A remodeling project comes with a lot of costs for a client.
The money is one of the costs, and it’s often focused on early in the relationship with the contractor. With a good planning process aimed at avoiding change orders, money concerns typically fade away.
The big cost for many clients is simply not being in control.
Think about it: Your clients live in their homes, knowing where everything is and not having to think much as they go about their daily routine.
They decide to have remodeling done. Maybe it’s a bathroom; it could be a kitchen. It’s one of the rooms they use every day, following a routine that confirms “This is my home.”
The remodel is about to begin so they have to move out of the space(s) into some unfamiliar space, likely not as well equipped or laid out as the space they just vacated.
Now making coffee, making breakfast, cleaning the dishes, reading the paper, taking a shower—all those things that involved simply following a routine are disrupted.
The result? Frustration and anxiety. A sense of not being in control. And for some people, this can be mighty importan.
How to avoid this occurring with your clients?
Predict the Future
Tell them this is how they will likely feel. Work with them to make sure they think through what they are going to need by way of temporary facilities. And remind them that, no matter what is done to set up the temporary facilities, being frustrated is part of the cost of the project.
Do this no matter what size the project is. Even if a room’s floor is being redone, do this. It does not take a lot of time and the clients will love you for doing it.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Did I say “communicate”?
Before the project starts, get crystal clear about what will happen. This will often entail several different communication efforts.
During the project, keep your client informed. Some folks do this daily. Doing so doesn’t take a lot of time.
After the project is done, do a walk-through, no matter how small the project. Ask, again and again, if the client has any concerns.
A month or two later check in, just to see how things are going.
A Final Wrap
About six months to a year later, reach out to the client. A phone call is better than email. A visit is better than a phone call. Your eyeball-to-eyeball contact with your client after the job is over and is being lived in is part of what they paid for (even though they will never tell you that).
Again, do a walk-through.
Invest in the relationship. Ask how their lives are going. What is happening with their family? How have friends responded to the remodeled space?
Why do all this? After all, doing so takes time away from getting projects sold and done.
The better your company is at addressing your clients’ fears, the more likely the stories your clients tell their friends will be good ones.
Your clients will be happier telling those stories instead of bad ones AND your company will get more work.
What a wonderful combination of benefits for both parties! All achieved by a policy of No Fear Left Unaddressed Upfront.