Why your 'Best' work still gets you 3-star reviews

Question

After 30+ years in the industry—from project managing hotel builds and overseeing regional engineering to running my own construction and painting companies—I’ve realized a hard truth:
​A project can be technically perfect, but if the communication was poor, the client won't remember the quality—they'll remember the frustration.
​In my experience, managing expectations is at least 50% of the job. Whether it’s arrival times, scope creep, or project delays, the 'technical fix' is rarely the hardest part of the business. The hard part is the human element. You can deliver a flawless renovation, but if you didn't manage the expectations surrounding that job, you’ve left a door open for a headache.
​I’m curious—what’s the one 'service expectation' you’ve struggled with the most while trying to grow your business? Let's break down how to standardize that process so it doesn't break your workflow.

mrnutting · Answer

Over promising.&nbsp; &nbsp;Not that I dont accomplish the job Ive set out to do but having been taught to always be willing to give the customer what they are willing to pay for is not a good belief that will make a company succeed but most likely fail. I struggle mostly with my timing.&nbsp; Im not the soet of person that is late to anything except my own jobs.&nbsp; &nbsp;I install and repair sprinkler systems.and frankly I can not predict what sort of problem or challenges I will face when digging into the surface of our planet.&nbsp; &nbsp;So If I was to show up at say 11am but I send word Ill ne late by roughly an hour or two or what ever I tell them... sometimes Im late again and maybe even for a third time because I wasn't expecting to be delayed die to lets say tree roots.&nbsp;&nbsp;Its rough sometimes.&nbsp;

travisshepherd · Answer

MrNutting:I get it. The problem is you're apologizing for being late, which makes you sound like a guy who can't manage his schedule.​Change the script: Don't call it a delay; call it a 'technical complication.'​Next time, tell them:'I’ve hit an unexpected issue on-site that requires extra care to do correctly. I’d rather take the time to do it right than rush and create a headache for you later. I’ll be there by X.'​When you frame it as a commitment to quality instead of a failure of time, you stop being the guy who's late and start being the pro who refuses to cut corners. That’s how you turn a 3-star review into a 5-star one.&nbsp; We are only humans dealing with humans and that's never gonna change. We just got to change everything to be in our favor if possible!!!&nbsp;​How does that look to you?

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Why your 'Best' work still gets you 3-star reviews

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