Neat and Clean
‘Perception is reality,’ observed Brian Van Bower at the head of his Aqua Culture column for August 2003. ‘Regardless of whether that’s right or wrong, you are judged by appearances.’
‘If your own appearances mean ugly-looking vehicles, sloppy-looking employees, shabby offices and job sites that look like disaster areas, you will inevitably be judged with that image by the clients who have hired you and by anyone else exposed to those appearances.’ He continued:
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‘[W]hat we as watershapers may regard as a temporary condition in a short-term working relationship on a job site we will inhabit for a period of weeks or months is something our clients see as the current state of their homes and lives.’
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‘Ever seen a job sign so dirty and battered that it looks like it’s been through a war? Debris strewn all over the place? A partially completed vessel that’s being used as a dumpster? A trail of muck and mud leading from backyard to street (giving the neighbors an opportunity to share in the joy)? Debris and dirt up and down the street from digging equipment and work trucks (another neighborhood favorite)? . . . It’s no wonder clients forced to live in such an environment get stressed, and I know I’d be upset, too, even if I only happened to live down the street!’
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‘[C]ompare that scene to what I would consider to be the rare and exceptional job site – the one with the new, clear, clean and legible job sign; the one with project plans and permits stashed in a clean, waterproof, weatherproof container; the one with materials neatly stored and stacked in one area; the one with no trash to be seen and with sidewalks and streets washed and swept; and the one where excavated areas and partially completed vessels are temporarily fenced in.’
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‘[T]here are certain costs involved in picking up trash and keeping everything in order, and you could even argue that it slows things down. That’s true, which is why I consider this work as part of the cost of the job and build it into the bid.’
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‘[P]romoting care and cleanliness on the job site can actually save money by helping you avoid unnecessary repairs of incidental damage. I also see positives here because, when the unexpected strikes, clients will perceive that you’ve done what you can to maintain a civilized job site.’
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‘If, for example, you accidentally hit the sewer line and the upshot is that the homeowners can’t use their toilets for two days while the plumbers make the fix, they may not be happy about the what’s happened, but they’ll be less apt to hold it against you as carelessness if, in fact, you have not been careless with the job site to that point.’
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‘By contrast, if you’ve made them suffer and feel as though they’ve been living in a war zone, then their tolerance for unexpected problems will run the range from slim to none.’
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‘What you see as an ending is, in actuality, just the beginning for your clients. When you leave, they finally get to enjoy the watershape they’ve waited for and for which they’ve been paying you.
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‘It’s always my goal,’ Brian concluded, ‘to exit a project the same way I entered it, with open communication and a dash of style and grace.’
Do you see Brian’s strategy in working with clients and their expectations as something you apply in your own way in your own business? Please share your thoughts on this important subject by adding a comment below!
Brian Van Bower runs Aquatic Consultants and is a co-founder of Genesis 3, A Design Group; dedicated to top-of-the-line performance in aquatic design and construction, this organization conducts schools for like-minded pool designers and builders. He can be reached at [email protected].