The Three Types of Contractors
There are basically three types of contractors in the windows, siding and specialty home improvement business and depending on who you talk to will determine the cost of your project . You can get a quote on the exact same products from two different company types and the estimate will vary drastically.
Contractor Type number one - The One Man Show
This a company that is run by a tradesman who usually will subcontract from bigger contractors and do some jobs on the side. They might run an ad in the local classifieds or shopper. This poor guy has to estimate his jobs, run an office, and try to do the work as well. The problem is that to run a professional business there has to be a business infrastructure that can service and communicate with there customers. A bookkeeper and a sales person to estimate jobs as well as someone to keep up on new technology and product development. If the owner of the company gets sick or wants a vacation there customers have to wait. Its also hard to produce the jobs with limited help and many times they will jump back and forth between jobs to try and keep people happy but taking much longer to complete the job.
Contractor Type number two - The Professional Contractor
Contractor number two is a professional Home Improvement Contractor who employs crews and office staff as well as production and service people. This contractor is up on the best quality products and installation systems, he carries proper insurances, markets locally and is known in the community. This type of contractor will give you more value your money and the owner of the company will be involved in the estimating and supervision of the project. Your job will be completed in a professional and timely manor using quality materials at a reasonable price. You will not be required to sit through a long sales pitch that will end with high pressure sales tactics to try and get you to sign a contract that night. Instead you will be treated with respect, given information, references and your estimate in writing with absolutely NO pressure. I can't think of a better way to do business, can you? This is the type of company Suburban Windows & Siding operates.
Contractor Type number three - The Sales and Marketing Contractor
Contractor three is the most expensive, this company is a sales and marketing company that sell Replacement windows and Vinyl Siding. This company model does a large volume of business and has a huge overhead as a result. Advertising budgets and sales commissions can exceed 50,000 a month. The primary business here is to generate leads for the sales force and sell as much work as possible regardless of the ability to properly execute and service the jobs.
Many of these companies come and go due to burning out and cultivating a poor reputation. You can spot these guys easily. They are the ones spending the most on expensive TV commercials, fancy mailers and big newspaper ads. They are also the companies who call you on the telephone, telemarketing is a business within a business and is a very sophisticated form of lead generation that cost huge money to sustain but can return a large volume of prospects and jobs. The hope here is to catch you off guard, since you weren't shopping for Siding or Windows there is a better chance to get you to sign a contract that night, they will also insist that both husband and wife be present for the presentaion for this purpose. This is the main goal of the sales and marketing contractor, so to avoid making a bad decision NEVER sign a contract the first sales call , evaluate and check out the company and get other bids. Yes I told you to get other bids and make an INFORMED decision before you buy, this way you will feel more comfortable with your choice and get the best VALUE for your money.
I hoped this helped you and feel free to coment or ask fro more information.