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| Whether you're a homeowner or a contractor, you've all heard horror stories about remodeling contractors that have taken way longer than promised or that have neglected to complete the job. If you've had a bad experience with a contractor you know how frustrating it can be. If you're a contractor, you don't want to be associated with this kind of reputation. |
The Survey |
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Renovation Experts has, for the third consecutive year, conducted a survey along with Qualified Remodeler Magazine of 1000 homeowners who have recently hired a contractor for remodeling work on their home. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being top, homeowners were asked to rate their contractors in five basic categories: overall satisfaction, professionalism, timeliness, fair price and workmanship. |
The Purpose |
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The purpose of the survey is to help contractors build better relationships with homeowners, improve the quality of their service and increase their clients' satisfaction. This 2007 survey explores some of the things that typically go wrong in the contractor/homeowner experience, what is important to homeowners, and to identify what makes for a bad reference. |
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The Results |
| The consistent results that we've observed over the past three years have enabled us to confidently pinpoint tips that contribute to greater customer satisfaction. These five valuable tips are first of all outlined and then explained in greater detail. The supporting data from the survey is presented in charts and graphs. |
Five Tips for Greater
Customer Satisfaction:
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Communicate Clearly
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Prepare the Homeowner's Expectations for the Project
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Finish Work On Time
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Leave the Jobsite Clean Each Day
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Be Honest and Realistic about Quality, Timing and Pricing
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| The homeowners that indicated they would not hire their remodeler again gave them a rating in the low 3's to the mid 4's for their overall satisfaction, professionalism, timeliness, fair pricing and workmanship. Conversely, the 50 percent who said they would be willing to rehire gave their remodeler ratings ranging from the low to high 8's. |
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| In 2006, the number was higher. Fifty-five percent would use their remodeler again. |
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Those that were willing to rehire were also willing to refer their contractor to a friend. In fact, 52 percent of them would refer their remodeler. The contractors that would receive a recommendation all won 8's in workmanship, fair price, timeliness, professionalism and overall satisfaction. The remaining 48%, who would not be referred, received 3's in four categories and a mid 4 in fair pricing.
Again, the figure from the 2006 survey was higher, with 56 percent saying that they would be willing to refer their contractor to a friend. |
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1. Communicate Clearly |
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How does a remodeler get a good referral? Clear communication is critical.
Clearly communicate what to expect in terms of upheaval at the various stages of the project. Let them know what the next steps will be. This instills confidence and allows them to make needed adjustments. Without such effective communication every bump in the road will come as a shock to them. |
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| Customers won't always speak up when there is a problem, but they will tell others about it. Encourage homeowner feedback. Expect problems. Problems are not always bad. View them as opportunities to win over the homeowner. |
| Clear communication adds to your professionalism and the overall satisfaction of the customer. Contractors that were deemed worthy of a referral were given high 8's in these two areas, satisfaction and professionalism. |
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2. Prepare Expectations for the Project |
One of the key questions in the survey was: Did your remodeler set proper expectations for the level of disruption that the remodeling activity caused? Minimize the inconvenience for your clients.
Thirty-nine percent of those asked indicated that their remodeler did not minimize the inconvenience for them. If you do so, as the 61% of contractors did, you will find this goes a long way in their satisfaction with your services. |
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| This emphasizes the need not just for quality workmanship, but to manage the expectations of the client as the job progresses. |
| When we are in a doctor's care we like them to tell us what is coming and when we're going to experience pain. The same goes for a client in the middle of a renovation. Tell them what is coming. Contractors that failed to set realistic expectations for their project were awarded low marks. Their scores for overall satisfaction and timeliness dipped into the 2's. |
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3. Finish Work On Time |
| A foreseeable factor that will affect the satisfaction of your client is your ability to be timely. When you set out a time frame finish work on schedule, or even early if possible. To do this you have to be realistic about how quickly things can be done. Don't make unrealistic promises. When it is not possible to finish on time, communicate this as soon as you know. |
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Contractors that finished on time drew high scores, receiving 8's in all the categories. In contrast, remodelers that did not finish on time bore low scores that were in the mid 3's.
It's much like my husband Christopher's motto for work: "Promise Less; Deliver More". |
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4. Leave the Jobsite Clean |
| Of the respondents, 85% stayed in their home during the remodeling process. Leaving the jobsite clean each day will cut down on the chaos that the homeowner experiences. Keeping the jobsite organized does more than that however. It also says wonders for your work ethic. Sixty two percent of the respondents said "yes", their remodeler kept the jobsite swept and organized. These happy clients gave their contractor a rating of 8 out of 10 on workmanship. The respective remodelers scored well across the satisfaction categories with high 7's. |
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| This small task only takes about 15 minutes at the end of the day. |
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| Thirty eight percent of those polled said "NO". Their contractor did not leave the site in order. They ranked their remodelers in the low to mid 3's for professionalism, workmanship and overall satisfaction. A messy project can cast a shadow on the quality of your work.To many homeowners, a sloppy site means sloppy work. |
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5. Honesty |
| Honesty is obviously very important to homeowners. They are entrusting their home, belongings and often keys to their contractor. Sixty one percent of clients felt that their remodelers were honest and gave them a high 7 for timeliness and mid 8's across the other four categories. The 39% of remodelers that were considered dishonest, by the homeowner, scored much lower with mostly 2's with a slight range reaching up to a low 4. |
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It is not just the completed job and price that makes for a good reference. It is the experience, the relationship and the length and severity of the disruption.
Be truthful and realistic about quality, timing and pricing. This is a key problem area for many remodelers, as the tendency is to be too idealistic about costs, timing and the quality of the completed project. |
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| Don't fall into this predictable and preventable trap. |
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Earth Friendly Materials |
There is more and more talk about becoming environmentally conscious in building. The trend of "going green" is starting to translate into homeowner projects.
Thirty-four percent of those surveyed said their remodeling project did include some earth friendly or "green" materials. This group was generally more pleased with their contractors’ work. Their scores ranged from 6.1 to 7.0. This is as apposed to the 66% that did not "go green", who were given scores of 5.5 to 6.5. |
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The Goal |
The goal should be to build a long term relationship with each client not just to close a deal on a one time remodeling job. You want homeowners to be so pleased that they will rehire you for their next project and will recommend you to their friends, relatives and neighbors. Remember, it costs more to find new homeowner clients than it does to retaining a new customer. |
Customer Satisfaction Scores 2005 to 2007 |
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The Conclusion |
| This survey will not be able to turn unprofessional remodelers with shoddy workmanship into star performers. Hopefully though, it may help honest, hardworking trades people to identify areas where the relationship breaks down and where they can improve their communication with homeowners to provide greater overall satisfaction. |
| This joint research was conducted by RenovationExperts.com and Qualified Remodeler Magazine. |
