Someone who can answer the phone. Someone who can and promptly responds to email. Someone who can actually answer the questions I ask, and not “craft” responses to sound like “yes” when they are really no. Someone who answers all the questions asked, not just 1-2 cherry picked ones.
Someone who is honest, and can stick to a schedule and a budget. Someone who follows through. “I’ll get that to you tomorrow” means tomorrow, and not 1.5 weeks from tomorrow.
Someone able to track items. If something is on order, someone who is not satisfied with simply saying “they said 3-4 weeks when I ordered it”, or “It will come when it comes.” Someone who is not afraid to actually CALL THEM, and ASK THEM when it will arrive.
Someone who comes on site EARLY, ready to start ON TIME. Someone who genuinely knows what they are doing, and performs the work they agreed to, in the way they agreed to do it.
A lot of that is a competent office, filled with people who like their job, but you would be surprise how few contractors can handle doing business well.
Let’s stop settling for subpar jobs, and subhuman treatment, and expect the jobs done properly, and customers treated well.
Vendors we have engaged that meet (or are very close) to the above:
- Thomas Bridge, Bridge Wood Floors (floor refinishing): (508) 561-3818
- Leland Bliss, Bliss Carper Care (carpeting): (508) 234-7500
- Jason Langway, C. Langway & Sons (painters): (508) 254-5384
If you have contractors that are also above and beyond, feel free to leave them in a comment.