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Friday, January 18, 2013

The A-Team & Kudos

Over the holiday, a few developments occurred on my home.  I've posted about some of them, like cabinets, tile, garage door, etc.  Each new thing by itself carves out some uncharted space in my head for consideration, for which I primarily consider the question: was the job done right?  When something isn't done right, my PM has to know about it, and without trying to come across like an extremist, arrogant, snotty, or any other negative behavior, I try to spell it out by email giving care to express terseness toward the important issues (of course, that doesn't always work out). 

Recently there have been a few issues to crop up, and when they do, I try to fit them into three categories...
  • Cosmetic (easy to correct)
  • Incomplete (work not yet performed or is on hold for something)
  • Unacceptable (work is shoddy and should be redone)
It's important to keep in mind a couple things when categorizing in this way.  First, it's all subjective and limited by an inability to see the full picture--trust your Project Manager.  Second, you and your Project Manager should be operating on the same sheet of music.  This means, the way you categorize the above, should be similar to the way your PM does at some point through the process, keeping in mind it may take more communication to get there.

If anything falls on your unacceptable list, communicate it a.s.a.p.  Your PM is probably already aware of it, will agree with you, but may be seeking additional information from the subcontractor, or management on how to rectify it. The time to get emotional about it isn't before this point, but after, and only if after the music is getting out of sync.  That's not happened to me thankfully, well, at least not with my PM--I attribute his excellent communication skills and genuine desire to build a solid home.

In a previous meeting, he talked about a period where he will be bringing in his trusted crew, to come in and smooth out the rough edges.  I forgot about that, but now that they are present, I call'm the A-Team.  I've met one guy, very nice fellow, and can't wait to see the magic he does.  In my mind, I'd think they'd deal mostly with the Cosmetic/Incomplete stuff, and perhaps generally they do.  But if an item falls in the Unacceptable list, then I feel it's unfortunate they would be required to handle it, although I am sure their specialization is up to the task.

The issues.
  • Bathroom tile (unacceptable)
  • Porch pilaster partially misses foundation (unacceptable)
  • Garage door not sealed (incomplete)
  • Cracks in windows/vanities (incomplete) 
  • Cabinet hole from microwave power cable (cosmetic)
  • Cabinet knobs aren't aligned (cosmetic)
  • Cabinets dinged up (cosmetic)
  • Basement bathroom interior top door casing cut to fit slanted ceiling (cosmetic)
  • Baseboards in tiled areas sit too low beneath tile (cosmetic)
  • Back deck support beam placement slightly impedes exit (cosmetic)
This is a list I sent to my PM (minus the categorization), which to my fault was probably accompanied with an emotional slant.  Nonetheless, he handled it very well, and I left with a feeling of complete assurance, and confident he was in my corner.  The porch pilaster issue was already fixed upon my arrival, and the bathroom wall/surround tile (all bathrooms) is going to be completely redone... ya, it was that bad!

Let me say that I am in that house almost every day.  Because of this, there have been legitimate items I've caught that I do think would have gone unnoticed.  So in my opinion, my involvement, and my affinity for my PM, is resulting is an incredibly well built home.  It sure does have a beauty deserving of it!

Here's a few pictures to prove it...





Anyway, a special thanks to my Project Manager (R.H.) for being considerate, communicative, and managing my expectations, even the ridiculous ones.  I genuinely feel, in spite of all my skepticism, this is one excellent house!  Any new home buyers in my neck of the woods should be in for a great experience, and an awesome product!!!



6 comments:

  1. Wow!! Your home is beautiful. Everything will work out just fine; the squeaky wheel gets the grease I always say so squeak on.

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  2. We must have had the same tile guy!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Oh no!!! I hope you got it handled! I'm expecting perfection now that it is being redone.

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    2. Ours has not been fixed as of yet......

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  3. I am glad you have a good PM, communication is always the key. I read a postI believe by DWtimes where the SR was rude, I think that is unaccentable.

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