Jamie Wolf
WolfWorks
Avon, Conn.
Big50 1991

Recently we hosted our first-ever open house. It was related to our project being published in Sarah Susanka's latest book. We held it at the house featured in the book so that our clients could see our work and celebrate with us.

We actually sent out invitations for that event. Otherwise, we don't have a formal program to keep in touch with clients. We irregularly send out newsletters. However, since we recently updated our logo and want to re-brand our company, we decided to do a postcard mailing to bring that to our clients' attention.

Our plan is to create a more regular postcard mailing plan. By re-branding we're trying to go beyond our referral base. We decided that our existing identity deserved better. The last time we did this was 10 years ago.

Joe Karoly
Monarch Construction
E. Norriton, Pa.
Big50 2005

The main way we keep in touch with customers after the completion of a project is through our quarterly newsletter. This newsletter is a great tool for keeping our name in the customer's mind. Then, down the road, when they need something else done, or if they have a friend who needs work done on their home, we're the first remodeling company that springs to mind.

Mike Kershaw
Kershaw-Zalewski Associates
Utica, N.Y.
Big50 1998

Our approach is fairly informal. We don't do anything formal such as a newsletter. Every year we give past clients a gift at Christmas, which we hand-deliver for personal contact. For example, we show up at their door with a bottle or two of wine. This keeps our brand in their minds, which we want because almost all our work is by referral or by word-of-mouth.

We've been doing remodeling for 30 years so we have multi-generational clients — we're now working for the children of customers.

One advantage of being in a small town is that you often see your clients during daily life. Both my partner Jamie Zalewski and I are active in the community, so our clients frequently see us. We serve on boards and attend our children's activities and sports.

Ron Landis
R.J. Landis Design & Construction
Worthington, Ohio
Big50 1991

We have several ways of keeping in touch with past clients. First, after the final payment is made, either I or our marketing/ administrative manager deliver a job completion binder to the clients and go over it with them. Then, we give them a thank-you gift within a month after the job is done. We either hand-deliver it or mail it to the homeowners.

Our company has a quarterly newsletter that usually features an interesting project as the main story. Other information includes employee news and helpful hints.

We have participated in our Remodelors Council showcase of remodeled homes for 16 years, and we send passes to our clients as well as any leads with which we didn't do business.

At Christmas time, we send a Christmas card and an occasional gift. We also host a client appreciation night at our design/build center. This year we're thinking about a private screening room at a movie theater.

Janeen Welsh
Welsh Construction
Lexington, Va.
Big50 2004

Our client contacts consist of a written evaluation form sent after the project is completed, a gift basket hand-delivered, and then a phone call six months after project completion to ensure that all is still in good working order.

We have an annual newsletter (some companies do quarterly newsletters, but we've not yet accomplished that), and this past Thanksgiving we ran a half-page newspaper ad listing and thanking all the clients we had worked with over the past year, along with a picture of our crew.

At Christmas time we sponsored NPR [National Public Radio] for a day, and the message was: “Welsh Construction project managers Dean Phelps, Chuck Sanders, John Thomas, and John Welsh would like to wish their clients a wonderful holiday season.”