What's up with seemingly thick-headed contractors?

Contractors and handymen have a bad rap about being difficult to work with on projects. Running a business often means being your own scheduler, marketing tech, salesman, accountant, PLUS actually doing the work which can leave many service providers stretched too thin to pay attention to all the details. So what can you do about this? Here are 3 keys to keep in mind when dealing with a contractor or handyman so everyone can have a better experience...

Be communicative, be detailed, and don't ever assume.

1. Be communicative: If you have any special considerations that need to be made during a project, or any details that are important to you, be sure to communicate these to your service provider BEFORE work starts. The more they know the better they will be able to meet your needs. Being communicative allows for potential problems to be resolved BEFORE they become a reality. Being communicative leads to...

2. Be detailed: There are many industry standards that are the norm around the country but these "norms" may not be what you're wanting in your space. Being detailed allows your service provider to see the big picture and the microscopic at the same time. This also means that when your service provider requests information from you to provide it to the best of your ability. If you are requested to send pictures of a space that needs painted for an estimate, then send more than enough clear pictures so that communication time back and forth is saved and your provider is able to get you a more accurate estimate. Being detailed helps everyone. And finally...

3. Don't ever assume: Assuming is one of the greatest killers of a happy and stress-free interaction. While your service provider shouldn't be assuming details, help them out by not assuming yourself. There are many variants of white out there, and assuming that the "white trim" on the quote or estimate is for your favorite "Sea Sand White" might have you calling your service provider back to make fixes that could have been avoided if you had communicated these details.

Quality interactions are a two-way street. Contractors and handymen and women are humans who can easily forget a detail or two in the busyness of the daily grind. Don't use this to nag your service provider, rather use these reminders to help you and your service provider to have a quality interaction that allows for the best solution to your needs possible!