Are you delivering the best experience possible for your clients? Do they trust you? Or do you find yourself constantly having to reassure and repeat conversations to try to build their confidence that you’ll take care of and address all of the details for their remodeling project?
We all know when clients know, like and trust you, projects run smoother in any industry you work in. But in the construction industry, it’s particularly important that your clients feel they can trust you. After all, it’s no small investment on their part and client referrals are the gateway to continued growth and future business.
As the President of Levco Builders, Joe Levitch upholds a dual mandate: craft a project that inspires pride and forge a deep trust with his clients. Ever since he founded his business in 2005, this has been his main focus, a fact that his clients would readily affirm. His strategy to achieve this: thorough documentation of every stage of the construction process, supplemented by detailed visuals and comprehensive notes. He believes sharing detailed imagery of the remodeling process with clients is about as powerful as it gets.
Initial challenge
As referrals started gaining momentum and Joe’s business grew, he stretched his resources and team to maintain the level of service that had built his reputation as a trusted contractor in his community.
“Levco Builders started as a lemonade stand and turned into a real business somewhere along the line. We have an amazing community, and most of our business is driven by client referrals.”
Levco Builders has a reputation for the care they provide, and with the volume of work increasing, they needed to find a solution that could cut time and save costs to keep pace.
Discovering a solution
Joe was invited to a client’s property to provide an estimate for an unusual project that a previous contractor had abandoned.
He knew it would be challenging, so he contacted his brother who had taken over the family remodeling business for advice. With decades of industry experience between them, they mapped out an approach to make sure everyone would be safe and cared for as they investigated the project.
It may sound a bit overly cautious, but they had good reason. The house they were looking at had been held up in the air for an extended period as they began excavating and building a basement. It was ready to be rebuilt, but the structure was precarious.
Joe reached out to a local company that had helped him with photography for a solution to create 360° documentation of the space.
“He had several options, and he told me this is the one you want. This one will work better for you. There are others on the market, but this is the one. It’s called iGUIDE.”
Joe and the team went to the project site that week and got the documentation they needed to create a plan to address the renovations safely. The files came back to his office within 24 hours, and it was at that moment he knew that iGUIDE was the tool he needed to take his business to the next level.
Using iGUIDE proved to be the right approach – just a few days after visiting the site, one of the outside full-thickness brick walls of the home collapsed. Joe had all the documentation and evidence to show the homeowner exactly what happened and why.
“Like many builders, tools of the trade are a passion of mine. I have purchased all kinds of measurement tools and cameras over the years. I also enjoyed photography. So when I found iGUIDE, and found out I could ‘lock the project in time’ and capture accurate dimensions, I knew it would be a perfect fit for what I needed.”
Seeing benefits and results
Faster turn-around for As-Built drawings
Levco Builders has streamlined their management design process and increased client engagement with the ability to create As-Built drawings in a fraction of the time.
“If time is money, which it is, I am saving beyond the costs of a draftsman when it comes to creating As-Built drawings.”
The days of waiting in an agency’s queue to have their project drafted and ready for review are gone. The team now relies on the iGUIDE system to deliver ready-to-use DWG files within 48 hours^.
More efficient design
With the ability to navigate the property digitally, the team has all the information they need to answer client questions, make design changes and draft those changes on the fly. It eliminates additional site visits and saves days in project time.
Collaborating with sub-contractors has also become much easier, as the updated process now includes sharing a link or screenshots in the moment to ensure Levco receives accurate quotes and the work is completed according to plan.
Ability to diagnose problems
iGUIDE is a proven tool for addressing follow-up questions and client concerns. With the comprehensive documentation in the virtual tour, Levco Builders can go back to each stage of the building process to answer questions and address any concerns with the work they’ve completed.
Better timelines
A key challenge in the remodeling industry is “design fatigue.” At the beginning of a project, clients are excited and can’t wait to dive into the details and kick-start a project.
On average, designing a project takes anywhere from 3 months to a year for a full property remodel. The process can become arduous, and over the length of the project clients can fall out of love with the journey.
“We have a timeline that doesn’t exhaust clients, and we can keep them engaged and updated without multiple site visits and repetitive conversations.”
With iGUIDE, Levco Builders can keep clients engaged with virtual progress updates and shorter timelines. It’s become their “secret weapon,” helping to increase client referrals and maintain accurate documentation of every detail within a project.
Interested in learning more? Book time with an iGUIDE Specialist to see how it can help your business.
^ DWG Floor Plan delivery time is dependent on property size and complexity and may exceed 48 hours. Excluding Sundays, holidays, and outside office hours (Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm EST).