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Jeff and Brennen Baker/Westfall Posted: Oct 06, 2008 10:45 PM	what to do when an installer is doing a bad job In our area we have an installer that is doing a substandard job. The foam is pulling away from studs, wall cavities are not completely filled, open cell foam is being sprayed in the walls less at 2 inches in some areas and filling in others. What do you do when you know this is going to give foam a bad name? We are so proud of foam and all the good it can do. We are new in the industry and our hopes are that our competition is as passionate and honest as we are and makes our industry grow as it should. We wondered how he was bidding so low and now it is coming to light. Who deals with situations like this?
mason Posted: Oct 07, 2008 07:36 AM	The best solution is to educate your prospective customers on what to look for in a quality application and follow your own rules. I frequently make presentations to groups of specifiers, property management companies etc. on behalf of contractors and suppliers in specific areas. A box lunch at a local hotel or community center is a good way to educate your prospective clients. Develop a direct mail piece about how to tell the difference between good and bad applications and send it to a target audience of your prospective customers. Get accredited by SPFA and/or ABAA and take your supplier's training courses. This makes your company stand out and shows your customers that you have taken appropriate steps to get the best training available. Dont' get into bidding wars. Explain carefully to your customers why your price is higher. Show them your worksheet. Many of the poor contractors bid far too low to make money. A savvy customer will know that too low a price can result in a poor application. Make sure your customer checks references. If matters get very bad, the contractors customers should voice their complaints with the local BBB and state licensing board.
Jeff and Brennen Baker/Westfall Posted: Oct 07, 2008 09:22 AM	thank you. I hope it works. At this point we have been unable to meet with the contractor face to face to even present how we do things. We have taken our course through our supplier and feel great about the outstanding product we offer and exceptional installation. We need to get our area educated. Thanks for the advice.
quentin Posted: Oct 08, 2008 04:29 PM	Or just find out where they are and slash the tires of their trailer! ;) j/k About the presentations, I have a local college looking at me to do a foam job but they and the people doing all the building have never worked with it so they are curious. Any discounts for a good guy just starting and maybe getting in over his head for his first job to do a presentation?
mason Posted: Oct 09, 2008 09:12 PM	Give me holler and we can discuss. my contact info is at masonknowles.com
quentin Posted: Oct 10, 2008 09:09 AM	Thanks Mason. Also I am hoping to hit the course at the end of this month. Still working on the budgeting for it since we are tight just starting up but I think it can be pulled of.

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Jeff and Brennen Baker/Westfall

Posted: Oct 06, 2008 10:45 PM

what to do when an installer is doing a bad job

In our area we have an installer that is doing a substandard job. The foam is pulling away from studs, wall cavities are not completely filled, open cell foam is being sprayed in the walls less at 2 inches in some areas and filling in others. What do you do when you know this is going to give foam a bad name? We are so proud of foam and all the good it can do. We are new in the industry and our hopes are that our competition is as passionate and honest as we are and makes our industry grow as it should. We wondered how he was bidding so low and now it is coming to light. Who deals with situations like this?

mason

Posted: Oct 07, 2008 07:36 AM

The best solution is to educate your prospective customers on what to look for in a quality application and follow your own rules.

I frequently make presentations to groups of specifiers, property management companies etc. on behalf of contractors and suppliers in specific areas. A box lunch at a local hotel or community center is a good way to educate your prospective clients.

Develop a direct mail piece about how to tell the difference between good and bad applications and send it to a target audience of your prospective customers.

Get accredited by SPFA and/or ABAA and take your supplier's training courses. This makes your company stand out and shows your customers that you have taken appropriate steps to get the best training available.

Dont' get into bidding wars. Explain carefully to your customers why your price is higher. Show them your worksheet. Many of the poor contractors bid far too low to make money. A savvy customer will know that too low a price can result in a poor application.

Make sure your customer checks references.

If matters get very bad, the contractors customers should voice their complaints with the local BBB and state licensing board.

Jeff and Brennen Baker/Westfall

Posted: Oct 07, 2008 09:22 AM

thank you. I hope it works. At this point we have been unable to meet with the contractor face to face to even present how we do things. We have taken our course through our supplier and feel great about the outstanding product we offer and exceptional installation. We need to get our area educated. Thanks for the advice.

quentin

Posted: Oct 08, 2008 04:29 PM

Or just find out where they are and slash the tires of their trailer! ;) j/k

About the presentations, I have a local college looking at me to do a foam job but they and the people doing all the building have never worked with it so they are curious. Any discounts for a good guy just starting and maybe getting in over his head for his first job to do a presentation?

mason

Posted: Oct 09, 2008 09:12 PM

Give me holler and we can discuss. my contact info is at masonknowles.com

quentin

Posted: Oct 10, 2008 09:09 AM

Thanks Mason. Also I am hoping to hit the course at the end of this month. Still working on the budgeting for it since we are tight just starting up but I think it can be pulled of.

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