Tale of Two Contractors

By Craig Bailey Founder: Customer CentricityDate: 09/16/06

I’ve recently had the “opportunity” to do business with two general contracting firms, events which highlight the two extremes of the customer experience, and provide key lessons that should be internalized by all businesses.

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The first example relates to the experience of engaging a general contracting firm to install a pool. This firm was very responsive in the beginning stages leading up to “closing of the deal.” And, they did break ground pretty much in line with the expectations that they had set. This is where things went awry. As you can imagine, when a decision is made to install a pool, the entire family is anxiously awaiting completion of the project (is it done yet?) to take their first dip.

After the first day of work, the contractor indicated that he would be back tomorrow. The following day, with sun shining brightly, there was no sign of the contractor. Our calls were greeted by an answering machine, with no response that day. The next day, we waited until mid-morning and again called the contractor, and again spoke with the answering machine. Can you feel the anxiety building? On the fourth day, the contractor finally arrived and did more ground breaking, indicating that he would be back again the next day. The following day there was a repeat performance: no contractor. This cycle continued for 2-3 weeks with the gaps between working days widening as the (New England) summer was passing quickly. With the family up in arms, we then called another general contractor who indicated that he could take over the project immediately and get it completed in a set period of time.

Thankfully, the original contractor did not yet have a cent of our money, so we had leverage…

The final call placed to the “current” contractor was something to the effect of: We have engaged another general contracting firm to complete the work. You have invested time on this project to get this far, but due to the fact that you are behind schedule and non-communicative, you will not be paid for a minute of work performed, and I’m turning this work over to this other contractor unless you get back to me in the next 24 hours.

The contractor did get back to us within the timeframe requested and we let him complete the project. However, this firm will NOT receive any positive references. In fact, when people asked about the project, they heard the realities of the experience and went with other general contractors to get their own pools installed.

The key lessons here are:

Reasonable customers know that “stuff happens.”
(Customer) anxiety grows in a vacuum.

In this case, the general contractor was likely juggling multiple projects. If he would have been more communicative throughout the project and properly set expectations, he might have received positive references leading to additional business. I suspect he is out of business…

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At the other extreme, I recently engaged Professional Building Services, of Salem, NH, to perform a home restoration project. We started with what was anticipated to be a very isolated set of repairs. Throughout the process, this general contractor continued reaching out to me in the spirit of “over-communication.” As we opened things up, the project continued to expand, resulting in a much bigger endeavor than anyone had expected. However, the contractor continued to manage our expectations and ensured that we took the pragmatic measures to complete the project. While the project was more expensive and longer in duration than we expected, the work was absolutely required to obtain the occupancy permit AND everyone was happy throughout because of the level of communications and expectations setting.

A few examples of the exceptional customer experience received from Professional Building Services include:

Nearly daily communications (phone calls, emails, text messages) to communicate status, obtain clarification, work logistics and obtaining approvals.
Going the extra mile to work with third-parties (including building inspectors) to ensure we only did what was absolutely necessary to restore the home.
Working with us on payment schedules vs. pausing work as we arranged funding.
Working throughout the night (contractors sleeping in their truck onsite at the project) to meet deadlines.

The key lessons here are:

Customers don’t always know the entire scope of, or solution to, their problems. So, don’t simply “do what you are told.” Instead, assess the situation and recommend the required and pragmatic solution to their problems.
When a commitment is made to the customer, you need to do what you said you would do and deliver on that commitment.
You cannot over-communicate to your customer.
The result of delivering an exceptional experience is positive references (and free publicity!).

In all cases, Professional Building Services came through! And, as a direct result, they have received inquiries from others who would like to hire them. If you would like to visit them online, go to: www.professionalbuildingservices.com.

The above examples are simple case studies for which there are parallels in ALL industries. Which extreme do you want your firm to be at?

In closing, contact us if your firm is in need of a Customer Experience Assessment. We would be happy to perform for you a no frills assessment that quickly and clearly outlines what your firm is doing well, opportunities for improvement and a road-map to pragmatically take your firm to the next level in terms of delivering an exceptional customer experience.