How Concrete Contractors Can Respond When Clients Change Their Minds

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When you're carrying out a concrete pouring job, clients can change their minds in a second, making what looked like a simple task much more complicated. Sometimes clients will start with clear plans about the final dimensions of their patios or driveways. However, after you have started work, they decide on something grander, or they need to cut back due to budgeting issues. At other times, clients decide upon a completely different style of concrete for the remaining part of the job, sending concrete contractors back to their wholesalers for materials.

If you often encounter this kind of problem, it's best to be as flexible as possible. If you have the right equipment and stocks of raw materials, you can deal with whatever clients throw at you.

Deliver Small Batches of Mini Mix Concrete When Required

When clients change their minds, it's not usually necessary to ship in large amounts of concrete to resolve the situation. It's more likely to require small shipments of specific forms of concrete like exposed aggregate or shotcrete to cover over hard to reach locations. Smaller vehicles and mixers allow you to get these shipments to your work sites quickly and at lower costs than mobilising larger trucks, and, if you organise your warehouse systems properly, mini mix deliveries can be made as quickly as the demands of clients change.

Switch Between High Grip and Smooth Concrete Easily

Concrete contractors also need to be flexible about the type of concrete they are able to supply. Clients often discover late in the day that they need extra grip around patio or pool areas, or more permeable varieties for outdoor paving. If you have stocks of high grip concrete varieties like exposed aggregate, you can quickly change your plans and add the features they desire. If you are able to switch between high and low aggregate concentrations, you can easily make your concrete more permeable.

Budget for Uncertainty

Satisfying customers is an everyday skill for contractors. It requires patience, adaptability and creativity to accommodate new ideas, but it also needs budgeting skills and firmness to explain how much such changes will cost. Be upfront in your marketing materials about the cost of changing plans halfway through a project, but be very clear about your willingness to do so.

Ensure that your team can rapidly deliver small batches of concrete, have the right plant and raw material stocks in your storage facilities and be open about the financial implications of clients making changes. That way, you can boost your reputation, offer a higher quality service and make the most of your resources.

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15 August 2016

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