Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Novel Idea...Listening to your clients




I want to tell you about a business owner that my husband and I have worked with since we moved here seven years ago. His name is Rabih and he owns a construction company.  Since the first time we met, he sits down with us to discuss a project until we (usually me) feels comfortable with the price and the job. 

We started out with a screened in porch and deck on our house.   The first three contractors we met were not very helpful with the vision we had of the porch and the deck.  Neither were they willing to discuss how to make the project fit into our budget. They basically walked off the area, wrote up a sheet and gave us a price. When I tried to have discussions, they said the price was the price.

When Rabih got there I was not in a good mood, feeling like we were wasting time with yet another contractor who would not listen. I was pleasantly surprised when I told Rabih the price was too high and he responded with “Let’s go look at it again and make this work.”  What?  Make it work?  By the time we were done, we’d redesigned the project to fit our budget and we loved the whole thing.  In addition, every work crew shows up on time, works the whole day and finishes the project when Rabih told us they would. 

Unfortunately there are some things his company doesn’t do, so I have to use someone else for those projects.  But for anything he will do we call him.  He has replaced windows, siding, a fence and is getting ready to do a roof for us.  When our roof started leaking our first thought was to call Rabih.  We didn’t get a second quote because we knew it would be done right.  But the great part about Rabih is that he is used to me now. He knows he has to come in and listen to me complain about spending more money on our house. Then we have to negotiate the price. He allows time for me to have what my sister calls a “financial breakdown” (we don’t have emotional breakdowns just financial ones), then he knows we will be ready to sign a contract.  We actually laughed about the process the last time he was in because I told him I would not let anyone else work on our house now.  

So I guess the main message for business owners is when you have to give a quote, make sure you are listening to your potential client and you work with them to make the project fit for both of you.  

Suzanne Cormier
Executive Director
BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)
Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and
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