Latest / The Goo Crew / How to Land & Keep Commercial Painting Clients | The Goo Crew #9

Transcript

How to Land & Keep Commercial Painting Clients | The Goo Crew #9 · The Goo Crew

0:30
SPEAKER_01: Say hello.
0:38
SPEAKER_01: Greetings, brother.
0:39
SPEAKER_01: How you doing this morning?
0:40
SPEAKER_01: I'm good.
0:40
SPEAKER_01: I'm awake.
0:41
SPEAKER_01: Sweet?
0:42
SPEAKER_01: That's good.
0:42
SPEAKER_01: That's a good thing to still be alive and swinging.
0:46
SPEAKER_01: And talking about feeder accounts slash commercial accounts.
0:50
SPEAKER_01: However, you want to frame that.
0:53
SPEAKER_01: Because we have some, and it's pretty much where uh what percentage of work it's gotta be an overwhelming percentage of the work we do is for our our commercial accounts.
1:05
SPEAKER_00: It's hard to tell how much because uh we'll do work for commercial account and then they'll give us they'll hire us again later.
1:12
SPEAKER_00: The client themselves will be.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the client will hire uh hire us again.
1:15
SPEAKER_00: So it's and then they'll refer us to their friend.
1:18
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: So it's very high pri at least I would say at least 80%.
1:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: Maybe 90% if you were you look at all the clients we have.
1:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we get like direct work as well as really, really good lead gen from them as well.
1:32
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
1:33
SPEAKER_01: So and then so that's uh I'll t can I you want to talk about the one that I usually kind of go with the most as far as like what I manage.
1:44
SPEAKER_01: So we've we've been working behind these guys for like 17 years, something like that.
1:51
SPEAKER_00: 18 years, it's been a minute.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: Oh eight, oh nine.
1:53
SPEAKER_00: I think it was oh nine.
1:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and from what I remember, we did a job for somebody, and then I'll tell you how I got the account.
2:01
SPEAKER_00: Yes, you took it.
2:02
SPEAKER_00: I might have mentioned this once before.
2:04
SPEAKER_00: So Jeremy and I were doing work, and there's these builders here, they're doing a great job.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, man, these guys are good.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: It'd be cool if we could work behind them because they're did great work, super nice.
2:15
SPEAKER_00: And so I emailed the client saying, Hey, could you write us a letter of recommendation or referral to whoever that builder is?
2:23
SPEAKER_00: And they're like, Oh yeah, they're great.
2:24
SPEAKER_00: And so they did, and once they did that, I'm like, Do you have their contact info?
2:30
SPEAKER_00: So they gave me the contact info.
2:32
SPEAKER_00: I think it was Ken at the time, and so I just gave them a call.
2:35
SPEAKER_00: And they're like, Oh yeah, we got your referral from you know, Mr.
2:39
SPEAKER_00: and Mrs.
2:39
SPEAKER_00: Smith.
2:40
SPEAKER_00: Why don't you come to the office?
2:41
SPEAKER_00: Because our painter just left.
2:43
SPEAKER_00: Like he was we just got rid of them for various reasons, and we don't have anybody right now.
2:49
SPEAKER_00: So there was like the stars aligned.
2:51
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
2:52
SPEAKER_00: So I came in and I wear, I don't even know what I was wearing, like normal clothes, and they're like, All right, go.
2:59
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, uh, so I was in front of the both owners of the company.
3:02
SPEAKER_00: I was like, Well, yeah, I went to their office and I just stood there and they were just and I and I was like, Well, here's what I'm doing, here's what we've done painting, here's what we do.
3:11
SPEAKER_00: We work behind you guys, you guys do great work, and this is kind of what we charge at the time, it was like 35 bucks an hour.
3:16
SPEAKER_00: And they go, Oh, it's a little expensive.
3:20
SPEAKER_00: I was like, Well, our clients seem to like it.
3:22
SPEAKER_00: We get most of our jobs accepted, and they're like, Cool, give us some cards.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: So they gave my card out to the next client, which was uh ended up being a great client of ours, Kathy.
3:33
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
3:34
SPEAKER_00: And they're like, We're handing out two cards right now, one of them will be yours.
3:37
SPEAKER_00: So when I did the job for Kathy, I'm like, I needed to do a good job here, and I just did anything I could do to get that job and be Johnny on the spot.
3:47
SPEAKER_00: We got the job, went well.
3:48
SPEAKER_00: She gave us a glowing recommendation, and ever since then, uh the builder, which I think they have uh five crews of two and maybe another guy who kind of floats around, they've just handed out our car to all their clients that need a painter.
4:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and they don't um so we don't sub for them directly, but they are they're they do really good work in our area.
4:11
SPEAKER_01: They mostly do kitchens and baths, but they do a lot of interior renovations.
4:15
SPEAKER_01: Um, and they they're keeping those dudes busy all year round.
4:19
SPEAKER_01: So like they're they're like clockwork, it just keeps going.
4:23
SPEAKER_01: So then our once they give our card out, then their client will call us with varying degrees of heads up as far as when they're gonna be completing the work.
4:32
SPEAKER_01: So uh, but then what generally always happens is say they get a bathroom redone.
4:39
SPEAKER_01: A lot of times we'll go, I'll look at the bathroom, I'll give them an estimate.
4:44
SPEAKER_01: Almost like a a large percentage of the time, the the clients like, I also want the bedroom painted, I want the hallway done, I want and I mean recently we've had some where they've just they've been doing some bigger projects, and they're like, we want the whole house painted.
5:00
SPEAKER_01: So it's like and the percentage of quotes that I get from them are very good.
5:06
SPEAKER_01: Like I get a decent like acceptance rate's quite very high.
5:13
SPEAKER_01: And then I'm not like I'm pretty sure one of the reasons they stopped using their other painters because they were too expensive.
5:18
SPEAKER_00: Yes, they were the most expensive painters around our town.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: I think they still are, like, I they're still around and they still are, which is awesome because they're charging sometimes, they charge double what we charge.
5:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: And they're still getting work and still staying busy.
5:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's kind of gangster.
5:34
SPEAKER_01: I haven't seen their like finish quality, so I'd like to know like how good or bad it is.
5:39
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure it's has to be good.
5:40
SPEAKER_01: It has to be good.
5:41
SPEAKER_01: It has to be good for people to pay those kind of prices.
5:43
SPEAKER_01: I just don't know if they're like, are they spending like are they taking it to like the most elite level of finish?
5:51
SPEAKER_01: Like, are they just you know, using high-end sprayers and like spraying all the trim or like I'd be curious?
5:59
SPEAKER_01: Like, are you skimming the whole wall?
6:01
SPEAKER_01: Like, are you just yeah, you know what I mean?
6:03
SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: Like, is it absolutely is it just a perfect masterpiece?
6:06
SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, we ended up being a good fit uh for the uh renovator and our yeah, it just it was like and it was a timing thing too.
6:13
SPEAKER_00: So a lot of the commercial accounts are built as I find it's all about timing.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, so like they had a painter, they retired, they got sick, they're charged too high prices, or they just went, you know, maybe they went through divorce and now they're going crazy.
6:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
6:28
SPEAKER_00: So it's they happen every single time we got a decent commercial account.
6:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's big.
6:33
SPEAKER_01: And then with with this feeder, particularly, like, because I'm working on one of their jobs right now, it's funny because they don't they don't really work with a lot of subcontractors, like, that are under the umbrella of their like work.
6:47
SPEAKER_01: So it's very rare that we're doing that.
6:49
SPEAKER_01: They'll like I I know them all now, so like they'll give me a heads up when things are happening, and then I have to kind of like look in on the job and be like, hey, before that gets installed, give me a holler so I can come in here and do this.
7:01
SPEAKER_01: And they're like, Oh, okay, like you have to fend for yourself a little bit.
7:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's not, it's they're not they're not thinking about us at all, like on that.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: It's which is fine because we I like coming in when all the work is done, uh, except sometimes when there's like laundry room installs, things that are like impossible to paint like without messing something up.
7:19
SPEAKER_01: Just like, please just let me get in there before that all gets done.
7:23
SPEAKER_01: Um, but uh yeah, they're so that's been great, and we've had I think you managed them for a little while, and then I took it over.
7:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
7:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then now I'm doing I have one of their estimates I'm doing tomorrow as well.
7:37
SPEAKER_01: So and I would just say, like, as far as maintaining those that type of account in future, do you want to get into that or do you want to talk about the other one that we work on?
7:45
SPEAKER_00: I'll just say the how we got the other one was similar to how we got this one.
7:49
SPEAKER_00: It was uh so we work for another renovator builder, they do bigger projects, but still some kitchens and baths, but just they'll do complete rentos, all residential.
7:59
SPEAKER_00: And we worked on a job, they were doing windows.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: I had a it was a good client of ours, and I said, Hey, uh, could you they look like they do great work?
8:08
SPEAKER_00: Can you just give us a recommendation to whoever's in their office?
8:11
SPEAKER_00: And then can I have their number?
8:13
SPEAKER_00: Did that, uh, and then I ended up just she's like, Oh, I sent it over, they said great.
8:18
SPEAKER_00: Um I forget if she said give them a call.
8:20
SPEAKER_00: So I just like I know what I'll just give me their number, I'll give them a call.
8:23
SPEAKER_00: So I gave him a call, I'm like, no, hey, you know, I was nervous, just Josh.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: You know, we work for uh we'll just say Mrs.
8:29
SPEAKER_00: Smith, and uh she said a rec oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
8:31
SPEAKER_00: Well, our current painter is insert problem, uh-huh, and we're kind of looking right now.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: So I'll give you, let's look at another project.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: So they invited us to a project, and um we bid it, got the job, did a pretty good job.
8:47
SPEAKER_00: I think there was like one or two things we had to like, oh, we want you to paint this, but not booer Johnny on the spot with it, went well.
8:53
SPEAKER_00: They gave us another job, that one, that one went well.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: So we had a bunch of jobs that went well.
8:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and that's we're still working for I was working on them on their job yesterday.
9:03
SPEAKER_00: And then there the nice thing with those is it's kind of like they're a trusted contractor for this client, and they're like, Well, who do you have?
9:11
SPEAKER_00: Who's a good painter?
9:12
SPEAKER_01: Yep.
9:12
SPEAKER_00: Uh, or who's a good plumber?
9:14
SPEAKER_00: Like they say, here's our list.
9:15
SPEAKER_00: So they're not going and getting five estimates.
9:17
SPEAKER_00: They're like, Give me your guy.
9:19
SPEAKER_00: And they're used to paying higher prices for this contractor because they're not DIY or so.
9:23
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm thinking about you know, getting a price for this, and they think you know, a paint job's gonna cost$300 to get a kitchen painted.
9:30
SPEAKER_00: Right.
9:30
SPEAKER_00: Which is nice because they're used to spending sometimes tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, even probably up to over a million on some of these projects.
9:39
SPEAKER_00: And then a painting and project is very small.
9:42
SPEAKER_00: But they're we're no, we're we're not bidding against anybody.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: Correct.
9:45
SPEAKER_01: When we work for Gimme.
9:46
SPEAKER_01: Like it's not a good thing.
9:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
9:48
SPEAKER_00: So you get when we work when we work for them, yeah, we're we're like included in their price.
9:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so if they get the job, we get the job.
9:54
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
9:55
SPEAKER_00: So and then they built in the budget as well.
9:57
SPEAKER_00: But I guess I'm I'm going back to more of the the client you manage, is when you give them pricing, they're used to paying contractor prices.
10:04
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:05
SPEAKER_00: Which is a thing.
10:05
SPEAKER_00: Because if someone's not used to and they're like, hey, let me just look at getting this room painted, and they're like, Oh, I usually paint it myself, or I'm not used to I haven't gotten any contracting work done.
10:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a bigger issue versus like, oh, I spent just spent a hundred grand on a kitchen to get it painted for 2,500 bucks, not a big deal.
10:21
SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
10:22
SPEAKER_01: Well, and they it's it's such a small percentage of like I would say if you're newer to painter, you're trying to build your your book out, the you want to be work first off, you you want to be working behind quality contractors that are professional and do consistently do a good job with what they do, because you have to finish it.
10:44
SPEAKER_01: So you're you're the guy that's gonna be in there having to make their work look good.
10:48
SPEAKER_01: And if you work behind hacks, it's a heavy lift on you.
10:52
SPEAKER_01: So, like, and if you can predict if you can predict the level of work that they're gonna be putting out, it makes your estimates so much more accurate.
11:01
SPEAKER_01: Because a lot of times when I'm working behind Schmankin, we'll call them, uh, I I'm looking at the bathroom before it's gotten renovated.
11:10
SPEAKER_01: I'm looking at the bathroom that's just 80s, whatever, and it's like pink tile, and it's like I'm basically looking at a square, and then I get the blueprints from uh my buddy that's sends them over that are gonna be doing the work, and then then I build my estimate off of that, but I have an expectation in my head of what the work's gonna look like, and then I can accurately predict how long it's gonna take me to do the job because I know the quality of work I'm gonna be looking at.
11:35
SPEAKER_01: Um, and so that's super nice.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: So you you're in it in as long as you are like we're really Johnny on the spot with g servicing those clients well, because I only want I only want Schmankin to hear that we've done a good job and service their clients well.
11:53
SPEAKER_01: Because technically, I'm not working for the renovat, I'm working directly with the homeowner.
12:01
SPEAKER_01: So with like they call me, they always say, like, hey, they gave us your card, we're gonna we're doing a project with them, uh, they've already started.
12:09
SPEAKER_01: That's where I'm like, Yeah, uh I'm doing one of those tomorrow.
12:13
SPEAKER_01: Uh, but they're they're already like work the in their mind, they're like, we're gonna go with this painter already.
12:20
SPEAKER_01: It's very rarely I'm bidding against anyone else on these, and then you have to also be reasonable with like what you're charging to do these things.
12:28
SPEAKER_01: You don't want to like price gouge because you think you're going to get it, but you have to make you make your number, and then like we kind of look at it too, where you mentioned it where if you're paying like a hundred grand for a kitchen, if you pay five grand to have it painted, like that's I mean, maybe it would be like a kitchen family room combo or something, like that amount of work, but it's generally a lower percentage.
12:50
SPEAKER_01: But then what we try and do is that as soon as they close the kit, particularly on kitchens and bathrooms, I want to know when that thing's finished because I want to jump in there and smash it and then bounce out so they are they get their house back.
13:06
SPEAKER_01: Yes, especially kitchen renovations are highly displacing for the family, and like they're gonna have contractor fatigue by the time you show up to do the painting.
13:15
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then same same for like especially like master bathrooms and stuff, depending on how their house is arranged, they just want their stuff back because it's you know, they've got everything sheeted off in plastic, and they've had all this demo and stuff happened, and they're ready to be done, they're ready to be done the last 20 weeks.
13:33
SPEAKER_01: You want to lace that up and you don't want to be the guy that's holding it up.
13:36
SPEAKER_01: And a lot of times with their bathrooms, they're getting custom glass cut, and I can usually get in there before the glass gets installed in these big showers, um, which makes my job a lot easier.
13:48
SPEAKER_01: So it's not like a deal breaker if I can't get in there before then, but you just I'm very communicative with these clients so that they know when I'm coming, and like I just it's it's worked out well that I can uh like coordinate everything that I need to coordinate, and we'll like, you know, if the if if the uh builder ever has like an issue with something, like we try and be you just be reasonable and a smooth operator and stuff and not a problem.
14:15
SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of yeah, and I think some ways that we some things we we do better now than we maybe uh not used to do was when so sometimes when like a client would have a problem, they would have an issue and like something some maybe we messed it up, maybe something we broke something, or just something didn't go wrong.
14:34
SPEAKER_00: We used to hope and pray that they just wouldn't talk to our builders back in the day.
14:39
SPEAKER_00: Oh like uh let's just like okay, it's fine.
14:42
SPEAKER_00: Uh and then they would kind of report back to the the builders or in our and given our referrals on like, hey, what happened with Mr.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: Jones and his light broke or this didn't go well?
14:53
SPEAKER_00: So we used to kind of hope that didn't happen, versus now, if anything goes wrong, immediately you talk to your contact uh at the at the renovators.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: You go Do you do you have a story in mind that's specific to what you're talking about?
15:07
SPEAKER_00: Well, yes, because when we came close to possibly losing that account, we we had a bunch of jobs that didn't go that didn't go well.
15:18
SPEAKER_00: It was like three or three in a row.
15:20
SPEAKER_00: So we did, you know that like sparkly paint, there's like flecks in it.
15:24
SPEAKER_00: Ugh.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: So that metallic paint?
15:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, metallic paint, which it was a thing for a little bit, and I could never get that to look good.
15:31
SPEAKER_00: So I I did it and I could tell she wasn't happy.
15:34
SPEAKER_00: And mom like, that's fine.
15:35
SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, I just like well she she paid us.
15:37
SPEAKER_00: I said, but I what I should have done is like, hey, I'll just talk to talk to the renter.
15:42
SPEAKER_00: Hey, Ken, uh, we painted this.
15:43
SPEAKER_00: They're not real happy.
15:44
SPEAKER_00: I did my best.
15:45
SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
15:46
SPEAKER_00: And then the next one was I totally butched a job where we were trying to get to it, but we were so busy, and then I tried to hand it off to you as with Joe, and he just screamed at you for like, but it's my fault.
15:57
SPEAKER_00: Like he screamed at you based on like you told me you were gonna paint this this time, and it's been months, and you didn't get to me.
16:03
SPEAKER_00: It's like we just didn't get to the job because we were so busy.
16:05
SPEAKER_00: Uh-huh.
16:05
SPEAKER_00: So I should have we should have been like, Hey, go to Ken.
16:08
SPEAKER_00: I'm so sorry.
16:09
SPEAKER_00: Here's what happened.
16:10
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then we actually painted for one of the owners of the renovator.
16:15
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I remember that one.
16:16
SPEAKER_00: And it was and it was exterior work, garage door, and we painted it in the sun.
16:21
SPEAKER_00: We were just trying to get it done to move on to the next job, which we should have just painted in the shade.
16:25
SPEAKER_00: And I think we should have used a roller and like the exterior paint was and it just didn't look as good.
16:29
SPEAKER_00: So it was three things in a row.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: Three bad, like one, yeah, a bad paint job, an upset client, and then bad work for the owner.
16:37
SPEAKER_00: We did a lot of other good jobs too, but it was like three in a row, but we could have jumped out in front of it, or just really made sure that the job you do for the owner of the company looks perfect, like it needs to go so well, and then we should have gone back and figured out, or even hired someone to figure out for us to make the garage door look good.
16:54
SPEAKER_00: It didn't look good.
16:55
SPEAKER_00: It was like a red paint and all that kind of stuff.
16:57
SPEAKER_01: Slashed out and stuff, yeah.
16:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
16:59
SPEAKER_01: I remember that phone call.
17:00
SPEAKER_01: Man, he was mad.
17:01
SPEAKER_01: That was the maddest anyone's ever been on.
17:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then he ended up being a great client down the road.
17:05
SPEAKER_01: Well, I remember like thankfully, our dad's like a very smart man who knows how to like diffuse angry people.
17:11
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
17:12
SPEAKER_01: Uh, because he's a he's a CEO, so he's like always double people that are upset.
17:16
SPEAKER_01: But uh I was just like I had a weird when he called me, he was so upset, but it had I had literally literally was the first interaction I ever had with this guy.
17:26
SPEAKER_01: So like I had no, it was I was like he was literally irate for something that you did.
17:32
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I had nothing to do with it.
17:33
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I just came into it and I was like, I'm like, all right.
17:37
SPEAKER_01: Uh and I just let him like it out.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, hey, I'm really sorry.
17:41
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, Josh and I are we've been switching off.
17:44
SPEAKER_01: I I didn't make like excuses, I just owned it.
17:47
SPEAKER_01: I said, I'm really sorry, I will get you on the schedule, and then we will get this done.
17:52
SPEAKER_01: And then like that was I don't know how many years ago, but many years ago.
17:57
SPEAKER_01: Many years ago.
17:58
SPEAKER_01: And then Joe is the absolute man.
18:00
SPEAKER_01: He's a retired cop, and he's been like one one of like our top, he's like our top five clients.
18:05
SPEAKER_01: Like he's he's been great.
18:06
SPEAKER_01: The best.
18:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
18:07
SPEAKER_01: So and he loves us.
18:08
SPEAKER_00: And he recommends us to everyone.
18:10
SPEAKER_00: Everyone.
18:11
SPEAKER_00: We've worked all over that.
18:12
SPEAKER_00: Worked for his family, worked for his friends, uh, and that was yeah.
18:15
SPEAKER_00: So that's what that was a ended up being a good story.
18:18
SPEAKER_00: And then what I did also is the lady who had well as soon as I got the they told me about the I found out about the clients who were upset.
18:26
SPEAKER_00: I was like, okay, so I mailed a check back to the lady with the metallic paint.
18:31
SPEAKER_00: I wrote her a letter, and I wrote a check for the whole amount of the job.
18:35
SPEAKER_00: I was like, I'm sorry, you uh don't you're not happy with the job.
18:40
SPEAKER_00: I didn't know that.
18:40
SPEAKER_00: This metallic paint, we just struggled with it.
18:43
SPEAKER_00: Here's your money back.
18:45
SPEAKER_00: Wrote a check, put it in the thing.
18:46
SPEAKER_00: I didn't even call her, I didn't do anything.
18:48
SPEAKER_00: Man, and so and so I did that, and then she called me immediately.
18:53
SPEAKER_00: I was like, you know, hello, and she's like, Oh, thank you so much.
18:57
SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna deposit that check.
18:59
SPEAKER_00: You know, it doesn't look that bad.
19:00
SPEAKER_00: Let's have you back in work again.
19:02
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
19:03
SPEAKER_00: So she actually hired us, but she didn't hire our contractor for something else because she's like, Well, they were they're a little too expensive for me for this next job or something.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: Who's that lady?
19:13
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I forget her name.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: Let's just call her Debbie.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: But uh, but so we came back and she ended up hiring us again, did well in the job, and uh it was like blew her away.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
19:25
SPEAKER_00: I was like, I just I just wanted to make the relationship right, and it wasn't worth uh, you know, it was like a sixteen hundred dollar job or something like that.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: Okay, wasn't gonna break us.
19:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, that's a good move.
19:34
SPEAKER_00: That's a good move because it's yeah, it's a good strategy.
19:38
SPEAKER_00: Uh another one that's uh that's helped us over the years just was working with commercial accounts and you know, different like just to be cool with every worker and person in the organization.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes over time, like someone like just say there's a crew you work behind, and if for some reason there's some friction, you don't like it, like not to be like this guy sucks or this is going wrong, because you never know how they get promoted up to the yeah, um you know, the organization for eventually they might be your boss or checking your work or or that kind of stuff.
20:13
SPEAKER_01: And it's a little it's a little different too from like the two accounts that we're talking about are very different experiences to work in.
20:23
SPEAKER_01: They're both really good because technically the I would say the schmankin is the the guys that do kitchens and baths, they're more of a feeder because they're just giving my they're basically referring me to clients.
20:36
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like a referral account.
20:37
SPEAKER_01: That's very different than if you work for Shimmy.
20:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah where our price is built into their estimate, and if they are doing the work, then we are doing the painting.
20:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a very different thing that you're managing because with uh the kitchen and bath guys, I I like don't see all the crews.
21:00
SPEAKER_01: I barely like we don't interact with that.
21:02
SPEAKER_01: I barely interact with the dudes, yeah.
21:05
SPEAKER_01: Like I know them all by now.
21:06
SPEAKER_01: It took me a while to get because I just didn't I'd come in and see them when I do quotes, and then they would rotate guys out, and then whatever.
21:13
SPEAKER_01: I knew like the the like usually the leads and like the heads of things, but that you obviously you want to be smooth as well.
21:20
SPEAKER_01: But I'm coming in looking at the work and I have to ask them questions about what are you guys doing with this, especially it's helpful if they're on site working.
21:27
SPEAKER_01: I've got a better relate, but you just try and keep it smooth, you just try and keep it smooth, don't be a douchebag.
21:34
SPEAKER_01: And like just you like with Josh and I always try and be smooth operators, and also we've been around dudes for a long time from working maintenance, and you kind of learn to like not be a turd.
21:48
SPEAKER_01: Don't be a narc for things either.
21:49
SPEAKER_00: You don't want to be a narc so if people are like leaving work early or doing things like in their crew, as long as they're not doing something egregious, yeah, like I don't know, shooting the client's dog Not that that's happened, but uh yeah, like we don't play, you know, we don't go to the bosses of any of the places and be like, No, Jimmy did this.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: Like, we don't do I don't we it's not our business at all.
22:10
SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying most people do, but you don't want to narc people out and you want to be cool to work with with everybody, get along with everyone.
22:16
SPEAKER_01: And just be like, I'm just being like I've been Johnny on the spot with what's going on in their job right now.
22:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
22:22
SPEAKER_01: And like I speaking of which, because the another the homeowner contracted another company to do the thing that I'm working on, which is a big staircase.
22:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
22:33
SPEAKER_01: And the fellows that came in to do that were I'll say a little rough around the edges.
22:39
SPEAKER_01: And the crew that was there from Schmankin, they're like very straight-laced, polished, like polished, professional, clean dudes, and then a bunch of like like convicts got out to install this staircase, and they they did some stuff that's you know, it's uh uh interesting choices, we'll say.
23:03
SPEAKER_01: And then now they're like the guys that are doing this big renovation are gonna have to fix some stuff, and then I had to fix some stuff, and then you're just we're we're just being smooth and dealing with it.
23:14
SPEAKER_01: And you're like, as the finish guy, like I have to make whatever's installed look good.
23:20
SPEAKER_01: So it's just I'm not gonna I'm just gonna deal with it.
23:24
SPEAKER_01: And that's there is a phrase called the painter will get it, and then you the better your skills are, the more that incorporates as to what you can do with what you're left with.
23:34
SPEAKER_01: But you just try and be like, I hit the time thing, because they tried to have the spindles put back in.
23:39
SPEAKER_01: Like, there's a lot of and I was like moving to get this thing done so that it's ready for you know making the house more safe because there's a big staircase with no spindles in it right now, which is real sketchy.
23:49
SPEAKER_01: So it's like you just be reasonable and you're you're trying to like m make sure that the builder you're working with is happy, but also you want to service their client well, and then it's easier for me to do that with uh the the schmank and jobs because I'm dealing directly with the homeowner, I'm not going through their company.
24:11
SPEAKER_01: So like I've already had a rapport with them, I've already come out and done an estimate.
24:15
SPEAKER_01: Uh with the company that we work with, Shminmy, that does like these big renovations, it can be a little harder to establish a relationship directly with the homeowner because you have a buffer of a GM and or GC and the like the sales guy and whatever.
24:32
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and then that crew is way more important to be like friendly and well regarded.
24:40
SPEAKER_01: Uh and that's way more important than than like the one that I manage.
24:46
SPEAKER_00: Because if you're not don't get along, or you're like, I don't like this project lead or the of this, then they're gonna be like, they're gonna tell the guys that re that refer us over to the job, like, hey, we include you know Josh and Jeremy, but you don't get along with my guy, so this is this doesn't work.
25:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
25:02
SPEAKER_00: So you don't and I've seen that happen where like a tile guy was just yelling and screaming and going crazy and he's not around anymore.
25:09
SPEAKER_00: If you almost get in fist fights with the project manager, it's not a good look.
25:13
SPEAKER_00: No, not good at all.
25:14
SPEAKER_00: So it's just more of just trying to be smooth, trying to be get along with everyone, and we've just I've just noticed that over time people work up.
25:24
SPEAKER_00: They people who were just a grunt worker now are lead are the job leads.
25:27
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
25:28
SPEAKER_00: And then that then it was someone who you were like, oh, this guy was like a 20-year-old dude, now he's 26, 27, and technically he's telling me when I can come in and paint, when I'm doing this, and when I'm doing that.
25:40
SPEAKER_00: And when someone gets that new job, I've noticed that they can be, especially their first one, they're kind of nervous.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but I don't treat them like, oh, that's little Jimmy Hell's being the boss, little Jimmy.
25:49
SPEAKER_00: Like, all right, man, you're my boss now for this job.
25:51
SPEAKER_00: Yep, cool.
25:51
SPEAKER_00: I'll treat you like I treat every other one.
25:53
SPEAKER_00: I don't care that you're 15 years younger than me or that you're that because they actually could be really good.
25:59
SPEAKER_00: And I've noticed some of those guys, uh like our guy Dan, yeah, um, he was just a worker, and now he's leads the jobs and he's he's great to work for.
26:08
SPEAKER_00: Dan's awesome.
26:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
26:10
SPEAKER_00: So but I've just but I was it's like I know some of that, if like, you know, a like a guy was like just the brand new.
26:15
SPEAKER_00: I remember when you were just the brand new worker here, but now it's five, seven, eight years later, now they're project leads.
26:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
26:20
SPEAKER_00: And treat them like a project lead, like you would any other lead.
26:23
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
26:24
SPEAKER_01: Well, just be like, be a cool dude, man.
26:27
SPEAKER_01: We're all just trying to get the work done.
26:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then I'm like our disposition is to be uh fear the easiest to work with.
26:34
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're not like striving to create conflict.
26:37
SPEAKER_00: We want everything to go smooth, and we want everything to go smooth on our end, and then you have to work around stuff, and then sometimes you have to grit your teeth and push your emotions way down deep and just someone messes up and you got ideas or there's a bunch of people in the same job, and then like you know, if something's really bad and if you've gained rapport with the company, you can go to your your owners be like, hey man, just on this job, uh you know, this is where we ran into some issues where our productivity went down 20% because of this, this, this, and this.
27:10
SPEAKER_00: So I've just there's times where you can say something if something's like over the top that really screwed screwed you up or slowed down, or you know, we bring three guys and only two of them can work because people are in your way.
27:21
SPEAKER_00: Things like that.
27:22
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
27:22
SPEAKER_00: So you have a few things like that, but it's not every little ticky-tack thing.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: And then I also want a lot, a lot of things we try to do is we don't bring every problem to the owners of the company, we try to take care of them ourselves first.
27:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, make sure the actual client we're working for is happy.
27:37
SPEAKER_00: Versus like, oh, they we need to get a stain match.
27:39
SPEAKER_00: Oh, this thing broke.
27:40
SPEAKER_00: Oh, like we try to take care of it all of ourselves.
27:43
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
27:43
SPEAKER_00: Unless it's something terrible.
27:45
SPEAKER_00: You just try and keep it inexpensive.
27:46
SPEAKER_00: Like, hey, someone broke the tub.
27:48
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't me, but it's broken.
27:50
SPEAKER_00: Oh, is it the oh no, no, not where I'm at, but there's times where like there's a chip in the tub or there's a this, and you bring it to their like there's a we were just on a job, a very fancy, like they spent a lot of money on cabinets in a laundry in a um like master closet.
28:05
SPEAKER_00: And I noticed there was a crack in we removed tape, and there's a crack like in the crown mold, and this is all pre-finished stuff.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: I was when it was Dan's job.
28:13
SPEAKER_00: I was like, Hey Dan, just let you know in that corner over there.
28:15
SPEAKER_00: And I didn't do this in front of the act their actual like client.
28:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, good move.
28:18
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, just you might want to take a look at that.
28:20
SPEAKER_00: Um, we didn't hit it or anything, but I just noticed that.
28:23
SPEAKER_00: Just bring that to your attention.
28:25
SPEAKER_00: But I don't go to the the the actual like homeowner and be like, hey, look, there's a crack here.
28:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, dude.
28:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, no, no.
28:32
SPEAKER_00: No, let them take care of let the quiet discussion in the clock.
28:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
28:37
SPEAKER_00: So just learning how to be uh uh smart in those situations helps.
28:41
SPEAKER_01: Well, and also like you want because we a lot of times the breakdown of working for like a bigger renovator is usually have like the head owner, he might have a lot of times they're involved in sales, and then you have like a project manager.
28:56
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes they might be an owner as well, sometimes not, and they're the ones running around trying to make all the jobs go smooth.
29:02
SPEAKER_01: So you're probably gonna see the project manager a fair amount because he's gonna be doing check-ins and quality check-ins, and then you have your uh like your lead.
29:12
SPEAKER_01: So, or they they call them like a they give them different leads, project manager or uh GC of the job.
29:19
SPEAKER_01: But basically, like they're like the lead of the job.
29:21
SPEAKER_01: So, say they're doing a huge renovation on like they're doing an addition on some big house.
29:26
SPEAKER_01: So there's gonna be a lead carpenter that's gonna be running the show that he's in charge of that job going smoothly, and then you have like I don't know what the designations are for carpenters lower than that.
29:37
SPEAKER_01: Other carpenters, other carpenters, yeah.
29:39
SPEAKER_01: And then you have like your new schlubs that don't know what they're doing and they're getting trained up to be somebody who's useful.
29:44
SPEAKER_01: So, like, but like so that that's like the chain of events that uh well because sometimes they're just like a grunt and they're like learn they're like a kid in uh high school that he's yeah, uh like like Damien's kid.
29:57
SPEAKER_01: He's just like starting to like learn the stuff, so that's cool.
30:00
SPEAKER_01: Um, but like you know, he could be a lead later.
30:03
SPEAKER_01: So it's just like the when you we you like come into that environment, you've gotta like we and we're I think we've been really good about treating everybody cool, like all the way down, yeah.
30:16
SPEAKER_01: Um, not just the lead, which is what uh uh some guys will do, and they like are kind of like shit on the the workers, the workers, yeah.
30:24
SPEAKER_01: But like, but we're workers, like we're actually on the tools doing it, so it's like I've never had that like I just want to be cool with everybody because also what if you're going into a big job site like that, those dudes all have intel on what's going on, they like know how the job's going, and they can give you like heads up on like yo, this homeowner is a little weird, or like whatever, like what that dogs mean.
30:50
SPEAKER_01: Like, there's stuff that you kind of can, they're like, yo, man, just a heads up like this.
30:55
SPEAKER_01: So you just want to be cool with everybody so that you can keep things smooth.
30:58
SPEAKER_01: And also, there's no reason to be a dickhead.
31:02
SPEAKER_01: So I just don't understand.
31:03
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure there's a reason.
31:05
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, if you're an ass, yeah, yeah.
31:09
SPEAKER_01: But uh, and I would say also, too, if you're working on jobs like that, if you are like pay attention to how all of them are like dressing and their general like level of cleanliness, I would say.
31:23
SPEAKER_01: Uh, because then you want to be at least at that level so that you can integrate into that crew.
31:28
SPEAKER_01: If not higher.
31:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if not higher.
31:30
SPEAKER_01: So um like we've had the the Schmankin guys, they are a very tidy crew, so then I'm always I make sure that like I pretty much just brought my level of cleanliness to like if I'm hitting that level, then I'm they're very clean, so and then a lot of the other crews we work behind are not.
31:47
SPEAKER_01: So uh and then we've worked behind some absolute dirt balls that have we we don't work behind them anymore.
31:54
SPEAKER_01: I remember that one that gosh, that I can't first off, if you hear how much money they did the renovation for, you're like, how on earth?
32:03
SPEAKER_01: And then you then you go look at it, you're like, okay, this makes sense.
32:06
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
32:06
SPEAKER_01: Remember that one where they just had like buckets of trash and broken tile, and like we they were just sawdust everywhere, sawdust, and it was like stuffed into a cabinet that we were supposed to be.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: Like a bathroom that was finished, and it was just dirt and grime and gross stuff everywhere.
32:21
SPEAKER_00: That's why they got a pretty good deal in that job.
32:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, that was quite quite a deal.
32:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
32:26
SPEAKER_00: So, but that's uh do you have anything else to say?
32:29
SPEAKER_00: No, I think we touched upon some good things just to be smooth and treat everyone well and uh kind of be Johnny on the spot with those big accounts that feed you lots of work.
32:39
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
32:39
SPEAKER_01: And if sometimes you might have to eat a touch-up, just go do it.
32:43
SPEAKER_01: Because it's and the the reason too, just I'll I'll wrap this up with this one, is that the the reason you would want feeder accounts or any anything like working with a builder and then all that stuff is that you can consistently book out work, you're like you're guaranteeing work at the price that you want for you know a high percentage of your year that you're working.
33:08
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's what a lot of guys want is they want, you know, however many weeks you're gonna take off in the year, but you want a full book of work that you like doing.
33:16
SPEAKER_01: And if you work behind renovators, a lot of times they're renovating the same types of things over and over and over again.
33:22
SPEAKER_01: So you're gonna get a lot of reps at it, and you're gonna be able to do that work because you've done it so many times.
33:27
SPEAKER_01: So, like, that's why you would want to work for the marketing cost is is zero.
33:32
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
33:33
SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, so you don't have to pay to get leads for this.
33:35
SPEAKER_00: It's more of like if their business is doing well and they're getting leads, uh, and then they give your name out, you are getting work essentially for free.
33:42
SPEAKER_00: Nice.
33:43
SPEAKER_00: That's that's uh nice marketing, but marketing budget of zero is nice, which is what we like.
33:49
SPEAKER_00: Uh do we have anything for the goo news?
33:52
SPEAKER_00: Uh goo news, uh well, you're actually working on something now.
33:56
SPEAKER_00: Well, I am working on stuff.
33:58
SPEAKER_00: Depends on when this um comes out.
34:00
SPEAKER_00: But I will say, just check if you have a Sheron Williams uh account.
34:04
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we've been told there's gonna be some price increases in September.
34:07
SPEAKER_00: So if you hear this, hopefully they haven't happened.
34:10
SPEAKER_00: Uh, but if you're gonna buy, if you buy paint at Sher and Williams or any stock items, and they're having a blue bucket sales very soon.
34:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm not sure when this is coming out, but uh I you might want to stock up on some paints that you buy a lot because I think we're gonna do the same.
34:24
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah, we have a and then join the goo crew.
34:27
SPEAKER_00: Uh the links in the description and first pinned comment.
34:30
SPEAKER_01: Yes, check all that out, and uh hopefully we'll see you guys in there.
34:34
SPEAKER_01: And until next time, y'all take it easy, work smart, have a good one.