Trying to save a dollar today by cutting corners could cost you money and clients in the long run.
You see it every day in large manufacturers and corporations - the key to success is a quality product at a good price and great customer service. If the product quality is not there, word will get out and over time the product will suffer severely or fail to sale altogether costing companies a great amount of money and reduced confidence by consumers. If you fail to provide professional and respectful customer service, the same will hold true - after all, in the people business - the customer is always right.
Same holds true in the housing industry - whether it be a handy man, a home improvement specialist, a builder, a mortgage or a Realtor. If you cut corners at your clients expense it very well could come back to bite you where it counts - your pocketbook and more importantly your reputation in your particular field. It simply is not worth it in my opinion.
Build, mend, repair, improve, or represent the way you would want those services performed if you were the client. Think about that for a moment. If you were looking to remodel a bathroom, would you want a contractor that had to be continually corrected? How about a buyer who was having a home built - would you want to have to point out obvious flaws in construction? What if you were listing your home - would you want to have to continually ask your Realtor when they are going to put pictures of your home on the MLS or perhaps flyer's outside?
Certainly the answer to all of the above would be a resounding NO, yet we continue to see issues such as this happen. The worst part is that there are some unsuspecting who have to pay the price because they did not know any better. Obviously this should never happen as we hope, as consumers, and as professionals in the housing industry that everyone is trustworthy and everyone works in a manner as to bring credit upon the entire industry - sadly this is not the case.
On the bright side, those who roll the dice - who walk that thin line are exposed in time. Sure it takes some time, but word of mouth is a powerful thing and there is nothing more powerful than a past client who feels betrayed or ripped off. All of the fancy ads and pretty pictures can't overcome public opinion - be certain your business will suffer.
So, word to the wise - if you are trying to save a dollar by cutting corners - stop now. Take care of your clients and they in turn will take care of you through word of mouth and positive feedback.
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