How to Establish Effective Communications With Your Commercial Plumber
Whether you have a plumbing emergency, are scheduling regular maintenance for your building or are planning a long-term project for your new construction, you are likely to have some questions or concerns. Effective communication with your commercial plumber is vital to getting what you need when you need it. Fortunately, there are some basics you can do to establish and maintain effective communication.
Choose a Representative or Ambassador:
Whether you choose to take on the role yourself, or nominate a member of your facilities team, having one main point of contact is the most efficient way to communicate, especially for complex or long term projects. Having team members funnel ideas and questions through this person, can save time, reduce confusion and prevent miscommunications.
Have Trust in Your Professional:
Great relationships are built on trust. Providing you have done your research and verified your contractor’s details, you need to trust in your professional. In order to feel confident that your contractor is trustworthy and qualified, it is important that you verify their licenses and liability insurance, and contact any references. Reputable professionals are usually very open to hearing client’s requirements and preferences, but you need to allow your contractor to get on with the work at hand. Keep the lines of communication by letting them know what you want and submitting any questions, while allowing them time to address any concerns.
Put Details in Writing:
If you are calling your contractor every time you have a question or query, you are not only wasting time, but increasing your own stress levels. Whether you have concerns about an estimate or queries about your budget, picking up the phone each time could be counterproductive. A better idea is to take notes of any new ideas or issues when they occur and arrange to discuss them at a planned call or your next scheduled meeting. If it’s mutually amicable to communicate using email, your team’s ambassador can keep track of messages and produce concise bulleted lists. Putting requests and confirming details in writing has several advantages, including creating a document trail that can be referred to as needed. This will help to keep your project on track and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Schedule Meetings With a Purpose:
Depending on the nature of your project, you may need to hold regular meetings with your contractor. Even if your project is only a one off repair or installation, you are likely to need at least one meeting or phone call. Unfortunately, without some idea of an objective, these meetings can be a waste of time. Each time you and your contractor meet, you should have an agenda which is based on your concerns, questions, and goals. This doesn’t need to be a lengthy or attractive document, simply something you can use as a reference to ensure that your meetings are productive for everyone. A bulleted list can work very well for this purpose, providing you with a concise list of things you need to address. This will keep your meeting on track and avoid the frustration of realizing later that you forgot to ask something.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solutions.
