Monday, July 11th, 2011
I have been thinking a lot about the word satisfied. We talk and hear about customer satisfaction. Every business wants to satisfy customers or else they will not stay in business. If a customer is satisfied they may tell others about their satisfaction. The flip side is that if a customer is unhappy they will tell many more about their dissatisfaction.
The more I think about this the less satisfied I am with satisfied customers. I think of someone I know that was telling me about their experience remodeling their cabin. They told me that they were satisfied. They proceeded to tell me that the project took several months longer then they were told and was well over budget, “as one would expect when remodeling”. I am very disturbed by this. My projects run on schedule and costs only change when the client wants to make a change. I don’t change the price once the contract is signed, although it does seem common for contractors to low-ball the price to get the job then adjust as they go. I suppose I could do this if my goal was to “satisfy” clients.
My goal has never been and never will be to satisfy clients. My goal is to amaze, impress, dazzle and supersede all of their expectations. While I can’t say ALL are “dazzled” I usually reach my goal. My standards for workmanship are generally higher than that of my clients. I fix things that haven’t been noticed to make sure it reaches my standards. I do a lot of referral work and repeat business so maintaining high standards is imperative for my business. Satisfied would be a major upgrade for many people hiring a contractor but if when I am hired to do a job I strive for much, much more!!
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Monday, June 27th, 2011
If you are reading this you have found or already know one of the best contractors in the Portland Metro Area. I don’t say that out of arrogance but out of understanding who and what else is out there. I know that there are few contractors who are as concerned about your satisfaction as I am. I know that the work that I produce is inexpensive for the level of quality I provide. I know that my jobs stay on schedule and my subcontractors are top notch.
It is a risk to refer friends, family and co-workers to a contractor. I understand this. You don’t want to be blamed if something goes wrong. If you refer me to someone I can assure you that they will be treated with respect and given the opportunity to work with one of Portland’s finest contractors. I will give them the same great service that I provide to all of my clients. It is always possible to find someone that is less expensive but unfortunately people find that you truly do “get what you pay for”. Since I do very little advertising it is unlikely someone will find me without your referral so please…Don’t let your friends hire bad contractors. Have them call me. 503.312.7708
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Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
I love Amazon for several reasons. Perhaps the greatest reason is their customer service. Some people may have different experiences with them but mine have all been positive. I make several purchases each month so much that it became prudent to buy Amazon Prime. I recently found a poker chip set for sale on Amazon that I wanted to purchase. I saw the set on the vendor’s website for less money. I decided (as I often do) to buy the poker set from Amazon because of the assurance of a positive buying experience. I know that with Amazon if there is any trouble I can return the item at their expense.
Since I am not compensated by Amazon to promote them I will tell you the real reason that I am writing this.
Hiring a quality contractor is like buying from Amazon. In Oregon General Contractors are required to be licensed bonded and insured. While this helps, it does not assure a positive remodeling experience. It is very important to speak to references, even visit some if they are willing. Check review sites such as Angie’s List www.angieslist.com, Yelp www.yelp.com etc. Check the contractor’s board www.oregon.gov/CCB to see if they have any claims. Talk to clients that the contractor is currently working for to see if they are pleased. This is mostly important for those of you who are not within my service area because when you hire On The Level Remodeling Company you will have a positive remodeling experience! I have an A rating on Angie’s List and Yelp. I have no complaints with the CCB and many, many happy clients that refer me to their friends and family. High quality customer service is very important to me as a consumer so I make every effort to provide that to my clients. My jobs run on schedule and are completed by the completion date, often earlier. When you are shopping for a contractor you can always find someone less expensive, but you can’t beat the value of my service and quality.
If you want products go to amazon.com but if you want the best value contractor in the Portland Metro area call 503.312.7708.
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Friday, February 11th, 2011
At long last I have uploaded 3 new albums to my Project Gallery. Two are recent projects and one is a few years old. The pics on my website are a very small sampling of the projects I have done. Many jobs are too simply difficult to photograph. This is the case for most of the bathroom projects that I do. I am striving to get a broader sampling of my projects displayed on my site. Stay tuned for more…
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Friday, January 21st, 2011
First of all I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has ever referred my business to someone they know. It really means a lot to me. I want to be clear about how crucial referrals are to my business. Simply put without referrals and repeat customers I would not still be in business. I am happy to report that between repeat customers and referrals I have been able to stand strong in the midst of an economic storm. In the past two years I have seen the size and scale of many projects be reduced. This is no problem for me as I am happy to do projects of any size. I have been doing a lot of projects that are under $10,000, several under $5000 and a few as small as $400. I still do large projects as well, just not as many right now. I ask that you think of me for any projects that come up in your home or you hear friends or family or co-workers discussing. I promise they will get high quality work and professional friendly service. Make this a great year!
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Monday, December 20th, 2010
This post is the conclusion of a previous post called “Front Load Washing Machines”. After I had the rubber boot (bellow) replaced ($300 later) my clothes were coming out smelling clean for a month or 2. We followed every other piece of advice we were given about how to care for a front load washer, but it was not enough. About 5 months after the bellow was replaced I looked and saw mold starting to grow again. That is when I gave up. I went out and bought a top load washer the same day. It is the type with a minimal agitator and is also an HE machine so I hope it works out. I will not buy a front loader again. My advice is if you have any mold in your washer don’t spend any money replacing bellows or anything else but just get rid of as fast as you can!
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
In spite of the unseasonal cool weather we have had that I refer to as June-uary, Summer is coming! I want to give you a few “common sense” cooling tips that can save you money and keep you more comfortable during our warm months.
1. Trap cool air.
-Open all windows (if you can do this safely) in the very early morning when it is cool outside. If there is no breeze a couple of strategically placed box fans can help to flush out the warm air and bring in the cool air.
-Close the windows by 9 am. This is critical as the outside air warms up, you want to keep it out.
-Do not reopen windows until the outside temp is lower than the inside temp. If you need air movement, use fans.
-Keep doors closed as much as possible.
2. Keep out direct sunlight.
-Use blinds or curtains to block out ultraviolet rays. The sunlight will heat up the room through radiant heat. This heat stores in objects and then releases and can make the house uncomfortable. It is best to not let the sun in, in the first place.
3. Minimize use of oven:
-This can be difficult but the oven can add a lot of undesired heat to the house.
4. The stack effect:
-The stack effect only works in houses that are at least 2 stories tall. This term simply refers to your house as a chimney. Open windows on the top floor will draw the cool air up from the open windows on the lower floor. This is a passive cooling technique. The draw is not real strong but it is there and works especially well with a little help from box fans.
Many other passive cooling techniques such as awnings, shade trees and other window coverings are a great way to stay cooler.
Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV), are another excellent way to save energy and keep cool, but retrofitting these can be quite costly.
Air Conditioners are very effective in keeping your home cool but are costly to run. If you choose the AC my advice is to use as many of the passive techniques as you can to minimize the use of the AC. Enjoy the Summer!
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Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
About a year ago I bought a brand new Frigidaire washing machine (Model# ATF8000FS) and matching dryer. After about 3 months my clothes started to smell moldy after being washed. I discovered mold in the rubber “bellow”. I was told to use bleach to remove it and then use affresh tablets to make it smell better. I was given the following list from my salesperson when I asked about the smell. It would have been nice to have this info upon purchasing the machine.
“1. Are you using HE soap? Regular detergent isn’t good for these machines, use the kind that says “for high efficiency machines” and/or has the letters HE on it.
2. Use a VERY small amount of detergent – too much detergent will make the machines act up.
3. Go to the store and buy some of those whirlpool “affresh” tablets. You’re going to need to run probably about three loads with nothing other than the affresh tablet in the machine – this will break down the odor (I had to do this on my machine)
4. When you’re doing laundry, make sure you get at least one HOT wash in there. Maybe towels or something that hot water won’t bother.
5. Wipe the front boot out (around the door) about once a week or after your last load of laundry – you want to make sure you don’t have water pooling in there and getting “stale”.
6. Try keeping your door open during the week – not much just a crack will do, but it will let fresh air circulate in the machine. Because these machines seal up so tight it can cause them to stink a bit. I usually just let the door rest on the front of the machine – just don’t push it tightly closed. That’s enough to let the air through.
7. Do not use Eco-friendly products. Tide works better with these machines.
Use these steps and you should be good to go. Biggest thing for you since you have the odor already is to get those affresh tablets and get it cleaned out! Then, make sure you follow the other steps and you’ll be feeling better about your machine.”
My take on this list is:
1. Tide Washing Machine Cleaner works better than Affresh.
2. You must wipe it out after every load (unless you are doing back to back loads).
3. If you already have mold on the bellow, unfortunately you have to replace the bellow and it will cost between $200-$300.
After trying all of these and using a lot of bleach, etc trying to remove the mold I decided to spend the $200 and get a new bellow installed. I recommend not trying this by yourself. It was a real workout even for the repair man who does a lot of them. As for now I hope with my knowledge of preventative measures and my new bellow I will get many years of clean clothes.
ZB
Tags: ATF8000FS, Frigidaire, front load washing machine, mold
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Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Here is the first Homeowner tip of many more to come. Spring is here and all of your plants are blooming and shrubs etc are getting bushy. Please keep in mind that having these plants too close to your house can cause moisture problems and lead to mold growth. Keeping all vegetation 6 inches away from the house is a bare minimum. I always keep mine 12 inches away to allow plenty of air movement. Another common thing this time of year is to spread barkdust which is great if done correctly. Again, it is critical to maintain a minimum of 6 inches clear from the ground to siding or any wood contact. Following these tips will go a long way to preserving what will likely be your biggest investment. If you have any questions about this or any other home question please feel free to give me a call at 503.312.7708.
Tags: Homeowner
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Thursday, April 8th, 2010
My new site is now Live! Don’t miss the testimonial videos. Tony Gonzales at Flashback Photography did an amazing job! http://www.flashbackphotography.tv. The gallery is still under construction but I do have some great pics of my work up there.
Tags: Portland Remodel Contractor
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