Escalating Excellence: Creating an Elite Team

Escalating Excellence: Creating an Elite Team

I don’t often quote Percy Shelley (deceased English poets are generally not a hot topic of discussion on a construction site). However, this line of his is brilliant in that it perfectly summarizes the philosophy of the C&C team:

“Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon.”

Victoria and I have been fortunate to have found a great deal of success during our two years in the states. But no matter how pleased our clients may be, and how proud we are of our work, it has never occurred to us to take for granted that the work will just keep rolling in automatically. In fact, we feel that it’s our duty (and honor) to keep proving ourselves time and again to our customers so they can feel good about recommending us to others.

And the foundation of our endless pursuit of excellence is our pledge to work only with top-tier talent.

When we assemble a team of contractors, the list of “must-haves” is admittedly long: punctual, polite, professional, clean, respectful and quality-minded. But the fact is, we are (at least temporarily) becoming a part of our clients’ lives. So, it’s imperative that we not only create a beautiful remodel, but also make the experience as seamless, peaceful and pain-free as possible whilst we upend their living space for a time.

And we are equally choosy when it comes to the designers and vendors we work with. We are privileged to live in an area that is filled with talented creatives and upscale appliance options for home and bath. However, the personalities involved are equally as important as the skills and products they bring to the table. Our line of work is very competitive, and your reputation and reliability are what truly create your name in the business. So, having our collaborators share that spirit of partnership – with both the C&C team and our clients – is vital to our longevity in an industry that we love.

It’s often said that the practice of “taking things personally” doesn’t belong in a business environment. Victoria and I respectfully disagree with this idea. Because whether you’re updating your guest bathroom or renovating your entire home, it is a very personal experience for everyone involved. The entire C&C team truly cares whether or not our clients are happy (preferably, ecstatic) with the end result of their remodel, and we don’t rest until we are sure that we’ve achieved that high level of satisfaction.

And of course, we bring our work home with us. Our pups Purdey and Pippa have seen us through many important decision-making, end-of-the-day conversations and are invaluable members of our team, as well. They are unconditionally enthusiastic, reliably simple and terrible liars – which is quite refreshing. They may not have industry experience, but they know that honesty is the best policy. Of course, this is not always appreciated when they are “honestly” refusing the expensive, veterinarian-approved canine cuisine procured from Chateau de PetSmart. But that’s another post for another day…