Our friend Jerry asked for our help with some tile work, and it turned into a larger job. He writes a blog and gave us a great reference there. This comes directly from Jerry’s “E-bullet #76”
“Having spent the last couple of E-Bullets harping about the lack of communication this E-Bullet is about getting it right. What makes it even more fun to write is that this company is run by a 30 something guy. This “kid” could blend in to a crowd of two. Not tall, not glib tongued, not flashy just all business. This kid [Charlie Schloegel] gets it. Someone said recently that being a chameleon in the sales world is so 1980’s and that what we all should do is find some folks who think just like we do and form a circle. It might be possible that he thinks just like yours truly, likes the same things and read the same books. Common sense dictates that it’s not likely when there is a 36-year gap in our age. The only exposure that we have had is the hall bathroom at Dandelion Acres on the plains of Kansas. His company was brought in after the near collapse of the hall bathroom remodel project. It took about thirty minutes of discussing what the end game was and what his roll would be going forward. He just took a bunch of notes while the bloviation was taking place. He asked if he could go back to his shop and put a proposal together and he would call me (wow someone wanted to call me, not e-mail and certainly not text) with a number. He gave me the numbers and was given the go ahead to pick up the pieces and just take over. He also wound up with retexturing the kitchen ceiling just for good measure. If you just looked at the numbers he presented anyone would say, “Gosh I could do it for a lot less than that.” Well bunky you’d be wrong. OK if you didn’t have a time- table or a clue about keeping everyone in line and at your house when they were supposed to then well ok you might do it for less. If you’re the GC of your own project, you mean nothing to the contractor that has several jobs going at once and you might be that “I’ll work you in right after I’m strip searched by a butterfly in a phone booth” client. This guy had his men there when they were scheduled, gone when they said they would and the bathroom was always clean. There’s a price to pay for that management and it’s in your bid.
This contractor is now on the short list of companies that yours truly would give a referral to. Anyone needing smaller remodeling help will get his name and number. His name is Charlie Schloegel and he runs Handyman Remodeling [Schloegel Handyman Services]. He is a second-generation remodeler here in the KC area. If properly raised, trained and groomed the fruit rarely falls far from the tree. There are exceptions of course but not this time. Charlie is on the right track make no mistake about it. I paid him a lot more than I had originally planned to spent on this bathroom but it was peanuts compared to what it would have cost in time (time is money) and mental anguish. That bathroom was going over the falls and Charlie saved it and probably a marriage. Charlie is now talking to some friends as this is being written about their bathroom. This will come back the other way someday when Charlie needs some type of flooring. He’ll remember.
On a parting note you should strive to attain that position of connector with those in your networking group(s). Business will flow through you like an underground river. It is amazing how little you’ll have to spend to be on the receiving of this referral business. Referrals are pure gold. Learn how to mine them!
All the best.”