Schitt’s Creek and Charter Construction
What does Schitt's Creek have to do with construction, but more specifically, Charter Construction? Well, at first glance, not much. But, alas, there must be a point: customer service. Customer service is an essential part of our business as it is the Emmy award-winning T.V. show, Schitt's Creek. But, before I go further down the rabbit hole (count how many animal colloquialisms I use), here's a brief synopsis if you don't know Schitt's Creek.
The wealthy Rose family—video store magnate Johnny (Eugene Levy), his wife and former soap opera actress Moira (Catherine O'Hara), and their pampered adult children —lose their fortune. To rebuild their lives, they move to their sole remaining asset: a small town named Schitt's Creek, which Johnny bought for his son David as a joke birthday gift in 1991.
Ok, let's get back to it. You're probably still scratching your head.
"I'm trying very hard not to connect with people right now." – said the adoringly quirky son, David Rose. Not quite the statement one wants to hear from a customer service professional. But, the theme of customer service plays throughout the construction industry as it does the endearing Rose Family: David Rose is trying to succeed with his new store, Rose Apothecary, and Johnny Rose is looking to make a mint with another business endeavor as a Hotelier. But unlike David's witty banter, e.g., "Like Beyonce, I excel as a solo artist," Charter understands we excel when our customer service, and customer experience, are top-notch - on and off the project site. To that end, we've enlisted the help of our Home Owner Liaisons (HOL), the front lines of our customer service representatives (more about them in future posts). They share their approach to service and give you further insight into our customers, the residents of the communities we serve. Our HOLs graciously solve large and small problems for residents; because of that, we asked them their top 5 frequently most asked questions from condo owners.
1. What are nail pops, and why do they happen?
Nail pops - we've all seen them. These form when fasteners, such as nails or screws that hold drywall to the framing underneath, work loose due to the structure's moving, drying, and/or expansion. The fasteners "pops" the tape over the hole and cause a nail pop. An easy fix requires our team to reset the fastener and then paint if necessary.
2. Why can I see daylight around my door? (weather stripping)
Daylight around the door is an order of operations issues involving weather stripping and paint. Weatherstripping is taken off to paint or installed after the door has fully been painted. For occupied spaces, the door may not be completely dry to install the weather stripping; during that time, the resident may indeed see some light seeping in. But rest assured, weather stripping gets put on as soon as the paint is dried.
3. Why is there an increase in condensation after the installation of new windows?
Increased condensation on the interior of newly installed windows is caused by high humidity and low air exchange inside the house. Old windows had gaps that allowed air to transfer more regularly. New, high-efficient windows create a tighter seal to your home, staying warmer in the winter months and cooler in the summer months.
4. How much water on my deck is normal, and how much is considered ponding?
Different high and low spots exist on every deck, and some ponding is ok. Anything quarter of an inch or less is acceptable if there's ponding of water. But more importantly, watch how the water drains. It needs to travel 'away' from the structure to drain correctly. Contact your contractor immediately as more significant issues can form if that's not the case.
5. Construction acronyms: what do they all mean?
Contractors and architects tend to throw around acronyms left and right. However, those of us not working in the built environment may get confused. Here are a few of the more difficult ones...
SCO – Subcontract Change Order
EWO – Extra Work Order
SOW – Scope of Work
SOV – Schedule of values
SAF- Self Adhered Flashings
ROM – Rough Order Magnitude
DGG – Dens Glass Gold (Sheathing)
Schitt's Creek is a fun topic to compare and highlight Charter's own methods as customer service and customer experience are things we think about significantly and take seriously. Stay tuned - in future posts, we'll talk more about our Home Owner Liaisons, their work, and how they impact and serve our clients and residents on our many project sites. If there’s a question about construction you’ve always been curious about, shoot us an email; we’re always happy to answer. If you’re a client, leave a comment and say hello.