As a contractor, communicating and collaborating with your clients requires a significant amount of your time. When projects get underway, it can be easy to focus on moving the work along instead of talking with your client frequently.
This is especially true if you manage multiple projects at one time and contribute to nearly the $1.4 billion in structures built every year, states The Construction Association. However, miscommunication can result in legal problems, so you should be careful about communicating effectively with your clients.
Rely on written communication
Talking to your clients in person or over the phone is quick and convenient. But to prevent a construction dispute in the future, always follow up on conversations you have with your clients with an email or another form of written communication that covers what you talked about.
Maintain project records
Every time a milestone in a project occurs, document this progress. This way, you have concrete evidence to present to your clients about the progression of the project and what still needs to happen to complete the work at hand.
Manage customer expectations
Many clients become impatient when they do not know exactly what to expect. Set time aside every day or week to send updates to clients and tell people exactly when they will hear back from you.
Ultimately, provide as much information about the project to your clients as you can throughout its duration. Effectively communicating can help you manage client expectations and prevent disputes during the construction process.