Angie Welcome to List-en up!, the authorized Angie’s List podcast. I’m Angie. Thanks for joining us!
Angie’s List is where consumers go to get and give the real scoop on local service companies, so we hear about the good, the bad AND the ugly experiences people have when they hire. But there are always two sides to every story. Companies tell us they learn a lot about customer service from their reviews on Angie’s List. They also say that some of their customers could learn a thing or two about how to treat THEM. Tristan Schmid, your host for List-en up!, went to some of our most highly rated companies to
talk about the flip side of customer relations.
Tristan The word “etiquette” (pardon my Francais) is actually a French expression meaning “ticket.” But what the heck does it mean to us Anglophones? Merriam-Webster defines it as “the conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life.” Good breeding, huh? Well, why don’t we just boil it down to “good behavior around others.”
That’s what this episode of List-en up! is all about: treating others, particularly those you hire, with respect. In a future episode, we’ll keep things ‘fair and balanced’ by talking to customers about their experiences with service companies. For this episode, though, we decided to speak to contractors, all highly rated on Angie’s List, about what they do and don’t like about their customers’ behavior. First, I sat down for coffee with Mark and Ann Rodgers of Mark Rodgers Construction in Columbus, Ohio, who have experienced some out of the ordinary — and unwanted — customer behavior. Mark says that if you want good service, please do NOT act like these “Desperate Housewives.”
Part I: problems
Rodgers We were doing a driveway, and the only thing they didn’t do was sell tickets. They did bring popcorn out, set up chairs, open the garage doors and watch us pour concrete. Well, here we are, 4 or 5 guys that are sweating, and we hear them talking. Things like “look at them, look at their muscles.”
T That’s not the only time Mark has dealt with embarrassing customer behavior – another incident involved a salacious, skin-baring scene.
Rodgers One woman came to door in a sheer negligee. One really nice couple, I did a driveway for them - these people can afford a bathrobe.
T While not the norm, behavior like this certainly makes Mark uncomfortable. Meanwhile, he and other contractors often have to deal with more run-of-the-mill customer-related problems.
All of the service professionals we spoke to, for example, believe time is money, and that some customers take their time for granted.
Brian Sanders, owner of August European, an auto repair service in San Diego, shares his concerns.
Sanders An irritant I have is someone stands at the service counter and I’m writing a service ticket, their cell phone rings and they answer it and have to go outside and talk for 20 minutes while I stand there waiting for them so I can finish whatever I’m doing. I would say that’s a negative for me, and also not showing up on time for an appointment.
T Keith Valentine, owner of Valentine Painting in New York City, says that it’s frustrating when customers attempt to get more work from him for free by withholding payment.
Valentine After we finish an estimate or even start the job, they’ll start adding work. They’ll say “well, while you have the spackle, can you do this over here, and that over there.” You know, things that weren’t on the original ticket. A lot of times you add money to it because it’s extra work, but the customer will get an attitude if you add money. You’re almost finished and they still owe you 2/3 of the money, and now they want more work for free and they kind of dangle a check out like you’re a horse with a carrot. And you have two jobs that are waiting and a customer that’s hard to please and they want extra work and things like that — it would tangle everything up.
T Brian Sanders shares Keith’s concerns about fair prices.
Sanders I do get some shoppers that check things on the internet, you can buy things there for this price and there for that price. I have to explain to them that we cannot stay in business just selling labor, you know we have to sell parts at a markup and labor at our rate to provide service. I think we’re well under the dealer price-wise and I think all of our prices are fair and the quality of work is good.
T Jason Kersch, sales manager at Major Homes, a remodeling company in New York, suggests that you might get a better deal just by showing your contractor some respect.
Kersch There are certain jobs where the people were so nice to me that during the jobs things came up that cost more, and I just gave it to them. Because I said to them, you treated me fairly, you gave me the price that I asked for, you didn’t drive me crazy. It’s my pleasure to help you out.
T I sat down with Tim Glesing, an Angie’s List employee who regularly hears customers and service companies blame each other about many things, including etiquette-related issues.
Tim My group is essentially involved in our email traffic with our members as well as our complaint resolution process. Complaints come from both directions. Sometimes service providers claim that members are misusing the power of our service. I would say that it happens, sure – we’ve got members that will threaten a service provider. For example, they’ll say “here’s what’s on the contract, X and Y, but I also want you to do Z even though it’s not on the contract, otherwise I’m gonna give you a bad grade,” which is a shame. It’s definitely the exception rather than the rule. Our job, as a company, is to help educate both the members and the service providers as to how to get along together and peacefully coexist.
T Tim has some tips for members.
Tim I would always tell them up front that I am an Angie’s List member and I found you off of the list. That gives the service provider a flag to know that I need to give this person good service because they very well may be submitting a report on me and I want that report to be positive. So it immediately gives them the incentive to do well for that member. Now I say that they should do that without holding it over them as a threat.
T Here at Angie’s List, Deena Albin talks to service providers all day long. Here are some suggestions to bear in mind that she and her co-workers have heard:
Deena We have SP’s who contact us because someone hasn’t paid them and they want us to get involved, but we have to tell them that’s totally up to them and they have to take whatever action is necessary to get their money. The best way to remedy that is for every SP and member to make sure they have a contract. Then they’re both on the same page & the SP knows what the member wants, the member knows what’s expected of the SP, and it’s all written and they’re totally on the same page about the work that’s gonna be done, and the payment and how the payments will be made. You have to be honest with them & clearly communicate what you want from them. Communication is the key and having a contract is key. These are tips Deena and her crew gathered from SP’s.
T Having respect for other people is a keystone of basic etiquette, and few people know etiquette better than the Post family. The Emily Post institute, founded in 1946 by Emily Post, is America’s go-to source for advice on etiquette and manners. Peter Post is the great-grandson of Emily, and also the director of the Emily Post Institute.
Post has some advice for customers on how they can help the person they’ve hired to ensure better service.
Post Any time a contractor comes to your house, I think you oughtta keep your pets and your kids outta the way. You don’t know if that contractor, even though you love dogs and cats, whether or not they’re nervous about them. I worked in a situation where I was cleaning pools and people had a dog they thought was just a wonderful dog. Well I stepped out of my car one day and the dog snapped his mouth right across my leg. Their dog was a wonderful dog, but it wasn’t wonderful to me.
T The service providers we spoke with also gave us some tips.
Keith Valentine of Valentine Painting in New York City, asks members to remember that just because you might watch Home and Garden Television, that doesn’t mean you know more than the contractor you’ve hired.
Valentine Leave the contractor alone to do their work. Sometimes people will try to act like they know what’s going on with painting. You’ve painted one room, and now you’re an expert at it and you know everything.
T Bruce Sell, owner of J&B Restoration in Milwaukee, says that questioning to the point of being pushy, though, doesn’t help a project move along. Sell told me that one customer wouldn’t leave the crew alone and insisted on overseeing their every move, questioning their actions. Sell says this isn’t necessary if you hire a professional contractor like himself.
Sell Once we’re done, before final payment, if they see something, then I’ll go back and take care of it. I’m not out to rob the customers, I’m out to fix their problems and just be honest with them, straightforward and honest.
T Though we’ve heard several complaints in this episode, some service providers have nothing but good things to say about the people who hire them. I asked Arnold Young, owner of Home Improvements – Inside and Out, in San Diego, if he’s had any negative experiences with customers.
Young Usually everybody that I deal with through Angie’s List, they’re all great people. I think for the most part people that hire me are wonderful. I don’t really have any complaints at all.
T As Peter Post would probably recommend, we’ll end this episode on that positive note. We hope these hints are helpful the next time you hire someone to provide a service for you.
You’ve heard from us, so now we’d love to hear from you! If you have ideas for future episodes or questions you’d like answered, please email us.
Until next time, this is Tristan. Thanks for taking the time to List-en!
