Port Townsend is a desirable area to live. Because of the small town, active community, wonderful views, and plentiful access to water and mountains, some people plan a move to Port Townsend years in advance. This can often lead to people from Seattle owning second homes in Port Townsend, or people from across the country building a home before they move to the area.
G. Little Construction has worked with many customers who live out of the area. We have developed systems to define projects, detail proposals, and track expenses in a way which works well for people who are not in the area. Our focus is on quality communication and we use technology to build a collaborative relationship to build upon the trust we consider to be the foundation of a successful project.
Why does our process work so well?
Our processes pay attention to detail from the very beginning. The detail of our initial proposal and project budget ensures our customer is clear on the details before the project begins. Detailed proposals, transparent budgets, and highly defined scope of work help out of town customers feel comfortable with our process, even though they are not here with us. Our primary goal is to build trust with our customers. We do not make solo decisions, so our customer is not surprised with anything in the end.
How do we keep in touch with out of town customers?
Before the project begins we establish a schedule of meetings. Usually our meetings are by phone and done weekly. We use these meetings to discuss progress of construction, bring forward any challenges we are having, and gather feedback to ensure we are heading in the right direction to meet expectations. We bring photos, product specifications, and budget spreadsheets into the conversation by sharing files on Dropbox. This allows our customer to feel connected to the project, no matter how far away they are.
How do we handle issues?
Issues can arise on any project, and this is one of the scary aspects for a customer working with a builder when they can not check on the project in person. We address this concern with communication. Communication is the thread which holds the entire project together. Our frequent phone meetings, and file sharing through Dropbox, keep our customer actively involved. If an challenges arise with the job, we talk directly with the customer. When this is not possible, we rely on our knowledge and experience to address the problem until the customer can be involved. We know we are usually able to communicate with our customer and resolve issues quickly.
We have decades of experience working with customers from outside Port Townsend and Jefferson County. We keep them as active in the project as if they could sit face to face in our conference room.