How to Say You're Sorry
Saturday, May 26, 2007
We're all human. We make mistakes. As a business owner, there will be times when you, or your crew, are the cause of a problem on the job. It's unavoidable. But how you handle a mistake is very important.If you think not accepting responsibility for a problem or avoiding apologies will save you money, you're wrong. At stake is more than the cost of materials or labor. Your company's reputation hangs in the balance. And a reputation is your future - our ability to get new customers and to avoid bad publicity. Someone who has a good experience with you will tell 3 people. On average, a bad experience will result in 15 people hearing about it.
Many hate to apologize when they're at fault. Why? They don't want to feel embarrassed. While it may feel like a personal attack, your clients only want to know you will fix the problem and steps will be taken so it doesn't happen again. People realize you are human and problems occur.
An apology will go a long way to reassuring them and your company's image will be maintained. I love to preach referrals because it is a key to long-term business success. A mistake will not eliminate the chance for referrals if there is a sincere apology that accompanies it.
Don't start with, "I'm sorry you feel that way..." or "I'm sorry you think..." You'll do more harm than good. Another mistake is to say, "I'd like to apologize..." and it never goes beyond that. It's like you are saying, "I'd like to fix your roof" and walking away. Don't bother to say anything more if you're "sorry" is followed by "but..." "I'm sorry your roof leaked, but you should have..."
It's more than saying, "Sorry!" and moving on. You need more than a one or two syllable statement. You're in your client's home or business and you are charging more than just a few dollars for your service.
It's not a sign of weakness to apologize for making a mistake. It enhances the reputation of your business and you, if you done right. You should acknowledge that there was a problem. You should accept responsibility and apologize with no conditions. And you should reassure your client you will take steps to avoid repeating the problem.
Believe it or not but apologies can be good for business.
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Labels: Small Business Advice
Slumping Housing Market Affects Competition & Prices
Friday, May 25, 2007
From Florida Today: "The housing market in Brevard County is doing better than some markets in Florida, and doing worse than others, said Franck Kaiser, chief executive officer of the Home Builders & Contractors Association of Brevard." 'Because of the housing slowdown, small homebuilders like in Brevard County like Bruce Pearce have been forced to focus on home repair and remodeling jobs."
"Pearce, owner of Talbott Construction Design Inc. in West Melbourne, said he may get out of homebuilding if business does not pick up because it is hard to compete with large corporate builders in a slow market."
"Kaiser said homebuilders generally have dropped prices for new homes, including taking losses on some homes to clear out their inventory."
The Herald Tribune reports from Florida. "If you need evidence of how the slumping housing market is impacting the local economy, look no further than Port Manatee. Shipments of lumber, plywood and fencing materials that exploded during the housing boom have dropped off significantly during the bust."
"'The market crashed and no one needed plywood,' said Capt. Rasmus Okland, terminal manager for Port Manatee’s largest forestry product importer. 'Prices have come down and stayed down, and consumption remains low.'"
Labels: Construction Industry, Construction News
Providing Options to Your Clients
Monday, May 21, 2007
When your client presents you with a job request, your experience and instincts usually kick right in. You listen to the client to determine their needs, likes, and personalities. Next, you visit the future job site to view the remodeling, building, or design project. Right away, an idea pops into your head and you present your initial plans and thoughts to the homeowner or business owner.Does that sound about right? It's how many of us work. And I'm here to tell you it might not be the best method. First, you're presenting a solution for the project what might be something you've seen before, have experience with, or have recently heard about. But it might not be the perfect solution for this project. Second, when you feed an idea into a client's head, you plant a seed. When it comes to the full execution of the idea, you might discover too late that it wasn't the best idea. You and your company will be the ones to take the blame.
By stepping back to evaluate the project before presenting ideas, you may come up with the best solution for the project owner. And by thinking about more than one possible solution, you'll be able to present options. Options are great on any building or remodeling projects because there will be obvious advantages and disadvantages of each. And the decision on which idea to go with will belong to the project owner.
Many fear providing options because it will confuse the client or cause them to change their mind completely on the direction of the project. But it's better to have them thinking about what they want, thinking about their options, in the planning phase rather than after work has begun.
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