Today on The Tim Faller Show, Aimee Cianfarani discusses how her company has made concierge services (a/k/a handyperson services) a successful part of the overall business. In this high-failure segment of the industry, Aimee and her team have overcome significant odds to find great success by applying a strategic approach and using marketing as a key part of the process. Aimee said hiring the right person for this role is also critical.
Aimee is the Concierge Services Coordinator at Teakwood Builders in Saratoga Springs, NY. Aimee has helped grow Concierge Services from a one-person operation into significant operations with jobs booked into 2023.
Listen to this episode where Aimee, Tim, and Steve talk about:
How to use this to service upsell customers to more significant projects or as a follow-up to other projects to keep them happy
Determining the right customers and employee talent for this service
We heard from a few listeners about that episode, and the concept of Zero Punch List, so we wanted to revisit it. We are now evangelists pushing to see the term “Punch list” eliminated from the remodeler’s vocabulary. In a zero punch list scenario, after a project, no items remain to be addressed or “punched” because the items will have been addressed during the project and not at the project’s end.
A punch list is so ingrained within the industry that it is tricky to conceive of not having one. Every blog article about working with a contractor says something about that punch list. Usually, “Don’t pay until it is done.”
Our guest for this episode is Mike Voloschuk, Production Manager at Hurst Design Build Remodel in Westlake, Ohio. Mike is a member of our Roundtables for Production Managers peer group, and when he mentioned how his firm had adopted the Zero Punch strategy, we invited him to join us and discuss it.
Mike has been with Hurst since 2008 and moved from Carpenter to Production Manager.
Tim, Steve, and Mike talk more about:
Background on Hurst Design Build Remodel (size of projects, type of work, etc.).
Why Hurst moved to Zero Punch List production.
How Hurst made the transition and how the team reacted and adapted to the change.
How Hurst is doing with the new production mindset and how the clients have responded.
Do you have a way to be sure that your clients understand the scope and plans of the services you offer?
Simply asking for their signature on future plans does not necessarily guarantee that they understand what it is they are signing. Like many of the topics discussed on this show, there is no magic answer to ensuring that a client is aware and knowledgeable about the services they may want or are receiving. Host Tim Faller suspects that it is important to educate based off of the entire sales and production processes, so he speaks with guest Chris Landis to search for some answers.
Chris is the Co-Founder and Principal of Landis Construction, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). After graduating with an MA in architecture from Columbia University, he worked with Fortune 500 companies. He served two terms on D.C.’s Historic Preservation Review Board and is a past president of the DC chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
Tim, Steve and Chris talk more about:
Starting this process
Creating a budget range
Steering away from making assumptions
And more…
Remodelers Advantage is Hiring!
We are looking for a new team member! Our new Sales Executive will work with smart, appreciative remodeling business owners; changing not only their businesses but their lives, families and the lives of their staff members!
People mysteriously up and leave without giving notice, and we are stuck with the issue of keeping and retaining that “good help.” From a manager’s perspective all was going so well, but still, there is something going on in the employee’s head that causes them to leave.
In almost all cases, getting more money somewhere else is the most common explanation. Money is the prominent tangible item in the experience, so it is often used as the excuse. But what prompted them to even look someplace else? Why did the good relationship get to the point where someone was not wanting to stay?
In this two part series, we will be talking about how our personality and more importantly, the other person’s personality impact these relationships. Tune in to part 2 to hear about the internal client, with the help of guest Jeremy Kelley.
Jeremy joined BACK Construction four years ago after running his own Residential Design/Build company for 11 years. Over the last year, his position has changed slightly from Production manager to Director of the Remodeling Division.
Whether you are listening in the truck on your way to your next client or at your desk during a lunch break, PowerTips Unscripted brings you your next big idea, success tip or even just a chance to hear from those that have achieved great success in the remodeling industry.
People mysteriously up and leave without giving notice, and we are stuck with the issue of keeping and retaining that “good help.” From a manager’s perspective all was going so well, but still, there is something going on in the employee’s head that causes them to leave.
In almost all cases, getting more money somewhere else is the most common explanation. Money is the prominent tangible item in the experience, so it is often used as the excuse. But what prompted them to even look someplace else? Why did the good relationship get to the point where someone was not wanting to stay?
In these next two episodes, we will be talking about how our personality and more importantly, the other person’s personality impact these relationships. We will discuss the external client in the first episode, and the internal client in the second, with the help of guest Jeremy Kelley.
Jeremy joined BACK Construction four years ago after running his own Residential Design/Build company for 11 years. Over the last year, his position has changed slightly from Production manager to Director of the Remodeling Division.
Tim, Steve and Jeremy talk more about:
Utilizing temperament tests
The importance of “listening well”
Working better together through understanding better
And more…
Let Us Turn Your Project Manager into a Superhero!
This two-day program, held in-person at our office in Maryland, focuses on two of the most critical aspects of managing a project – hitting the agreed-upon budget and working with and managing the team effectively.
Industry and business experts Tim Faller, Victoria Downing, and Doug Howard will be facilitating this course.
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…
This Episode Brought is Sponsored by LL Flooring -
We are excited to welcome LL Flooring as a sponsor for this episode. For over 25 years and with over 400 locations nationwide, they have focused on doing one thing – hard surface flooring – better than anyone else. Check out their website here – LL Flooring
Restoring a home after a catastrophe like a fire or flood is fairly specialized, not something most remodeling companies do. There are different challenges, like dealing with insurance companies and payouts, so these companies have different perspectives on production.
Mike Carey has worked in insurance restoration for 25 years, as well as doing residential remodeling and commercial contracting, giving him a unique viewpoint.
In this episode, Mike talks to Tim and Steve about the differences — and similarities — in production when restoring a client’s home versus standard remodeling, and what to do to get started in this part of the industry.
Mike’s company, Carey Contracting, is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In business for 35 years, Carey Contracting has 15 employees. Carey has been involved in insurance restoration work for 25 years, and there are years where insurance restoration produces more than 50 percent of the company’s volume.
Mike went to school to learn what an insurance adjuster knows when he started out in the restoration business. Since then, the company has made a name for itself in the insurance restoration business. He says the restoration can be wonderfully rewarding work. Mike talks about the process of working with insurers and clients, and getting your team up to speed, including:
Working with adjusters
Project time frames
Working through the clients’ stresses
Demolition and discovery
Billing for restoration work
The critical need for proper documentation
Insurance vs. “as built”
Remaining objective
Creating a buffer between the insurer and the homeowner
Dealing with code improvements and policies
And more …
If you’re interested in pursuing insurance restoration, Mike says, you’ll need software that’s compatible with what insurance companies use and get training in fire, smoke, and water damage restoration.
Making sure you can hit your monthly revenue goals is key to a healthy bottom line. First, there has to be a plan and intention to hit those marks.
In this episode, Aaron Enfinger tells Tim and Steve about setting revenue and production goals, how to hit them, and why it helps prevent cash-flow problems.
Aaron is the general manager at The Cleary Company in Columbus, OH. In early 2017, he assumed the role of General Manager to address managerial needs The Cleary Company was experiencing, due to their pace of growth.
He starts his goal-setting process with a spreadsheet, and drills down from the yearly goal to the weekly numbers the company needs to produce to hit its revenue numbers. Then he works with his production manager and office manager to carry the plan through. Aaron gives you great ideas about how you can do this in your own company, including:
Designing your production department to handle your goals
Why weekly number will fluctuate
What sets off alarm bells in the pipeline
Scheduling to smooth out seasonal differences
How job schedules relate to the master schedule
Setting up incremental milestone draws in a job
How often to evaluate your financials
Setting expectations with clients at the beginning of the project
Focusing your production team on their goals
Why a cloud-based project management system saves time in invoicing
And more …
Aaron also talks about how he found and used a powerful tool on LinkedIn to identify and recruit the company’s new production manager — from The Bahamas.
Developing a system that makes your kitchen and bath jobs more profitable has to include getting those all-important selections done early in the process — before the job even starts.
Tim does a session on this, and it’s based on what he learned from Rhode Island Kitchen & Bath, in Warwick, RI.
In this episode, Tanya Donahue discusses that process with Tim and Steve, and why it results in exceptional client experiences, and make everyone in the company happy and more productive.
Tanya is the president of Rhode Island Kitchen and Bath, and provides her team and her clients with proven strategic capabilities, backed by her strong record of success. She’s spent more than 25 years in the home building and remodeling industry, and her main focus is to create, communicate, and implement the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction. Tanya is a member of the Rhode Island Builders Association, served as co-chair of the Remodeler’s Committee and is a former member of the board of directors. She was selected as a 2017 Industry panelist for Harvard University’s Joint Center on Housing Studies, and was a judge of the 2018 National Qualified Remodeler Design Awards. She was also the recipient of the 2017 ProRemodeler Extreme Sales Award.
At the company, when a job packet goes to production from sales, it has every selection made, right down to the color and manufacturer of the caulk to be used. So much money is lost when something is missing on the job. If your company isn’t doing it this way, Tanya says, it may seem overwhelming, but she tells you how to get your organization on board with making selections before the job starts, including:
Making the client the boss, sort of
Getting buy-in from sales and design
How it increases productivity in design and sales
Including photos in the job packet for easy identification on site
Starting with the must-haves
Controlling the client through education in the process
Figuring out how clients make decisions
Why cabinets can drive their start date
Starting with a reservation form, and using it as a reality check on the schedule
The power of the visual production board
How to do it without a showroom
And more …
Integrating sales and production in a continuous communication loop from start to finish is key to the whole process.
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 Nip 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 build 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. Nip Tuck was named a Big50 remodeler in 2018, and ranked the No. 50 Fastest Growing Private Company in 2018 by the Puget Sound Business Journal.
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
How to break the details down and work with them
Setting pivotal goals for each week in the schedule
Using goals for client satisfaction
Helping everyone buy in to the system
How much time it takes to pre-plan
Why you should make the time investment
How sales and design affect the schedule
Handling change orders in the schedule
Getting clients to think ahead during selections
Building in reasonable wiggle room
Leaving nothing TBD
Handling design changes and heading them off
Beating weather challenges in the schedule
How to deal with damaged materials
And more …
If you believe you can hit project schedules, you can. If you think it will never happen, it won’t. It’s all about the attitude.
See April Speak at the Annual Remodeler’s Summit
We’re thrilled that April Bettinger will be speaking at the 2019 Remodeler’s Summit, on September 24-25, in Orlando:
To learn more the Summit event and our line-up of other great speakers, go to Remodelerssummit.com!
