Remodelers Advantage

The Art of Estimating with Geno Arroyo – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E18

March 27, 2023 00:43:02

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Geno Arroyo joins the show to discuss successful estimating. Geno goes through his process as an estimator for each project from start to finish. Suppose you want a more in-depth breakdown of his methods, including getting labor costs right, then you must attend Remodelers Advantage’s Art of Estimating masterclass, where Geno will be a presenter.

Geno Arroyo is the Estimator for Fox Home Innovations, LLC, in Manhattan, KS. Geno has had the privilege of being a part of the Fox Home family for over three years. When he started with the company, he was a Lead Carpenter, then transitioned from the field to the estimator role. The most significant accomplishment Geno can think of during his time is developing and implementing an actual estimator role within the company and having a role to play in getting our overall company slip and grip to 0.87%.

Geno, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

The creation of the estimator position and the results
Phases of work for an estimator
Budget meetings with the estimator
And more…

Using QR Codes for Field Communication – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E17

March 20, 2023 00:28:55

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Nick Sandifer details a new way to communicate in the field to help his team navigate the small details in elaborate projects. Nick and the Sandifer team use QR codes to help communicate better on the job site. The QR codes allow the project manager to view the electrical fixtures, architectural plans, and other information about the project. Nick discusses the effectiveness of the QR codes that lead to fewer phone calls from the team because all the data is in the QR code.

Nick Sandifer is the owner of Sandifer Design Build in Jacksonville, Florida. Nick is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Real Estate Finance, Appraisal and Feasibility. He started his building career with a large national builder, Centex Homes. Later he worked as a project manager for local custom home builder Benchmark Luxury Homes. His experience working for both national and local custom builders has allowed him to focus on the schedule and the details.

Nick, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Benefits of using QR codes
Changing plans while using the QR code
The work that goes into making the QR codes for all the projects
And more…

The Client Experience Part 2 with Camille Jenkins – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E16

March 13, 2023 00:40:19

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Camille Jenkins joins the show to discuss the importance of the client experience and how it differs from satisfaction. Simply put, customer satisfaction is how happy your customers are while using your company’s products and services and how well you are fulfilled their expectations. Customer experience refers to customers’ interactions with a brand’s products and services during all stages of their purchasing process.

Camille Jenkins is a results-oriented, customer experience consultant, keynote speaker, and realtor. With a decade’s worth of real estate industry experience and operational knowledge, Camille brings a real-world approach to setting and delivering on expectations. Camille served as the Vice President of National Customer Relations at Meritage Homes Corporation. During her tenure, the organization annually delivered upwards of nine thousand new homes, and customer satisfaction improved from 70% to 90%. Currently, Camille Jenkins is the owner of Camille’s Keys located in Goodyear, Arizona.

Camille, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Surveys for clients post-project and how to use them to impact change
How communication and education work together in the client experience
And more…

Seeing Projects from the Client’s Point of View with Meghan Haines – [Best of the Tim Faller Show]

March 6, 2023 00:34:41

Have you ever gone through an entire job thinking that the client was delighted with your work and then discovered afterward that they liked most of it, BUT…. (you fill in the blank). So, the question remains, how do you ensure customer satisfaction or, as some call it, creating “Raving Fans?”

There is no better way to explore this than by asking real clients, and even better when the client has a remodeling background and can look at it from either viewpoint.

Meghan Haines is the Production Coordinator for Hercules Design Build, a remodeling company in the St. Louis area. Meghan has been with Hercules for a little over a year and a half; However, before joining the company, she was a client for three remodeling projects in her own home.

Tim, Steve and Meghan talk more about:

Background on Meghan’s household (size of house, family, pets, etc.).
Description of the projects that Meghan contracted for.
Sales & production: did they match and meet expectations.
The most critical action an on-site manager can take while working on a project.
Things that the contractor did that made the projects more bearable.
Advice for remodelers from the client’s perspective.
And more…

Hitting a Schedule Every Time With April Bettinger – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

February 27, 2023 00:35:55

Hitting a schedule every time in construction is possible if you pay proper attention to planning and have a purposeful attitude.

In this episode, April Bettinger joins Tim and Steve to talk about the best practices and the common pitfalls to avoid when creating and managing an on-time project that ends with delighted clients.

April is the founder and owner of Ni p Tuck Remodeling in Snohomish, WA. For more than 30 years, she’s carved out a respected niche in the construction industry. Her father was a custom homebuilder, so April grew up watching and learning about excellent customer service, and what it takes to complete a high-quality project. April has held key roles in finance, budgeting, customer service, team building, and sales management — preparing her to own and operate her own company. Nip Tuck Remodeling was founded in 2010, with a vision and determination to create a construction company with extraordinary craftsmanship and a focus on professionalism.

April and her estimator create the master schedule, then it’s turned over to the production manager, who is responsible for creating and managing the job schedules on BuilderTrend. One huge factor in staying on track once you’re in production is getting the schedules done and materials ordered a month before the project starts. She talks about why that works, and other aspects of keeping your jobs on schedule, including:

Why the project manager has to create and own the schedule
Setting pivotal goals for each week in the schedule
Using goals for client satisfaction
Helping everyone buy in to the system
Handling change orders in the schedule
Getting clients to think ahead during selections
Building in reasonable wiggle room
Handling design changes and heading them off
And more …

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How to Engage Your Staff to Help Train Each Other With Ned Trimming – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

February 20, 2023 00:41:55

Training, training, training!

Business owners, general managers, and production managers often get caught wondering how to do it all.

So, we turned to a former guest and a member of our production manager roundtables, Ned Trimming, to share his efficient training process involving current and new employees.

Ned Trimming is the Production Manager at Crescent Builds in Seattle, WA. Ned and his team at Crescent are dedicated to building high-quality spaces for people to live and work in, while creating an employee review process that continues to morph into new training areas.

Tim, Steve, and Ned talk more about:

Active cross-training
Training opportunities within a company
Establishing lateral service goals
And more…

Client Experience: It’s what they feel not what we do! – [Tim Faller Show] S4 E15

February 13, 2023 00:38:52

On this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve discuss the client experience and how to turn clients into raving fans. The client experience is all about how the client feels and not what you do. Tim differentiates the customer service a company provides from how clients perceive that service. Not only do salespeople have a major role in the client experience, but the production team and lead carpenter do as well.

Tim and Steve talk more about…

Establishing a client experience vision statement
The importance of a pre-construction meeting in providing an excellent client experience
And more…

The Reputation Economy With Tess Jezek – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E14

February 7, 2023 00:36:19

Tess Jezek joins the show today to discuss the importance of your company’s reputation in the reputation economy. In fact, Forbes reports that 60% of consumers are willing to pay more if they believe they will receive a better service. Tess discusses how an accurate description of your business online is smart business practice. In addition, good social status leads to robust pricing power, and client loyalty can lead to return clients, referrals, and new business.

Tess is the Director of Sales for Customer Engagement Solutions of Evercommerce. She manages the sales teams for GuildQuality, PulseM, and Customer Lobby. With close to a decade’s worth of experience in the industry, she understands the importance of customer experience, customer engagement, and customer retention as the most important drivers for your business.

Tess, Tim, and Steve discuss:

The importance of client feedback and when to solicit it
How to take control of the online narrative
How to use your online reputation to build a stronger business

Listen now

The Power of Peers With Victoria Downing – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

February 6, 2023 00:32:16

Many business owners and certainly production managers feel alone in their business at times, and want and or need some kind of external input. So, where do they turn?

Trade associations provide some input but are typically limited to whatever the “topic of the evening” is. Remodelers Advantage President, Victoria Downing, saw this issue and took action through the creation of the Remodelers Advantage Roundtables Programs.

Through the roundtables, members share support and guidance to ultimately help business owners earn more, and work less.

In addition to being the president of Remodelers Advantage, Victoria is the co-host of PowerTips Unscripted, a podcast dedicated to helping remodelers build a strong, profitable company. She is an award-winning author and speaker and brings over 30 years of expertise in the remodeling industry to share how crucial peer groups are in order to successfully grow your business.

Victoria, Tim, and Steve talk more about:

What it really means to be in the remodeling industry
The importance of receiving feedback
How to actually utilize feedback
And more…

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Building Teamwork with Trades with Daniel Carrero – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

January 30, 2023 00:41:20

Do you struggle to maintain relationships with subcontractors and experience your projects not being handled with urgency or priority? If so, you haven’t built a team, you have built a contact list.

Guest Daniel Carrero joins Tim and Steve to talk about how he has built a solid team with little turnover and kept tradesmen that have been with him for over 15 years.

Daniel Carrero, President of House to Home Solutions in Rockville, Maryland, has been able to build a Sub-Contractor Team that prioritizes his jobs over any other contractor.

He shares his tips and tricks to how he has made a team that has stuck with him for years and are willing to take care of service issues without question.

Tim, Steve and Daniel talk more about:

Building relationships with subcontractors and trades.
How to stand out to subcontractors
Getting trades engaged
Prioritizing trades and subcontractors
And more…