Who manages YOU? Do you anticipate your customer’s concerns before they have to bring the issue up to you? How do you do it?
Here at Jenco we strive to never have to be managed. Too ambitious? Maybe, but that’s our goal, and I am committed to make sure that’s happening. I encountered a real life example just last week that I’d like to share with you all.
I encountered a situation where we were finalizing things on a job in order to obtain the certificate of occupancy (C of O) so the owner could move into his new building. It’s a very rewarding time for all the trades because they finally get to see the payoff for all their hard work throughout the project, and of course the owner is always anxious to move into their new facility. Inevitably, there are always last minute things that arise, a crisis occurs, a few items still need to be checked off and inspection items always seem to test the patience of everyone who has worked so hard to get to this point.
On this particular project, there were some minor issues that remained unsolved and were not technically (or contractually) Jenco issues. However, they did need to be addressed in order for the C of O to be obtained. We were able to spring into action – met with the owner and general contractor and came up with a solution that will take a few days vs few weeks like originally thought.
All I could think about is “here we are at the end of a great project and all the owner knows at this point is there is a problem with the electrician.” That is all the customer hears; they don’t know about the backstory, or care about it – nor should they. What if we could be known for solving these problems for all our customers well in advance of it becoming a crisis? Don’t get me wrong, we already do this day in and day out on every single project Jenco performs – we even have a great reputation for completing our contract on time and with excellent quality. Still I wonder how we can improve our ability to anticipate the customers’ needs, especially in the eleventh hour of the project.
This is what I mean by never having to be managed by our customer. This does not only apply to Jenco’s customer – the GC or the building owner. So again I have to ask, who manages YOU?
An apprentice begins to be more valuable when he doesn’t have to be told every move to make. He manages himself and satisfies his customer – his boss. A journeyman that requires little supervision and allows the foreman more time to plan for future activities is a huge benefit to the project and Jenco. It’s also a huge benefit when the project manager can anticipate the field’s need for information or unrequested coordination from the GC. Remember, your customer is everyone you work for. We must all do the little things, like holding all of our commitments we make for as long as they need to be held.
For the month of August, I invite you to make a little bit of extra effort and focus on the little things that can help your customer look good, in their customer’s eyes. Also, try it at home!
I want to hear your experiences. Email me anytime!
Hope your summer is going well, stay cool…
BK