Atlanta has so many remodeling companies that if you highlight them all on a map with red dots, it looks like the city has chicken pox. At AK Complete Home Renovations, our goal is to make sure the process is as stress-free as possible for our clients.

We start with the basics: timely responses to email and phone calls; meeting clients on their schedule not ours; streamlining the process; and customizing the experience so clients are not bombarded or overwhelmed. But the aspects of service we get the most positive feedback about are the little things that other firms often overlook.

For example, before AK starts a project, an AK project manager will walk the client through their home to discuss all areas that will be affected by the construction, such as what furniture may need to move, what may need to be removed from walls, and what dedicated space the trade professionals will be using; where the Dumpster will sit; and where materials may be stored.

Our goal is to set expectations early and to ensure that clients have the cleanest, most comfortable environment possible while we’re working in their home. We know this process is a disruption of their life, and we want to do everything we can to complete the job as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.

Standout Strategy

We often take on other chores that surprise our clients: we bring in the mail; sign for packages; and even return the trash cans to the house once they’re emptied. These actions show clients we care about them and their home. Even when the project is complete, our service doesn’t stop: We offer warranties on our work and regularly keep in touch with clients. We have been known to help them move back into their new space, assisting them with organizing their new kitchen or bath to make maximum use of all their new customized storage solutions.

Only then can any company be more than a red dot on a map!

—Emily P. Smith is the marketing communications manager at AK Complete Home Renovations, in Atlanta, which uses GuildQuality surveys to monitor customer satisfaction.

More REMODELING articles about customer satisfaction:

Do the Right Thing — How to Ensure Customer Satisfaction

Gripes of Wrath — Who hears your customers’ complaints?

Floor Show — Empathy proves to be one remodeler’s most valuable tool