Read This Article Before You Consider Hiring a Contractor.
It’s important to hire the right contractor for your specific home improvement project. So that’s why I want to fill you in on some facts about smaller business vs. large retailers that offer the same home improvement services.
Before I started Riley Home Remodel, I had the opportunity to work for a few larger retail stores that offered interior remodeling services. Now I’m not going to name these companies for legality and moral reason. However, I feel customers are often misled and disappointed in their decision to hire a large retailer.
Often, customers were already frustrated before I showed up to do the install. One of the most significant problems I’ve discovered installing for a large retailer is their inability to give relevant, accurate ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ answers to their customers if they have a question or concern. The reason for this is simple. Home improvement stores have a large chain of command for every aspect of the project which makes it very difficult for the store to give accurate, informative information to the customer about the project.
Inexperienced employees
Most of the employees working for these large retailers are either retired contractors (who offer decent knowledge about specific materials but are not up to speed with modern systems) or kids fresh out of high school (who have little to no experience in the construction industry.
The Process – Hiring A Large Retailer
When the estimator sells the job, he creates a material list. That material list will go to the GM, and from there, the GM passes it down to an employee on the ground level who gathers the material for the customers home improvement project.
Never send a boy to do a mans job!
When an inexperienced employee gathers the material, it is then shipped to the customers home for the installers to install. Often, there is a miscommunication with the delivery date and either the stuff shows up late, damaged, incomplete, or duplicate material for the job. I’ve personally run into all four of these scenarios.
It makes it very difficult for the contractor to do the job right when he is missing material or potentially installing the wrong stuff. So there tends to be a lot of questions and concerns relayed from the customer to the contractor. At this point, the contractor has to call the GM who then will investigate the material list (if he’s not on his lunch break or has time) and hopefully comes back with an informative answer for the mistake in the material list (which can be a very long process). Overall, I’ve learned that this is not an acceptable process for customers.
The Process – Hiring Riley Home Remodel
We like to keep it simple. When you call us for an estimate, Seth Riley will show up at your door at the agreed upon time. We will go over the ideas you had and write your vision down on paper. Seth will get back to you in just a few business days with professional suggests tweaking your concept to perfection, a breakdown of the material and labor cost to complete your home improvement project. If we agree on a price, I will email you the document to be signed using e-signing. Then from there, we schedule a date and time to start the project.
Communication – With Riley Home Remodel
I will give you my cell number. You can call or text me with any questions or concerns you have about the job. You will be communicating with me directly, every step of the way. I will have extensive knowledge of the material needed for the job, the installation processes and a time frame in which the job will be complete.
By leaving the detailed work to me, it will give you more free time to focus on things that matter, like family. Riley Home Remodel is a family run business, and we understand the importance of making time for loved ones. That’s why we keep you informed every step of the way so you can spend more time doing the things you like with anticipation of a fantastic design addition to your home.