WE ARE CONSUMER ADVOCATES

As homeowners, many of us are always looking to getting our work done at the lowest possible price. The problem is, we don’t realize that we are setting ourselves up for failure by working with contractors all too eager to satisfy this requirement. These are the same contractors who will work for the least amount of money, but in the process, will give us the least they can in terms of time, labor, material, attention to detail, quality, value and customer service.

• Who can blame them?
• Why should they give us more when we are not willing to pay them for more?

Yet we all complain to everyone we can when we don’t get the good work and service that we really want. It’s a Catch 22  situation which is only avoided when we can accept the fact that a low price and excellent quality and service are at opposite ends of the spectrum. We live in a capitalistic world, where better people, regardless of industry or profession, command and get rewarded for their superior skills, service and work. It’s plain and simple, and capitalistically, makes perfect sense. All the odd clichés apply – if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys, and you get what you pay for, etc.

So, now you need to ask yourself “what do you want in a major construction project?” Is it a job done correctly, with attention to detail in all phases of the project – from consultation to design, to planning, to supervision and execution; with an iron clad warranty and no fear of failure…or do you just want a job done at the lowest possible price? We know you want both, but these two standards cannot be met, for the reasons explained above, and for a few more listed below.

A job done at the lowest price is the lowest for a very good reason. It is missing all the ingredients and input necessary to provide an Exceptional Customer Experience using the best materials, backed by the best workmanship and warranties – these incurred costs to the contractor, add to the price of the job. In other words, the lowest price bid is likely missing well paid highly skilled labor, a quality control and training department that knows what works and what doesn’t. It lacks manpower to conduct supervision and inspection on jobs to control installers, who if left unsupervised, have the natural tendency to rush, take short cuts, and not do what they are supposed to do. Even worse, the lowest price bid typically omits necessary installation steps or uses inferior materials, inevitably leading to future problems.

Have you heard the phrase, “people do what you inspect, not what you expect?”

Men and women who are trained, well compensated, supervised and checked, as is the case with Carolina Exteriors, will always do the right thing, take the time to do the job right and pay attention to the details. We will always take the additional time to communicate with you, setting realistic and measurable expectations so as to avoid the many pitfalls that are associated with the low bid  contractor, who ultimately, will likely not remain in business long enough to serve you in the future.

It costs money to have a person whose sole job is to be a Construction Project Manager, and to have this position as part of a Specialty Replacement Contracting Company is almost unheard of. Most contractors don’t have a supervisor because it would force them to raise their prices to pay for him, and they are afraid to lose your job to a lower bidder. It stands to reason, that for a lower or cheaper price, steps must be left out, details are sure to be missed, ultimately leaving you, the customer, with a sour taste in your mouth and contributing to the staggering statistics of unsatisfied customer experiences with construction-related projects.

The job, however, will be cheaper, and then it’s just a matter of time before problems emerge – not if, but when. At that time, the joy of a low price is soon replaced with the bitterness of an improperly completed job, and a great deal of unnecessary expense and inconvenience.

At Carolina Exteriors, for your sake and ours, we do the job properly and, in a way, that we can proudly stand behind. We don’t leave out any vital details, and only employ highly trained and skilled labor, and follow up with supervision and inspection from Project Managers who are paid to do nothing else but this. We believe that this is what our customers want, but more importantly, it is what our customers deserve! This guiding principle has consistently led to 60%+ of our business coming to us in the form of repeat customers and heartfelt referrals! We do whatever we can to maintain competitive prices, but because we have all the additional costs that are necessary to ensure that you don’t have problems now and, in the future, we are unlikely to be the lowest price. Carolina Exteriors has invested in the establishment of employee training, education, quality control, supervision, and inspection departments. Because we have raised the bar on our standards, our trade partners have to work harder and longer than they would otherwise, working for anyone else. In turn, we gladly pay them more than the industry average to keep them with us and ensure our standards are met. Because of this investment in quality and customer satisfaction, we are known for “Building Exceptional Customer Experiences.”

We focus our attention on the needs and long-term plans for our customers, not simply a transaction. We believe in RELATIONSHIPS – our employees live, work and play in the areas we service! Our kids go to school here, we attend Churches here, we are active in our communities – we don’t hide from our customers when we see them out in public; instead, we seek them out and speak to them, give them a “high five,” ask about their families. We really care about you, extending well beyond having worked with you on a remodeling project!

As professionals, we concern ourselves with the correct and appropriate choice and application of materials for the conditions found at your home, always recommending “best in class” products, backed by industry leading warranties. We will not do anything at the expense of the integrity of the project. We will not leave an incorrect condition in place just to be able to give you a lower price. Doing so will come back to haunt everyone later on. Corners may have been cut when your house was built, to save money and maximize profits for the builder. We will not cut corners. We will do whatever can be done to correct poor and defective work wherever it is found, and it is in the best interest of our customers.

Carolina Exteriors has opted for the quality and service approach to our remodeling business, rather than aiming to be the lowest bidder on each estimate. We are convinced that with the quality approach to our work, we will remain successful, because quality is what customers really want. The low-price alternative results in enormous amounts of call backs, unhappy customers, high costs for repairs and warranty calls, substantial reputation damage, diminished referrals, and ultimately the crippling of one’s business.

It really is a no-brainer! Quality workmanship and an overall “Exceptional Customer Experience” is the win-win option over low price for everyone!

Remember this: The Bitterness of Poor-Quality Materials & Labor, Will Linger Far Longer than the Sweetness of Low Price!

We sincerely hope that after reading this, you will appreciate all the steps we’ve undertaken to ensure you will receive a quality job, at a fair price, delivered by a team of professionals that truly love what we do! If not, that’s ok too, we’re here when you need us!