house and they see that the grass is raked up, everything is clean, everything is back where it’s supposed to be – that’s going above and beyond expectations. When customers see that, it makes them really happy, and that feeling is what they remember when we’re done. So we’re very big on cleaning up.” “We also know that all the neighbors are watching us work,” he adds. “When they see that our guys have indoor shoes and outdoor shoes, that we put down sheets and tarps, that we put plywood over the windows, that we bring our own dump trailers and put our garbage into a bin and not on the side of the yard or the garage – that makes a big impression.” One more differentiator that clients respond to is the company’s ability and willingness to own up to mistakes when they happen. John believes that is, unfortunately, a rarity in the industry – and he says that McLellan Contracting has been rewarded for being the exception: “We are human, we’re not perfect,” he says, “but we’re very much perfect about taking care of mistakes. Because mistakes happen – what matters is how you deal with them.” “I have a story about this,” he adds. “About 20 years ago, we were working on a roof that had some rotten plywood. My biggest guy accidentally stepped through the plywood, went through the ceiling, and landed in the customer’s bed. So I met with the client and I said, ‘Listen, we made a mistake, but we’re going to fix this, we’re going to make it perfect.’ He later said ‘John, I really appreciate that you came in, you took full responsibility, you offered a solution, and within a couple days you had it all dealt with.’ Since then, that single client has referred us more business than anyone else – and that’s because of how we reacted when we made a mistake.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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