Clients can make their introduction to our team in a few different ways. Some clients fill out the "Getting Started" form on our website to tell us about their project and get us their contact information. Others find our phone number and call to discuss their goals for their home. Furthermore, some of our past clients and friends feel more comfortable stopping into our office to have an in-person conversation about their home remodel.
The "pop-in" was exactly how one of our clients started their remodeling journey, early last fall. Our Brand Manager, Sam Stebnitz, met with them, asking questions, and filling in details about what they wanted to achieve – all while taking copious notes. While our client was not entirely sure what he wanted to do, he understood his home needed a great deal of work and was in dire need of a facelift. He and his partner had just purchased the home and loved the rural location. He wanted the modern, rustic exterior, and she wanted a stunning new kitchen.
The problem was our client had no idea how to start. He needed help narrowing his scope and making design selections. Most importantly, he needed to know a potential budget for each of the projects, so he knew what his total investment would be at the end of the projects.
This situation is not uncommon. While most of our clients come in with great ideas, they usually come in without any detailed plans in place. They are starting with an idea and a budget range for their investment. We offer all our potential clients a ballpark range based on 50+ years of serving Walworth County homeowners. Most of the time, we can establish that general range at the beginning of the process, without a trip out to the house. It’s important to us to make sure our clients understand not only the result and what that new space will provide, but the budget range it will take to deliver that new space. They should know right away if we are the right fit, based on that range, the timing we have for completion, and the availability to serve them in a timely manner.
Once we confirm the timing and budget are a good fit for the homeowner, we move on to the second conversation, which occurs with our president, Chris Stebnitz. Chris meets with potential clients to get to know them a bit more before we begin the design process. It creates an even stronger relationship between our team and our clients and reinforces the process they'll be guided through and the expectations they should have for us on the delivery of each step of the process.
After their conversation about the project, Chris felt the best match for our client was with our Remodeling Consultant, Jeff "Chopper" Anderson. This appointment was roughly a month after the phone call with Chris, which allowed Chopper the opportunity to tie up loose ends on other projects in order to focus in and provide the professional client experience we guarantee all of our clients.
During the initial consultation, Chopper asked questions about the project, digging deeper into the details. He listened to the goals of our clients and helped them focus the scope of their two projects. He felt the kitchen remodel would be a logical starting point and then move to the exterior in the second phase.
After completion of the first appointment, Chopper developed a full scope and budget for both phases of the project. The first phase was the kitchen, which required all new cabinets, countertops, floors, and the addition of a kitchen island. The second phase focuses strictly on the exterior of the home. With additional details, Chopper was able to confirm the ballpark range he provided the client, which made it easy for all of us to move into the Project Development Agreement (PDA) phase of the project.
Our PDA solidifies both our commitment and the commitment of the homeowner to the design, level of finishes, budget and timing for the project. Once our clients signed the PDA, Chopper reached out to our local cabinet designer and fabricator to create the design and style for the kitchen. With the information the PDA offered us, Chopper was able to confidently say the work the designer was performing would not be for naught and would most likely result in a signed project.
Watch for the continuation of this project in next month’s post as we continue to detail the process through the design phase and into production.