After working as a contractor with his Seattle-based The Finish Co. for a few years, owner and Madison Valley resident Michael Grabham said he became frustrated with the seemingly endless lack of communication between contractors and their customers. He spent three years developing software to help clients stay connected and informed on their projects.
“Consumers have allowed this low level of customer service in the construction industry to prevail,” Grabham said. “Our goal has always been to educate consumers and change the standards of the industry. We created this software to remain as transparent and honest as possible. In essence we are taking the mystery out of any construction project.”
Open communication
The web-based software, called Customer Access Portal, was originally designed for interior-contractor use within the company, which works with commercial and residential clients. Contractors would use it to communicate with each other while working on the same project.
But Grabham said he soon realized it was so helpful in terms of keeping people up to date on projects that customers should have access to it, too.
What does the software do? When a customer hires The Finish Co., he or she is given a username and password and is able to log onto the company’s website. Once logged in, they have access to the software, which offers a visual of the entire project.
The website houses a question-and-answer section, estimates, budgets, the contractors’ project notes, progress updates, hours logged on specific projects by contractors and more.
Alerts are sent to customers via e-mail when anything changes with the project, including updates about progress or questions about customer preferences that arise.
Each client is assigned a project manager, and there is a live-chat feature on the website that allows customers to chat with somebody every day.
One of the more interesting features of the software is that contractors take photos of work being done on the project. Instead of just hearing from a contractor that a job is halfway done, a customer can log onto the website and see photos from the beginning through the current state of the project to determine how much progress has been made.
Interactive software
Grabham said bigger construction companies use similar software, but he claims none is as simple and interactive as The Finish Co.’s. He said there are very few companies that allow customers to see so much information about their construction projects.
“Contractors tend to keep customers in the dark,” Grabham said. “This is a way we can be more transparent — a way for people to trust us more.”
He added that his company is honorable, regardless: “We’re a bunch of trustworthy guys, this will just make us more trustworthy.”
Although the software has been a work in progress for three years, The Finish Co. recently began using it with customers. Grabham said it has only been used live with a few customers, but he is confident it will allow for better management of projects and better communication between contractors and with customers.
The software has evolved as it has been developed, based on perceived customer needs; Grabham said new features are always being developed and added.
Once the software goes live for all customers, he will continue to tweak it and add new features based on customers’ reactions to it, he said.
Grabham considers himself tech-savvy since he has worked in technology most of his career, but he had some help developing the software. The Bellevue-based Definitive Commerce built the software.[[In-content Ad]]
