PRIME: What has been your best idea?

Our PRIME advisory panel includes some of the remodeling industry’s leading professionals. This month we asked our panel, “What is the best idea you had recently for your company?”

Redesign the front of the house

The best idea we’ve implemented recently is in process right now. Since moving into our design center two years ago, we’ve never had a well-defined building entrance or even permanent signage. We completely redesigned the front of the building and began a remodeling project of our own. We installed an “Open During Remodeling” banner on the scaffolding and our walk-in traffic immediately increased. This also gives our sales folks something to relate with when they talk to prospects and clients.
Bill Simone, President
Custom Design & Construction, El Segundo, CA

Effective philanthropy

Our best idea has been cause marketing, which we have used mostly with our home performance division. We work with nonprofits that promote our services to their membership, and in return we donate dollars for each lead received.
Tom Kelly, President
Neil Kelly Inc., Portland, OR

Detailed job descriptions and expectations

In the past six months, we created detailed job descriptions for each position and sat down with each employee to go over expectations for each job. I know this sounds simple, but the things that were expected but not getting done have now been addressed. This allows us to monitor the performance of everyone without the excuse, “I didn’t know that was my job,” as a way of explaining poor performance.   
Emily Lindus, Vice President
Lindus Construction Company, Baldwin, WI
 

Reorganized responsibilities

The best idea I had lately is the reorganization of the installation department’s responsibilities in our branches in Houston and San Antonio, where installations were lagging and quality was substandard. The senior production manager in Dallas was trying to oversee both branches. Given the time and distance involved, goals were not being accomplished for that department. We moved the San Antonio responsibilities to our general manager in Austin, who is much closer to the market. Also, we upgraded the production manager’s position in Houston to a more experienced person. The results after 90 days have been an increase of over 30 percent in the monthly installations with much better quality and fewer problems.
Rob Levin, President
Statewide Remodeling, DFW, TX
 

This month we asked our panel, “What is the best idea you had recently for your company?”