There's a restaurant chain here in the east called Legal Seafood. They've been in business for years, and for good reasons. Their places are clean and attractive. They serve good fresh food at a fair price for the value delivered, and their service is always above average.
When they show you to your table, the first thing you'll notice is that there's a paper placemat in front of you and on that placemat is a lot of interesting information. Here's some of what I learned while I was trying to decide what to order: An oyster is a source of well-balanced nutrition and is surprisingly low in calories, fat and cholesterol. They are also the most naturally concentrated source of zinc, which medical research has shown strengthens the immune system and improves athletic endurance (Hmmm. I glanced up at The Lovely Marianne, who was ignoring me). Oysters also change their sex during their lives, starting as males and ending as females. I didn't know that. Did you know that?
I also learned from the Legal Seafood placemat that they source oysters only from approved farms, where quality is assured. All the oysters are then quarantined and thoroughly tested by the Legal Seafood in-house lab, and delivered to the restaurant within 24 hours. So I'm not going to get sick from eating raw seafood in this place.
And the placemat went on for a while more. It told me of more oyster glories, and how the folks in the immaculate kitchen will lovingly prepare them for me, while keeping me healthy and vigorous in all my athletic endeavors. I gazed at The Lovely Marianne yet again. No dice.
And then it dawned on me that this successful business was using a simple piece of paper to prepare me for the goods and services they were about to deliver. And it occurred to me that you could do the same, and you should because very few contractors think to tell a potential customer what to expect from them. And, let's face it, that's what the customers want to know. What can they expect from you? What rights do they have?
When I got home, I jotted down this Customer Bill of Rights, which you may use, if you'd like. Change any part, or add and subtract whatever you'd like. Make it your own. Include this Bill of Rights with your quote and I'll bet you get that next job. If you were on the receiving end of something like this, wouldn't you want to do business with your company?
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