There is nothing worse than working with building contractors who don’t respond to calls or who neglect to keep you in the loop about their work progress. We all know the type: They don’t take any pride in their work and deliver a frustratingly sloppy, final product. Their promises often fall flat. As a building manager, with experience in working with numerous contractors, you are likely to be willing to do just about anything to ensure that the good building contractors want to stick around. The good news is that, if you know how to work well with building contractors, they will want to continue providing you with great service.
We have come up with a little acronym, using the word ‘TRUST’, to give you a few ideas on how to maintain positive work relationships with all your service providers.
Time: Remember that good working relationships take time to build
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will you build a great relationship with a new building contractor overnight, so be prepared to settle in for the long haul. There will always be teething problems to every new work relationship, as both parties figure out the other’s communication styles, work ethic, values and needs. Even well-established working relationships experience shifts and changes. It may help to remember that new, or changing, relationships always follow a ‘storm’, ‘norm’ and ‘perform’ process. Things may first feel a bit out of control as everyone finds their feet and learns how to work together. This is called ‘storming’. Then processes are formalised, which is called ‘norming’. Lastly, everyone understands the processes to be followed and their unique role to fulfil and can get to ‘performing’.Respect: You won’t get far if you treat people badly
When we work with others, we need to learn to respect even our differences. This includes the specific opinions and expertise that your building contractors may bring to the table. Even if you may not agree with them, hear them out anyway. It’s also important to respect a contractor’s budget and time constraints and to walk a careful line between pushing for excellence and knowing when you can’t possibly ask for more because of a lack of time, or limited money in your bank account.Upfront communication: Be explicit about expectations and processes
Appropriate communication channels are always a good thing to establish early on in a new business relationship. This includes establishing clear reporting lines and feedback channels. Building contractors appreciate knowing what their customers expect of them and how to deliver. They want to know how to get hold of you and you to know the best ways and means to get hold of them. At Higgins Coatings, our National Projects Team manages all our sales, works and administration processes. The team operates as a single point of contact between our customers and building repair teams to avoid any confusion in day-to-day operations.Say thank you: Appreciation for services rendered goes a long way
There are many ways that you can show your appreciation to those building contractors who deliver excellent service and go the extra mile for you. Why not write a great review for them on a popular, painting companies’ service-review website? Thank them face-to-face and affirm a job well done. Oil those professional connections with a handshake, a thank you email or a word-of-mouth endorsement or recommendation.Teamwork: We go further together
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This African proverb sums up the nature of teamwork (and teamwork is one of Higgins Coating’s key business values) – work together, be on the same page, put heads together.
Higgins Coatings is a full service, commercial painting contractor that has been around for over 65 years. We work with building managers across the country and on a variety of painting and maintenance projects.
Image Credit: biokraft-swiss