Today I am meeting a new client, lets call him Ed, to sign an agreement that will have Alair Homes Collingwood build him and his family a new home in a prestigious beautiful area. The reason we are so excited about this project is because this particular client spent a great deal of time selecting the right contractor.

Alair Homes was on a list amongst 10 local builders that our client had interviewed. When he showed me the list, I was impressed. There were some very reputable companies, most of which are well established in our community.

Alair was shortlisted after the first week because of our great attention to detail and thorough proposal. Ed told me that what set us apart from competing companies was that we included either a square foot cost or overall lump sum price. Others claimed a “Cost Plus” approach but did not provide details as to the level of finishes or lacked substantial information.

Once the initial proposal was thoroughly looked through the client contacted several references. This is always a request that I see as necessary but am uncomfortable with, not because I’m afraid to ask but rather that I’m always concerned for our clients privacy. My response to Ed was the same as always, I will ask if they are willing to be contacted and provide him with a time to call.

We are very fortunate to have built great relationships with our clients. The first three I contacted all agreed to take Ed’s call and all responded back to me after Ed made that call, with positive replies. They were all impressed by the questions and level of intensity that Ed portrayed during their conversations.

When he called to let me know that we were successful with our proposal, I beamed with excitement. And gratitude.

I’m sure that all of our potential clients won’t be as discerning as Ed but it’s great to be reminded that we have created such reliable and positive client experiences.