We shared with you recently how we send surveys to every one of our clients at the completion of their home improvement project through an independent third party survey company. One of the questions we ask our clients is how the people at Southwest Exteriors made them feel loved and cared for. When we looked at their responses, we found that they all fell into one of four major categories: Communication, Caring, Cleanliness, and Craftsmanship. We wanted to take some time to delve into each area a little further.
Communication
Every person on the Southwest Exteriors team works together to make sure homeowners have the information they need to be comfortable during their big home improvement projects. As you read the actual comments that our clients put on their surveys, you can see how Communication is more than just handing someone a booklet or sending an occasional email.Finding out the clients’ needs
The following comments demonstrate how communication must be two-way to be effective. It involves effective, probing questions and lots of listening.- “Asked me a lot of questions”
- “Nothing was done without first checking with us.”
- “They listened to what we wanted.”
- “Active hearing”
- “[They] all listened to me.”
- “Never any squabbling over what needed to be done”
- “They understood.”
Making sure the homeowner is well informed and educated
Although a few of our clients are quite knowledgeable about their home’s construction, very few people have been through the process of replacing their windows, doors, or siding. After getting to know our clients, we take the time to make sure they know exactly what will happen during their remodeling project. Here are some things they liked about how we informed them:- “Proactive in providing information”
- “Took time to explain the process”
- “They informed me of everything they were doing and why they were doing it.”
- “Nothing was done without first checking with me.”
- “They kept me informed—I knew exactly what was going on.”
- “Explained what and how they were installing”
- “They called me every time there was a change.”
- “The plan was clear.”
- “Listened to my concerns and desires for the project”
- “They walked us through everything and became our family.”
Resolving Concerns Quickly
Even though everyone is familiar with the phrase “No question is a dumb question,” bringing up questions and concerns is sometimes hard for homeowners once they have committed to a large project. Here are some ways our clients’ concerns were reassured by Southwest Exteriors team members:- “Responded promptly to any questions that I had”
- “The responses were always clear and immediate.”
- “When adjustments had to be made, they worked with me to figure out how to move forward and promptly made it happen.”
- “Responded very quickly to my phone calls”
- “Everyone made wonderful suggestions.”
- “They do what they say they are going to do.”
- “Provided complete answers”
Following Up Consistently
Before we ask for that final payment check, we want to make sure that we have met or exceeded their expectation. Our clients have commented:- “They always follow up with thank you notes and phone calls.”
- “Kept in touch with me”
- “The Project Manager visited almost daily to assure that work was being done to our satisfaction.”
- “They gave us a follow-up call.”
- “They followed-up constantly.”
- “They called when they were supposed to.”
- “They kept in contact with me quite a bit.”
In our next article, we will talk about how our clients have felt us show them compassion and courtesy based on their comments related to Caring.