Where the Subs Are
Homeowners. Often the homeowner has worked previously with trade contractors they’re happy with. If these subs meet your standards, don’t mess with success.
Other trade contractors. “Like seeks like. Ask your best subs for recommendations on others they know and have worked with successfully,” Alex Dahlgren says.
Jobsites. “When I drive by other project sites,” Alex Dean says, “I look for clean, well-cared-for trucks. I write down the contact info and call the subs for an interview.”
Tryouts. “It’s like going on a date,” Charles Grode says. “You don’t know until you’ve spent some time with them.”
Regular interviews. Establish a regular day to interview subs. Invite those you like to bid on a couple of small jobs to try them out. “We make every Tuesday sub day and interview new subs to have them in the wings,” Jack Steindl says.
Q & A Taking Pride
To find out what good subs, in turn, look for in high-end remodelers, we interviewed one. Ray Flores, of Pride Electrical Contracting, in Morehead City, N.C., is a third-generation electrician who “grew up with pliers in my hand.” We asked Flores what remodelers can do to find and keep good subs.
Q How can a remodeler locate and evaluate subs who will deliver quality work on high-end projects with very demanding homeowners?
A The decision of choosing a sub can’t be bottom-line driven. Instead, the GC has to rely on his work history with the subs. The GC is very similar to a music conductor; his subs are the first-chair instrument players, while the subs’ employees are second and third chair. Together, they must create a beautiful masterpiece for the owner. When the GC doesn’t do a good job of conducting the music, the end result is a mess. The GC must ask the right questions of the sub, but the sub must also ask questions and fully understand what the GC’s delivery requirements are and whether he can comply with them. GCs and subs get into trouble when assumptions are made and plans aren’t defined.
Quality starts with neatness. If the project is being installed in a neat and professional manner, that will carry through to the finish. It’s very difficult, in fact impossible, to deliver a quality product when the installation was a mess to begin with. Subs will follow the GC’s lead. If the GC establishes a high bar of quality, the sub will deliver a high-quality product.
Q What can the GC do to keep you happy and wanting to work with them again?
A The bottom line is money and [timeliness of payment]. Let’s assume the sub’s [already] getting paid in a timely manner, allowing him to pay his employees and vendors. [After that], what’s important is attitude and a team approach.
[Also] very important is how the GC handles problems that arise on a project. Does he stand back and force the sub to handle all the problems, or does he remember that he’s the team leader and work with the sub to resolve [things]? Excellent GCs work hand in hand with their subs to handle any problems that come up, which allows the sub to appreciate the GC’s efforts and keeps the sub motivated and focused on the project rather than on the problem.
Q What mistakes do GCs make with subs, in both hiring them and working with them?
A The most common mistake I run into is that the GC has a plan but doesn’t share it with the sub until the sub is so far outside of the plan that there’s a problem. Again, it’s similar to the first chair trumpet player not having his sheet music to play by. Does he know the notes? Sure he does, but if he doesn’t have the sheet music, what sound will his trumpet make? The most successful projects are those where there’s [only] one band leader and everyone’s on the same sheet of music and understands their roles.
Q What are the characteristics of a qualified electrical contractor?
A I define a qualified electrical contractor as one who has the passion for the work. He can look at the materials and visualize the end product, and he has solutions and goes above and beyond the scope of the contract to deliver quality. He takes so much pride in his work that he’d put his name on the end product, and he respects and appreciates the other building trades as professionals and artists in their own right. He’s concerned about the image of his trade in the public arena and takes steps to elevate the trade and the people who work in it. (For example, I’m on the boards of the local chamber of commerce and the local Boys & Girls Club, and I volunteer my services to Habitat for Humanity, among other activities.) And he understands the importance of sharing his profits with his employees, knowing that true devotion is a commodity we purchase by providing responsibility and ownership.
Q Is there anything else you especially do to deliver quality?
A We use a customer-satisfaction program called C.A.R.E. (customer action review and evaluation), which we adopted from [Pittsburgh-based] Tegg Corp., an electrical contracting franchise firm. [As part of the process], we discuss positive and negative feedback from the customer in an informal manner, either face-to-face, via e-mail, or on the phone, to improve our services. We pass on the compliments in the form of a small bonus ($20 or less), and we use the negative feedback, as well, to help our staff improve what may be wrong.
Q Do you have any other tips on how high-end remodeling firms can locate and keep good subs?
A Locating dependable and qualified subs is tricky. A GC has to have tryouts, and the relationship has to be a good fit for both the GC and the sub. Once I find and work with a good GC, I have to be an asset to him like a sharp pencil on his desk, and I have to be his favorite pencil, or he’ll just use another. What do you bring to that GC that makes his job easier, faster, cleaner, professional, impressive, complete, on time, and under budget, and that keeps the customer smiling? That’s when you know you’ve achieved something; when the homeowner can’t stop smiling, it’s priceless.