Easy Price Pro offers top customer service

According to Easy Price Pro the estimating software company, good relations with customers should be a top business priority.

Stephanie Collyer, commercial director, Easy price Pro, points out, avoiding disputes saves time and money and results in more recommendations, ensuring continued success.

Word of mouth is crucially important to the building trade and the more you can avoid disputes, the better your reputation.

Do any of the following sound familiar; You cannot always get the quotation out to potential clients within the time promised; Customers disputing what you have and have not allowed for in your quotes; Customers dissatisfied with delays to the job as a result of waiting for materials or bad weather; Disputes over charging for additional requirements ('extras'); Disputes over stage payment due dates.

Using different programs in the Easy Price Pro software suite can help you to avoid all of the above.

Using the main estimating programs for new builds and renovation work, you will be getting professional quotes of up to 14 pages out and in the post within hours of receiving their drawings.

The software also makes it impossible to forget to order any materials as the full list of everything you require for the job is calculated automatically and included in the estimate.

To avoid disputes over delays because of bad weather for example, the software generates work schedules which are easy to update before and during the jobs, and then re-send to clients for signing, so everyone agrees the new timetable.

For crystal clear costing and staged payment schedules, there are full details in the 'quote', which states what is and isn't allowed for, as well as dates and amounts for stage payments.

For a binding legal contract on payment terms, start and finish dates, obligations and other issues, Easy Price Pro's newly released version of Easy Builders Contract is the answer, providing a failsafe document which sets out payment terms, and exactly who is responsible for what.

One of the biggest causes of disputes is charging for those dreaded 'extras' which are often forgotten by the customer by the time the job's finished.

The Easy Comparer program resolves this and avoids argument.

You simply update the original quote and then save it as the separate 'revised quote'.

Easy Comparer then delves into both (original and revised) and creates a new report highlighting all the differences in prices which you can either e-mail or print out for the client.

Of course, the best policy is to ensure you don't have any reason to fall out and while much of that depends on workmanship and reliability, the extra care you can take relies very much on communication.

A basic first point designed to take the heat out of a lot of situations is to ensure both contractor and client know where they are work-wise.

For example, a 'heads-up' with early notice of any delays on site, or a written confirmation of how much any 'extras' requested by the customer will cost in terms of money and time, is essential.

As well as the polite, personal courtesy of an immediate phone call, text, or e-mail, it also gives the contractor a professional image and it is contractually sound to log any changes during the job in writing.

The easiest way to do this is with the help of the right software.

While keeping customers satisfied during the work in progress is important, there's more than that to be gained overall by effective customer communications.

For example, most modern businesses actively target their customers on an ongoing basis rather than wait for them to need their services again or find a new provider.

You can tailor-make your communications so they provide best value for money and suit your own client group and purpose.

For example, clients who have spent more than a certain amount of money with you may be worth the goodwill of a new-year's message with a personal gift.

Or you could take photos throughout the job, before and after, and send copies to the client on CD or by e-mail.

People tend to be very pleased when they're remembered as individuals and, as a result, are much more likely to respond and make recommendations to someone who keeps in touch.

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