Carrying out construction work is not only about doing a great job on-site, but it is also about keeping your customers satisfied with the work you do and building up a trusting relationship with your stakeholders. The more you are able to manage this crucial skill, the more you will find customers returning to use your services for a second time and the more customers will refer you for other business.
Honesty
Honesty is a recurring theme and cannot be emphasised enough. Unless you want a reputation as a cowboy, always be honest with your customers, in terms of prices, times, anything that has gone wrong, anything that might go wrong and times that you will be unavailable. In a nationwide survey of construction customers it was found that the number one thing that frustrated people with their builders was dishonest about the amount of time a building job would take. Always allow extra time for any unseen eventualities. Saying you can do something quickly and at low cost may sound impressive and land you an initial job, but the dishonesty will cost you in the long run, as customers will not choose to re-employ your services and you will quickly gain a reputation as a dishonest contractor.
Know your customer
Most construction companies have to deal with a wide range of customers and knowing how to treat them and approach them is a skill which comes naturally to some and is more difficult for others. Some employers will want to sit and drink tea with you and chat about multiple aspects, whereas others will want to keep it strictly professional. Be accepting of all forms of hospitality, but also be wary that some people want to be left alone to get on with their own lives. Customers often like to know about the build so it is always good to keep them updated of your progress, even if you have been going slowly or getting behind remember, honesty is the best policy.
Be professional on site
One of the things that customers cannot stand is to see your builders looking lazy on site. Customers are paying a lot of money to have you there and want to know they are getting what they have paid for. Builders have a bad reputation for taking too many breaks. This does not mean you shouldn’t take breaks, because building is hard work. Don’t eat lunch or use your mobile phone on site. When taking a break, take it away from the designated construction site, so that it is clearly a moment of time out rather than the consequence of an apathetic attitude to the job in hand. Also make sure to keep the construction site clean and tidy at all times, especially when not in use.
