Are you calling for an estimate?

Folks… I know this is a kind of sticky issue but I just have to say something…

When you call in for an estimate? Please be honest with us. We really are here to help you solve problems.

I’m getting to old to play cat and mouse games with people, so if you don’t want a ‘professional masons’ opinion… please don’t call. I mean that sincerely.

Sometimes people call in acting like they got this huge project that needs to be done and if I play my cards right… I might get the job.  Really? Thanks but no thanks. I get all the work I need without having to jump through hoops. Not that I won’t for a honest customer, as I will. Please not games.

Look I’ll say it right here… if you are looking to get some work done ‘in the near future’ then I’ll bend over backwards to do what I can for you. But if you are just shopping, let me know, I’ll still stop by and look at your problem but maybe not quite as quick. You understand don’t you? I have bills to pay so I need to estimate work that folks want done NOW… not next year.

If I see a ‘For Sale’ sign in the yard then there is a charge of $39.95 (as of this date) for my time and to write an estimate. Otherwise your estimate is free.

Call me when you are ready to get your worked priced out. Thanks

Peace to all of you!

Michael

Is spring finally here?

Hehe… well the temperatures a pleasant 69 degrees today (March 10th)!

Hurrah’s!

Been a long winter hasn’t it!

Today would be a good day to get out and look at all the masonry items on your home: your patio, chimney, brick work, stone retaining walls, sidewalks and the like. I think you’re going to find some damage this year from the harsh winter we’ve just had. So if you see some cracks, spalling (flaking of bricks or concrete) or broken pieces of brick, stone, stucco and concrete give us call.

We’ll be happy to stop by and have a look.

Peace to all of you!

Michael

Rain, rain, rain… rain!

Many customer have contacted me regarding their projects wanting to know when we will get them in the schedule. I thought I would post some information here so customers and prospects alike will have an idea of how the scheduling works for our construction and repair projects. A day of any type of rain or snow usually moves our projects back by a day so 3 days of rain a week moves your schedule back three days.

First and foremost we are in a weather sensitive industry. If you report to an office each day and work under controlled (air conditioned or heated) conditions, then you likely look to the weather as an attraction – interesting to watch but not really affecting your daily job.  For just a moment, try to imagine performing the work you do each day at your desk, outdoors! Imagine the wind blowing your papers around or the rain getting into your computer and printer or your feet freezing in the snow or the heat and cold. You probably never thought about this before but we face these issues everyday.

We will usually give you a window of one to two weeks in which we will perform your project unless other wise instructed. Since a lot of our services are small in nature and done on the exterior of the home, we don’t have to meet with you to have access to your home. That way you don’t need to take off work or arrange for others to meet with us while your project is going on. We circle the city every few weeks and when we come into your neighborhood, your work will be completed in fact customers contact us frequently and tell us “We never even knew you were here until we saw the repair done! Thanks.”

Paying for your job. If we happen to catch you at home while we are doing the repair then by all means pay our men when they are completed or if you like leave a check for them taped to your door so they cvan pick it up when they have completed the work. If you are going to pay by credit card then call our office and give them your credit card number. You project will not be billed until after the job is completed.

shedule your work  and are small by nature we have to have the freedom to schedule them as we see fit in order to continue giving our customers the best possible price. All we ask is that the exterior water be turned on in case we need it. We’ve been at this a long time and know how to work around our custoA day of rain completely alters the schedule and add to this the potential problems of orders being delayed, shippments coming in wrong, employee issues and you begin to see that we are just like any other business in that things change.

Since we cannot contact our customers everyday

New site design… I hope you like it

I created this new site design to give my clients a fuller interface to the services we offer at Handy Home Pro. It is full of pictures, articles and videos (more will be forthcoming) about our services and will be updated frequently with new jobs and pics about what we do.

Sorry we didn’t carry along the old post from our previous blog but do to technical reasons decided not to. Thanks for visiting and hope you bookmark out site for your own reference or to pass along to family and friends. Thanks again for visiting our site!

Michael Olding

General Manager