NO, you don’t use it for masking a paint job, silly!
Have you ever had a customer at the end of the job come up with a two-page punch list that’s easily a week’s worth of work? Yes, I have.
Have you ever had a subcontractor tell you that they don’t have time to come back and complete a two-day punch list? Yes, I have.
Have you ever had to pay a second sub to redo the work of the first sub? Yes, I have.
I quickly learned that each of these experiences leads a contractor to ruin! So I found a novel solution to the problem – painter’s tape!!
My company policy was that every time one of my managers was in a customer’s home, they were required to call the customer before leaving, with a brief update. This provided regular communication that customers appreciated AND a constant source of valuable feedback.
Here’s how the update went, “Hi Mr. Jones, this is Jack Dennison with ABC Restoration. I’m here in your living room, and we are completing drywall installation today and ready to start texture tomorrow. I have left a ROLL OF PAINTERS TAPE on your kitchen table. When you come home tonight, will you give a thorough inspection of the drywall and mark any blemishes you want us to address with a piece of that painter’s tape? I appreciate and value your feedback. If you have any questions or feedback, please give us a call at the office.”
There it is, a 45-second update that was invaluable to us and our process.
It did provide regular communication with the customer, which is always essential, and invited customer feedback regarding the quality of our work.
Have you ever asked a customer, “Mr. Jones, why didn’t you bring these deficiencies to me earlier rather than waiting until now?” Mr. Jones says, “I wanted to see if you were going to catch it.” Yes, I have.
Or have you asked, “Mr. Jones, how long have you known about these problems, and why didn’t you share them with me earlier?” Mr. Jones replies, “I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to.” Yes, I have.
Keep in mind that Mr. Jones will inspect daily whether or not the Project Manager invites it. He’s going to come home and look over the drywall installation with a fine-toothed comb, so why not formalize his inspection by noting blemishes or problems that need fixing while there is still time to do it?
With this approach, we get constant feedback from the customer, plus the daily inspections from the PM helps to ensure the sub does quality work so that when he is done, he is really done. If a punch list does occur at the end of the job, it is likely to be relatively minor, taking minutes or hours to complete, but not days. Most subs can work in an hour or two at the start, end, or lunchtime of the day for final minor repairs.
Use Painter’s Tape to stay current on customer feedback, ensuring a quality finish, and customer satisfaction. NEVER PAY TWICE for work that you should have paid for once. This process will help you achieve that.
By the way, I would buy painter’s tape by the case ??