At our company, we believe that we are only as good as our weakest link, therefore, we take our vetting process very seriously.
I want to thank my friend and client, Haney Bell, who made the time to challenge me with a question earlier this month. The question was very simple. “What is your vetting process for hiring your trades, in this case your plumber?” he asked.
Caught off guard, I fired off a list to answer his question—the ideals, practices, and processes we always use at Euro Design Build to be sure that the people we hire are the type you can trust with your home. They must meet all our highest standards, particularly in our commitment to uncompromising attention to detail, excellence, and service.
Later that day, I realized just how serious that question really was. After all, for years you have come to know and trust me, Seval, and the team at Euro Design Build with almost everything associated with your home. But how can you be certain that the person who shows up at your door to install your kitchen sink faucet and Inst-a-Hot unit is indeed someone you can trust to not just do the work right, but to achieve the highest standards possible? In fact, how do you really know what those standards are to begin with? What indicators exist to assure you that the work was performed to an ideal level?
Haney’s question is a good one, and one I’m sure you all have when choosing who to trust with your home. Below is our answer.
Take a moment to consider what you look for in your service providers. Then take a look at our approach: a list of standards we expect from both our team and from the subcontractors we choose to work with. (In this specific case, I’ve used our plumbing sub-contractor standards as an example. We have a specific detailed list for each trade, as well as a separate set of criteria for the manufacturing companies we use for the products we recommend.)
Euro Design Build Core Values
Commitment and dedication to the following core values are expected from all who work with us, regardless of their role.
- QUALITY PRODUCTS
- SUPERIOR CRAFTSMANSHIP
- WORLD CLASS SERVICE
Our Plumbing Sub-contractor Vetting Process
- How did you know that being a plumber was your professional calling?
- What area of your line of work do you enjoy the most?
- How do you choose the clients you work with?
- What are the specific fittings you go to for all your rough-in work (the inner working material for plumbing work such as brass, SS, porcelain, or aluminum) and why?
- How do you choose one over the other?
- What products do you typically use when doing rough-in work? Copper or PEX?
- If PEX, which brand and why?
- What type of shower pan do you typically do and why?
- What type of shower drain and p-trap do you always use? Why?
- How do you handle a client who approaches you to do something else in their home outside of our company when you are on the project working for us?
- What is your preferred method of communication? Why?
We believe in working with people of the highest level of integrity and Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Our Manufacturing Products Vetting Process
The vetting process for products we recommend is extremely strict, and we go very in-depth to vet the manufacturing companies. In fact, I will go out of my way to request a factory tour or manufacturing plant tour so that I can personally see what the actual production process. Since we are only as good as our weakest link, we want to be certain the products we work with will also stand the test of time. We know that the cost associated with any renovation is quickly forgotten, but the performance of the product is what you will ultimately use in judging our performance.
- How was your company founded and what is its history?
- Where exactly are products being made, assembled, and shipped from?
- How long has your company been in business?
- What reviews are available? What are reputable sources saying about you?
- What sets you apart from the rest?
- What materials do you use in the building blocks of your products? Why?
- What is the inner-working material of each part that builds the unit (brass, SS, porcelain, or aluminum) and why?
- What is your typical process for building your products?
- What Quality Control (QC) techniques are your standard practices?
- What do you do with products that do not meet your QC standards?
- How do you dispose of your waste material?
- May I tour your manufacturing plant?
- Yes, I want to fly out to your facility so I can see the process of building your products.
- Do you offer lower price point products that are built at this plant? If so, why? How do you separate the two?
- How do you handle defects and warranty issues?
If the manufacturer cannot stand behind their own product, then we can’t either, and will therefore never recommend the product.
