Sweat the

small stuff
S
tress-management
experts suggest that we
not worry about the lit-
tle things in life. Dont
sweat the small stuff, we
are advised. But most con-
crete contractors who do
residential or light com-
mercial construction or
repair will tell you: If you
dont sweat the small stuff,
you may not have enough
of the large stuff to keep
you in business.
Even a contractor
with a reputation for
excellent concrete work
wont impress customers
if he cant get the little
things right. Here are
seven little things that
every contractor had better
sweat, along with simple
rules for handling each
situation competently
and professionally.
1 Get the correct con-
tact information. Every
customer wants to be rec-
ognized and respected, and
spelling a customers name
correctly is one of the easi-
est ways to show respect.
Also, be sure to verify the
correct address, especially
for residential jobs. (Just
imagine the chaos that
would ensue if you acci-
dentally ripped out and
replaced the wrong drive-
way.) To ensure that you
are able to contact clients if
questions or emergencies
arise, get work and home
telephone numbers. Simple
rule: Before starting the
job, obtain and verify the
necessary contact informa-
tion, and make it part of
the customers file.
2 Call the customer
before showing up at the
jobsite. Call ahead to con-
firm your arrival and to
remind customers of the
work contracted to be
completed. This allows
them to make any neces-
sary preparations. The
need to notify customers
applies whether you are
working directly for a
building owner or home-
owner. Simple rule:
Call at least one
business day
before your
work is
scheduled
to begin.
3 Plan
ahead for
damage
control.
Damage to
structures or vehi-
cles near the jobsite can
be caused by concrete
splatter, windblown color
hardeners or release agents,
or overspray from pump-
ing, shotcreting, or hopper
guns. To help prevent this
damage, mask off all adja-
cent structures with plastic
sheeting and duct tape, and
coat windows and metal
window frames with a pro-
tective coat of soap or light
grease. Tell customers to
park vehicles in a closed
garage or away from the
work area. If overspray or
splatter does get on adja-
cent structures or a home-
owners new Mercedes,
treatment must be prompt.
Crews often can prevent
damage by immediately
removing concrete splatter.
Simple rule: Make sure
crews are trained to pre-
vent and treat potential
damage.
4 Respect the environ-
ment. On many residential
and light commercial jobs,
it may be difficult to place
the concrete without rut-
ting the lawn or damaging
other landscaping elements.
A 4-cubic-foot wheelbar-
row full of concrete can
put some good-sized ruts in
a homeowners prized
lawn, especially when the
ground is damp. And con-
crete trucks may
damage trees or
shrubs.
Consider
using
pumps,
small
truck mix-
ers, or
wide-
wheeled
buggies for
concrete place-
ment. Simple rule:
When estimating the job,
note the placement method
thats least likely to damage
lawns or landscaping, and
the precautions needed to
prevent damage.
5 Do a final walk-
through. Never leave a job
without one last walk
around the site. Carry a
detailed list of items to be
completed on the job,
including specific requests
by the customer. Also,
make sure crews clean up
after their work. Simple
rule: Complete your job
walk-through before walk-
ing the job with
your customer.
6 Match the final
invoice with the original
proposal and any change
orders. When preparing the
final invoice, be sure to
account for every change to
the original work proposal.
Failing to do so can result
in disagreements that lead
to major customer-relations
problems. Simple rule:
Final invoice = documented
proposal + change orders.
7 Write a personalized
note of thanks. Take the
time to pen a sincere mes-
sage of thanks to each
client. In this day of com-
puters and e-mail, hand-
written notes are especially
appreciated and can lead to
repeat business. Simple
rule: Make handwritten
thank-you notes standard
operating procedure.
Keep in mind that
most customers believe
quality includes not just the
final results, but also the
little things you did along
the way. The extra effort
will keep you in business
and give you the edge over
the competition.
Publication C00B057
Copyright 2000, The Aberdeen
Group
a division of Hanley-Wood, Inc.
All rights reserved
Brad Humphrey and Jeff Stokes
on Successful Contracting
Brad Humphrey and Jeff Stokes
are co-founders and owners of
Pinnacle Performance Group,
Shawnee, Kan., a management
and consulting organization to
the construction industry. They
also are regular speakers at
World of Concrete.
Most
customers
believe quality
includes not just
the final results,
but also the little
things you did
along the way.
Management Matter s