Homeowners & contractors
Choosing the right contractor for a remodeling job can present a dilemma. A good referral from a contractor’s previous customer is one of the best solutions. But even if your contractor comes with the most impeccable credentials and solid recommendations, there are going to be times that the two of you aren't going to get along.
The reason: You as a homeowner are handing a perfect stranger thousands of dollars to take control of your life for anywhere from three days to six months or longer. Wouldn't that make you less than accommodating? Kimberly-Clark financed a couple of surveys by Opinion Research Corp. to try to gauge what contractors and consumers really think about one another.
For homeowners who have used a contractor in the last few years, the worst fear is shoddy workmanship. Four of 10 respondents who had work done in their homes in the last few years chose this over other unpleasant possibilities, such as contractors who make romantic advances, break things, talk all day, or even use the bathroom without flushing.
By contrast, a contractor's worst nightmare was the customer who continually asks for work to be changed or redone. This was followed by customers who don't pay on time. Lower down on the contractor's nightmare meter were customers who talk too much, who ask for work that doesn't conform to building codes, and even those who threaten to sue.
What were the top three complaints that contractors and customers had about each other? For customers: Work isn't started on time, when the price of the job is increased after it's been started or completed, and contractors who leave a mess and don't clean up.
For contractors: Customers who try to get them to do more work without additional compensation, customers who don't pay on time, and customers who try to renegotiate the price after the job is completed.
How are contractors picked? Sixty-four percent of home improvement customers cited a personal recommendation from someone they trust as the key determinant for selecting a contractor. Seventy percent of contractors said they believed customers chose them because of quality workmanship or work experience with the
For customers, negotiating prices and "feeling weird about having a total stranger in their homes" tied for the least favorite aspects of hiring a home improvement contractor. For contractors, customers who change their minds took the top spot, followed by constant complaints and nitpicking, having to negotiate prices and feeling like they're being watched.
The reason: You as a homeowner are handing a perfect stranger thousands of dollars to take control of your life for anywhere from three days to six months or longer. Wouldn't that make you less than accommodating? Kimberly-Clark financed a couple of surveys by Opinion Research Corp. to try to gauge what contractors and consumers really think about one another.
For homeowners who have used a contractor in the last few years, the worst fear is shoddy workmanship. Four of 10 respondents who had work done in their homes in the last few years chose this over other unpleasant possibilities, such as contractors who make romantic advances, break things, talk all day, or even use the bathroom without flushing.
By contrast, a contractor's worst nightmare was the customer who continually asks for work to be changed or redone. This was followed by customers who don't pay on time. Lower down on the contractor's nightmare meter were customers who talk too much, who ask for work that doesn't conform to building codes, and even those who threaten to sue.
What were the top three complaints that contractors and customers had about each other? For customers: Work isn't started on time, when the price of the job is increased after it's been started or completed, and contractors who leave a mess and don't clean up.
For contractors: Customers who try to get them to do more work without additional compensation, customers who don't pay on time, and customers who try to renegotiate the price after the job is completed.
How are contractors picked? Sixty-four percent of home improvement customers cited a personal recommendation from someone they trust as the key determinant for selecting a contractor. Seventy percent of contractors said they believed customers chose them because of quality workmanship or work experience with the
For customers, negotiating prices and "feeling weird about having a total stranger in their homes" tied for the least favorite aspects of hiring a home improvement contractor. For contractors, customers who change their minds took the top spot, followed by constant complaints and nitpicking, having to negotiate prices and feeling like they're being watched.
posted by Ken Calhoon at 8:30 AM
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