Stucco Surgeon: Repairing Stucco Brings Business Success

Ever wonder what allows one company to withstand market changes when other companies offering the same services struggle? Local business entrepreneurs Karl and Sumner Dunn understand the answer to that question and have used that knowledge to grow Stucco Surgeon’s very successful stucco repair business, from a micro-business to healing homes from Kamloops to Vernon, Kelowna down to Penticton, and even Abbotsford.

Stucco repair is a niche business and comes with clients who demand reputable work and excellent results. After all, stucco is the primary protection for their home or building. Protecting a structure with a sand and cement product is one of the oldest forms of weather protection, and one of the most durable. However, like all exterior protections, problems and damages do happen. This is where Stucco Surgeon comes in, and having an excellent reputation to point to is essential for drawing in clients.

"Companies with great reputations stand the test of time," says Dunn. "We have worked hard to build up our reputation and have listened carefully to what our customers’ needs are." Building Stucco Surgeon into the successful company that it is today was not just about being excellent at all types of stucco repairs; When potential customers reach out to Stucco Surgeon, they have typically done their market research. The reputation that Dunn speaks about has already done its part, drawing in the customer.

The next part, according to Dunn, is meeting the customer's needs. Some of his customers' comments are "I really appreciate the clear scope of work I was given" or even "Wow, a real person actually answered the phone" and appreciation that they can review and accept both jobs and invoices in their own time. The bottom line, Dunn says, is customers want real-time solutions that match their schedules. Nowadays, this means having a Digital Office and Online Communications.

"Our business must keep up with the digital world, and the ways customers expect to be serviced,” Dunn says. His clients want the convenience of what Stucco Surgeon offers - things like emailed proposals and Invoices with customer interface buttons embedded, digital photos and reports, and easy payment options. Still, they also want to speak with a knowledgeable person about the work they need done.

The tried-and-true style of sand and cement stucco has undergone many changes over the years, Dunn tells us. Modern stucco products can range from poly-modified concrete products with increased strength and durability, to the very popular acrylic topcoat systems that offer a complete range of colours and a smoother texture.

While acrylic topcoats are typically highly durable and attractive, they must be expertly installed. As an example of how important client trust can be, Dunn tells us about a recent project. What should have been a minor, simple touch-up morphed quickly when the Stucco Surgeon technicians had peeled off most of a wall in one whole sheet because it had not been properly applied, or a weather event happened unexpectedly.

Dunn explains that when stucco is first installed, sudden environmental changes like dusty windstorms or a drop in temperature can lead to failures over time in these acrylic-based topcoats - most likely what happened in this case.

When a small repair unexpectedly grows into a much bigger project, having that excellent reputation to fall back on goes a long way. The client is left wondering: Do I trust this person? Does this technician really know their stuff? Is what they are telling me true or am I getting snowballed? “And that is where all the hard work we put into our reputation pays off,” says Dunn.

When it comes to earning their client's trust, Stucco Surgeon has another essential tool up their sleeve - how they track and manage projects. Increasing the company's success, Dunn says, has been made much easier because of the software program they use.

"Having the right software to run our company has made all the difference," Dunn says. Stucco Surgeon uses a software program called Tradesflow to both keep track of project progress and manage their workload. It also maintains a complete customer and property data base of previous work done.

Having all the information and photos in one online place for a job makes the technicians work easier, and customer communications smoother. Dunn says choosing software that suits your company can reduce office hours significantly, and having a remote office that everyone can access from their phones allows everyone to use their time more efficiently.

Best of all, says Dunn, having a good software program means having the time to do all the other things that make your company great; essentially, meeting the company mandate. The BC Stucco Surgeon website makes that company mandate clear: they are home healers. Carefully managing the projects they take on has made them industry leaders at what they do. According to Dunn, having the digital tools to manage all that work is priceless.

To speak to one of BC Stucco Surgeon's technicians, you can contact them directly through the website. You will also find their regional phone numbers listed on their website and testimonials from clients that outline the reason for the reputation they have built up.

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