‘Tis the Season to Show Your Contractor A Little Love
With Memorial Day in our rear view mirror, summer projects are underway in neighborhoods across the country. And you may be wondering what’s the best way(s) to show your appreciation to the contractor(s) working at your house. In this post, I’ll share a few great ways homeowners have shown their appreciation to me and my team in the past.
Keep the Weather in Mind
If it’s very hot or cold outside, cold and warm beverages, respectively, go a long way with us. I remember a few years ago, we were building a new deck in July with the sun reflecting off the patio doors. The homeowner never once asked if we would like a cold glass of water. Now, of course we do carry water with us every day, but to be asked if we would like a drink would have given us a “shot in the arm.” On the other hand, the very next job we had was another deck project in the summer heat. The homeowners on that project kept us very hydrated with water and sports drinks, left us snacks and brought us iced coffee. Made us feel refreshed, and our work valued.
Don’t Forget the Basics
Just last month, we had a job replacing some old countertops. The homeowners surprised us with this:
Now, food pretty much always does the trick.
On the last night of our project in Joplin, Missouri for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I was working with some of my own crew from back home in Connecticut, as well as volunteers from all over the USA. We wanted to show our appreciation for the team we had just spent 12 hours a day with for the last five days. So, we brought in two BBQ grills and cooked up a nice dinner for everyone. After a long week, the team seemed to really appreciate being able to kick back and enjoy what we had accomplished together.
A Remodel is a Big Deal
There’s no doubt that remodeling your home is a big job undertaking – one that impacts your life (& that of your family) in a major way. I had one customer who worked in laser engraving. He made custom key chains for every member of the team that worked on his house. Each one was personalized with our name on one side and the company name and logo on the other. Such a thoughtful gesture. That really showed us how much he appreciated our work and wanted us to remember the difference we made in his family’s life. We’ve also been fortunate enough to become friends with many of our customers during a long project – which is always a nice feeling. After all, we’re part of a community.
Listen, we understand that this may be the first home project you’ve done, or it may feel awkward to have new folks around your house. No worries. The easiest and most profound way to show your contractor you appreciate their work is to simply say, “thank you.” We take great pride in what we do, from the simplest job to the most complex; and hearing a sincere thank you makes our day.