You live in what is known as the Northeast Region of the United States. You have read all of the documentation on Siding, Roofing, and Window Replacement, for your home that you can find. You have decided that you would like to have Fiber Cement Siding, Windows, or Roofing installed on your home. Now you start the process of contacting contractors for estimates. Hopefully, you are going through a process that is further educating you, the consumer, so that you may arrive at a decision that will afford you the desired result, a thermally efficient, old world type crafted home exterior of which you can be proud, at a fair price. You have heard all of the ideas about checking licensure, insurance, and references, and you are doing what you feel is diligent.
It seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, there are crafty sales professionals that are ready to meet your perceived needs. These smooth operators are very good at what they do and they will analyze you, the consumer, and have you believing that you are interviewing them. They will paint you a pretty picture and endeavor to meet your goals. Some will try to “sell” you on value, or perceived value. Some will try to meet the price you have in mind. Some of these sales people will endeavor to trick you into buying a job from their company, only to purposefully set up a Change Order for additional work that adds thousands of dollars to the original job.
“There are contractors out there that do this as normal operating procedure, without any concept of fairness,” says Bob Wewer of Four Seasons Industries, Inc. “We are finding that entire slate roofs are being torn off when only a repair was needed,” in a frustrated tone he exclaims. “Folks should really take a good look at what we are saying, and weigh out the realities. Salesmen that work for over priced, rip-off contractors are paid on a commission-only basis. These are the smooth operators of our industry and they are rewarded for Change Orders that arise out of contracts that are awarded to their companies. Change Orders are an inevitable part of this business, but never should they be used retroactively, to lure a customer into a cheap contract that blows up into an overall expenditure that not only multiplies the original contract, but is a planned event. We have interviewed sales professionals of our trade that have enlightened us as to the methods our competitors employ to beat our price and rope unsuspecting consumers into an unsuspecting purchase. We don’t mind losing business to an honest competitor, but to a crafty crook, we have serious reservation. Often a Change Order is a seemingly innocent document and the price is unforeseen. What I am saying here, is that an initial low price contract is used to open the door for a world of additional charges. We just want you to be aware. Thank you.”
Bob Wewer is Vice President of Four Seasons Industries, Inc.
