Complaints are a big deal in the world of home renovation – and this is a good thing. Renovating your home is a big investment, and when a contractor makes mistakes without correcting them, or engages in questionable business practices, it’s important that you have the ability to make your voice heard. Other homeowners looking for renovation services in your area will read your complaint, and studies have shown that it will influence their decision. That’s why online reviews are such an important mechanism for keeping contractors honest, and making sure they do everything they can to make each client happy.
Homeowners looking for renovation services will often look for patterns in the reviews that have already been written about a given contractor. Is there a pattern of timeliness, professionalism and excellent renovation results? Or does the contractor consistently drop the ball and leave customers feeling jaded? In particular, what is the biggest or most common complain against home renovation companies?
It’s difficult to say with complete certainty, since there are countless reviews floating around in cyberspace. But if you take a couple of hours and read these reviews, you’ll find a few complaints coming up over and over again.
“The project took too long”
No homeowner wants their renovation to drag on indefinitely, yet this commonly happens, as we can see in many online reviews. The ability to effectively schedule and execute a project on time, and on budget, is one of the hallmarks of a reliable professional.
“There were hidden costs”
This is a huge mistake on the part of a home renovation contractor. Not being up front and honest about all of the costs associated with a job will create animosity and frustration on the part of the client. Always look for contractors who provide crystal clear fee structure and written guarantees.
“The contractor left a mess”
Failing to clean up the work site property is a very common complaint – which is silly, because after all that work, the least the contractor can do is tidy things up the right away and avoid damaging their own reputation by leaving a mess.
“Customer service was far from professional”
Contractors who think they can approach clients with an attitude will not succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Professionalism, friendliness, and a sharp awareness of the customer service side of things – these are indispensible traits to look for when doing your research.
The best type of complaint in home renovation?
The best complaint in the world of home renovation is one that never happens! When a contractor works closely with their clients, keeps their promises, and applies the full scope of their expertise and professionalism to every single renovation, complaints can be avoided altogether. This is the kind of renovation experience every homeowner wants. It’s nice to know that if you are mistreated somehow as a client, your contractor will pay a price in the realm of public discourse. However, it’s much better to get the renovation you want and feel compelled to leave a positive review. Research contractors carefully before you make a choice, and you’ll have a better shot at a complaint-free renovation process!