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Understanding what impacts your construction company’s reputation

12/4/2015

18 Comments

 
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​What construction companies should do to maintain and develop a good reputation.

As discussed in my previous article ‘Why construction companies should be concerned about their reputation’, it’s important for construction companies to have a good reputation.

So what impacts a company’s reputation?

What impacts a contractor's reputation

Below are some important points that impact a contractor's reputation
"Clients will often pay a premium to employ construction companies they know will deliver their construction project on time"
1.                   Delivering construction projects on time

Clients will often pay a premium to employ construction companies they know will deliver their construction project on time. For many clients time is money. The sooner a project is completed and they can start operating the facility the sooner they can earn money, or the sooner they can move into a new house or office so they can stop renting their current property.
​#constructionschedule Will your construction project be completed on time?

2.                   Do not over-promise and under-deliver

I’ve had managers and Project Managers who continually over-promised and have committed to dates and requirements which were impossible to meet. When these dates weren’t met, or requirements weren’t delivered, the client became unhappy, disillusioned with the contractor and eventually didn’t believe anything the Project Manager said.
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Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
"Mistakes happen on construction projects. It's how you deal with the issue that clients remember"
​ 3.                   Acknowledge and rectify your mistakes

Unfortunately mistakes happen on projects. As much as you’ve planned and staffed your construction project properly, and done everything correctly, problems will and do occur. When a problem arises the construction company is often judged on how the problem is resolved, rather than there being a problem in the first place.

4.                   Honesty and integrity

The construction company and its personnel must be seen to be honest. This is more than just not over-charging the client. It’s about conducting yourself and the business beyond reproach. It’s also how you deal with suppliers, subcontractors and your employees. Ethics in Construction. What are unethical behaviours? Why should we care?

5.                   Delivering a quality project

Quality workmanship and materials are essential, not only to prevent the company from incurring additional costs, but also so that the company has a reputation for delivering quality projects. Many clients are prepared to pay a premium to obtain a quality product and efficient service.
#constructionquality 
How important is quality on your project
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Image by nitli from Pixabay
"Don’t underestimate the poor publicity a company gets when there’s a serious accident on one of their construction projects."
​6.                   A safe construction project

It’s essential that construction companies take safety seriously. I’ve known contractors being barred from working for certain clients because of their poor safety record.

Some clients pay their managers bonuses which depend on their safety record and the safety record on their projects. Therefore these managers won’t tolerate unacceptable safety practices from their contractors because it will adversely impact their bonus.

In addition, accidents create work. Incidents have to be investigated, reports written and explanations provided to management. Nobody likes additional work — especially the client’s team! Serious accidents may even result in people losing their jobs. Consequently most clients will go out of their way to ensure that the construction company they pick has a good safety record.

Also, don’t underestimate the poor publicity a company gets when there’s a serious accident on one of their construction projects.
​#constructionsafety

How poor safety costs your construction company money
"Don't get a reputation for being difficult to reach, or unresponsive to complaints."
7.                   Responsive to clients

Construction companies need to be responsive to clients’ demands. I don’t mean do work without charge, but rather try and accommodate the client’s changes and additions where possible. The nature of most projects is that the client will change the schedule, their milestones, as well altering structures, buildings and finishes. These changes can often be frustrating and take up the contractor’s management time. It’s frequently easier to say no to the client since the additional variations may barely cover the cost of doing the work. But, by always saying no the contractor will quickly get a reputation of being uncooperative.

Being responsive also means returning the client’s phone messages, making yourself available for meetings, responding to queries promptly and submitting prices and revised schedules on time.

8.                   A Professional contractor

Always be professional and courteous in your dealings with the client. It’s easy to say things in the heat of the moment which could upset clients. Some clients can be unforgiving and bear a grudge for years, jeopardising the chances of winning work from them.

Professionalism also extends to how you dress, that you’re polite and respectful, appear organised, and arrive at meetings on time and prepared. It includes the way you are seen to treat your employees, suppliers, and subcontractors, and generally carry out business
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​9.                   Service after the project is completed

Unfortunately a construction project doesn’t always end when the contractor hands over the keys to the client and moves off site. Most contracts have a warranty period during which the construction company is responsible to repair defects due to defective workmanship. In fact, in many countries when new structures are build the contractor may even be responsible for defects for several years (five, ten, or longer)
How Do You Deal With Customer Complaints? It will impact your construction company if it's done poorly!
"A construction project does not end when the client gets the keys."
"Will you meet your client's expectations? Well you will not if they are impossible, or you do not understand them!"
​10.               Meeting the client’s expectations

It’s important that the contractor is able to meet the client’s expectations. This means that they need to understand what these are, and furthermore ensure that they are reasonable and that the contractor can deliver on them. However, it may be necessary to discuss these expectations with the client, ensuring you both have the same understanding of what the finished product will look like and what it will cost.
In construction it’s important to know your clients. It could save you.
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"What I personally liked about this book were the case studies; they were great. Also, the proper explanation of every thing talked about." (Reader on Amazon)

​A Good reputation is essential for contractors

​It’s important for construction companies to build and protect their reputation. A good reputation will help you win more projects. As important is to ensure that your Project Managers and other employees understand how important a good reputation is to the business and what impact their actions have on this reputation.

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it useful. Please add your comments to share your knowledge and experience. Share the article so your connections can also view the article.
Other useful and relevant articles by Paul Netscher:
What you need to close out your construction project successfully.
Who is responsible for safety on your project
10 Reasons why a construction schedule is useful.
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​(Paul Netscher is the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ [a required text for Bachelor of Construction Management at some universities] and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article is adapted from information included in these books.)

​© 2022 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.
construction management construction project management
18 Comments
Thomas Jameson link
26/7/2019 10:52:18 pm

It's good to know that heat of the moment comments towards clients can ruin your construction company's reputation for years. My brother wants to build a large barn in his backyard, and he'll need professional help to do so. I'll pass this information along to him so that he can look further into his options for construction companies that will be professional and calm.

Reply
Roger link
6/1/2020 05:22:16 pm

A company is only as good as its reputation! What a great article! Thank you!

Reply
engineering solutions company link
19/5/2020 04:55:28 pm

This article provides details on understanding what impacts your construction company's reputation. Anyone searching for same topic may find their shelter here. I am sure many people will come to read this in future. Great blog indeed, will visit again future to read more!!

Reply
Justin link
17/8/2020 07:14:07 pm

Some of these points seem likes common sense but amazing how many companies can now follow these simple points to operate a good business hence why I decided to start my own concreting company 9 months ago.

Reply
Nathan link
8/9/2020 08:35:03 pm

Thanks for sharing your tips on running a good construction business. I've only had my company for a year now but can confidently say we tick off everything that was mentioned here.

Reply
Taylor Hicken link
4/1/2021 02:33:08 pm

I totally agree when you shared that company will receive poor publicity if it does not prioritize safety during construction work. This in return will cause its reputation to go bad and it will be hard for them to receive more projects in the future. I would like to think if a company is working on a construction project, it should consider building barriers around the site.

Reply
Handyman Repair Service link
16/1/2021 05:14:16 am

Just getting started and your perspective is very helpful. We need all that we can get (help, that is). Thanks

Reply
House packers and movers in Dubai link
14/3/2021 11:15:58 pm

The info you acquire posted is very profitable. The arguments you receive referred was benevolent. Acknowledges for sharing

Reply
Kristofer Van Wagner link
6/4/2021 01:50:10 pm

I definitely agree that being responsive is an important quality for construction companies. Assuming that I am looking for a contractor to help build a dock for my home, I would want a contractor who is responsive and communicative. I will definitely remember to look at their response rate prior to hiring them.

Reply
Project management Auckland link
13/4/2021 06:47:08 pm

Hello, thank you for sharing this article it will be really helpful for me to understand about understanding what impacts your construction companys reputation. I appreciate your step for choosing this topic. Great article!! You have done a good research I must say, thank you very much for sharing this article.

Reply
Mia Evans link
10/8/2021 08:17:49 am

I totally agree when you said that the sooner the establishment is constructed, the earlier the commercial property owner could earn money. With that in mind, it is best to hire concrete contractors that will be able to meet the deadlines they have. It would be nice if they can even finish early as long as the quality is still met to finally start their business.

Reply
Arkaa link
12/8/2021 09:24:19 pm

Great blog! your topic is very good and informative. it is always helpful to stay-up_ to_ date what is good on the construction management world. keep up this great work.

Reply
Mosa Khan link
30/11/2021 08:11:50 pm

Your blog on is very informative. Keep posting would love to read more.

Reply
Mosa Khan link
4/1/2022 09:27:16 pm

Thank-you for sharing this informative blog. Enjoyed reading the content. Great job

Reply
Victoria Addington link
18/5/2022 07:42:34 pm

It helped when you discussed that construction companies must take their safety measures seriously. My friend wants to ensure that their commercial building is properly made. I think he should hire a
industrial construction company with vast experience in the field.

Reply
John Carston link
11/10/2022 11:07:47 am

I like the tip that you gave that you should always consider making a solution instead focusing on the problem. A friend of mine told me a few nights ago that he and his business companion were hoping to find an industrial construction company that could provide precise construction for their clothing warehouse. I like this helpful article. I'll tell him that he should consult a trusted industrial construction company as they can provide details about the building process.

Reply
Millie Hue link
11/10/2022 11:08:16 am

I like that you talked about being professional even with the clothes they wear which can show that they are polite and respectful. In my opinion, that can definitely tell if they are a good option to hire when you are looking for a residential, commercial, or even industrial construction company. I think, if they give importance to their appearance, they definitely give importance to other bigger things as well such as the quality of their job.

Reply
concrete company columbus ga link
18/11/2022 12:11:42 pm

You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post

Reply



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    Copyright 2016 - The attached articles cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes without the consent of the author.
    The opinions expressed in the attached articles are those of the writer. It should be noted that projects are varied and different laws and restrictions apply which depend on the location of the contractor and the project. It's important that the reader uses the supplied information taking cognisance of their particular circumstances. The writer assumes no responsibility or liability for any loss of any kind arising from the reader using the information or advice contained herein.
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  • Construction Home
  • About Paul Netscher
  • +Construction Books
    • Successful Construction Project Management
    • Building a Successful Construction Company
    • Construction Claims
    • Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights
    • Construction Management: From Project Concept to Completion
    • An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses
    • The Successful Construction Supervisor and Foreman
    • Designing your ideal home
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  • Contact
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