yes 4% 82.3% No 7.1% 16.2% 20.2% 24.2% ForResidentialPros.com QR July 2013 27