There's more to it than being a good tiler !

[Leatherface]

Chaps, just wanted to discuss and hear your views :
Much talk on Forum about best practice, correct adhesive, weights, movement joints, primers, grouts, cutting etc etc. This is all well and good and I fully accept that a job should be done properly and to the best of your ability ( as would the customer )
BUT :
there is much more to being a success in business than being a good tiler, from a customers point of view you have to be much more than a good tiler. some of the less able guys who still do a passable job will be able to have the customer singing their praises repeat work and getting if they follow a few certain rules :
In no particular order...

Send out your quote as soon as possible
Communicate : Any issues straight away ( do not leave till the end ) as it looks like you are making excuses
Advise : give customer your best advice and various available options for job
Be available on phone, or respond to messages in timely fashion
Be on time : or telephone to say you will be held up.
Telephone : & explain & apologise if you cannot start job on time, even if you know you will get an ear full. Customer would rather hear you say that your Grandmas budgie has died so you will be a day late, than no phone call at all.
Dust sheet up, clean up when you leave each day and at end of job.
Go back and do any snagging ( if there is any ) no matter how small, even after you have been paid.
Make a courtesy call a week or so after job is complete to check that customer is happy with job.

This is all Customer Service !! Makes customers happy !!
Happy Customers are more likely to recommend you !!

The point of this post is after a recent conversation with a customer who had sacked her tiler : nothing wrong with his tiling, in fact he had done a brilliant job. Customer was complaining that he never answered his phone, promised to come and did not turn up, then turned up the following day with no apology or excuse. Left loads of dust and tile cuttings for her to clean up !!

More to the point I know the guy concerned, has got complacent in his old age, thinks his rep as a good tiler will carry him through ! How wrong he is !

Your views or tips please ?

 

[tile55]

Very true, as a self-employed tiler you have to do soo much more, customer service is king............

 

[Fred]

I've got to agree with you. I firstly chat and chat the the client and give options.
I go in no strings and no hard sale.
Once I've got the job and start the first day, I again listen to the clients concerns etc, then mark out. I then show the client where I intend to place the tiles and decuse it, if necessery in depth.
I tile, keeping the site clean, using rubble bags I place all unwanted particles in. Each night I ask if I can leave various tools on-site out of their way. If you ask, you usually get.
At the end of the job, I ask to use a vacuum cleaner ( have'nt got one!!!) if necessary and make the site tip top.
I finally explain what to do and not to do, ie , don't touch Silicon, grout etc for so long.
I always give them a call a few days later.

 

[White Room]

Your've pretty well covered it Nick, any disagrements and the budgie gets it:yikes:

 

[Daveyboy]

Can't dispute any of that...treat the client right, leave the place spotless every day and they will forgive you if you make mistakes and still sing your praises to everyone...mess the client about, leave the place messy and they will moan and complain about any and everything no matter how good your work is...

good, simple customer service wins hands down everytime...

 

[Leatherface]

We have all been "customers" before and know what frustrates us about tradesmen !!
My god, have had plenty nightmares before, the wife especially has nearly been in tears over the times we have been let down , or she waited in all morning for guy to turn up and has not shown, no phone call.Then having to spend all evening cleaning up when he has left !! :incazzato::incazzato::incazzato:

 

[Prem Tiler]

really good post Leatherface!

In today's climate its so important to think out side the box to make your self stand out from the crowd, and insure you are the one who gets that call.

 

[Alan.P]

I have said this for years, just because your self employed ( any trade ) doesn't mean your the boss of you, ( cue song ) it means you now have 100 - 1000 bosses,( if your lucky ) all shouting if your not there and the jobs not done when you say it should be, and all with your number, do the job or make the call, communication, that's the name of the game. ( cue song ) And I'm outta this post

 

[White Room]

I actually got thanked more that once for putting a stair sheet down, should be standard stuff

 

[beanz]

Good post Leatherface, i'd never of considered a follow-up call, but the rest is standard practice for any job where there is customer contact imo. The follow-up call will definitely be used from now on though, so thanks for that little gem.

 

[Leatherface]

Good post Leatherface, i'd never of considered a follow-up call, but the rest is standard practice for any job where there is customer contact imo. The follow-up call will definitely be used from now on though, so thanks for that little gem.

.


A follow up call has a couple of reasons :
1. show customer you care enough to want to know if they are pleased with job.
2. Give them chance to identify anything they are not happy with : In today's day and age, as so many people get let down, some who have paid a tradesman will not pick up the phone to say " excuse me, you have missed a little bit of grout below my sink !"
They will probably leave it, or do themselves and curse you instead ! At least if you phone and they say they are happy, then you know you can do no more ! Otherwise you have the chance to go back and stay in their good books.

 

[White Room]

Nick, there is some serious excellent advise there, well done mate

 

[Leatherface]

Thanks Whitebeam, know I have a lot to learn about tiling, but still try to give good customer service, this counts no end in the customers eyes !!!
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In my opinion, it is the follow up call that "sorts the men out from the boys" To be confident enough in your own abilities to make the call in the first place & be honourable enough, if asked, to go back and rectify anything ( no matter how small ) once you have been paid !!

 

[Saltire69]

Do all of the above Nick but say to them if anything their not happy about 2 give me a phone. Think i'll use the call back now though. As u say good customer service.

 

[P'boro tiler]

i do much the same as leatherhead suggests but post a feedback sheet for my references and ask if everythings ok. i provide a SAE for this to be returned in.
I was once asked by some top quality builders to return to do some snagging at a job and i think they were amazed that i went and did it that day. Theyre now supplying me half my work :8:
i think the thing is people dont expect mistakes from professionals but we're all human and i EXPECT to make mistakes and i'll always fix them asap