what deck builders want

( C o ntinue d .from p rev io us pa ge ) are not worthy of installation and to take them them back with a smile.

"As far as price, you get what you pay for. Of course, I will cry for the best price. They will sell at what they believe they are worth. I will buy at what I believe they are worth."

Yet more than 16%o of deck builders said price was of paramount importance. "Most of our customers are looking for price," admitted Ray Grimes, Deckbuilder of North Carolina, Wilson, N.C. "We have the rare exception, the fblks that know what they want, have used the Internet to find the best material for their application and ask for specific things. Service is almost a thing of the past around here. Most suppliers are Lowe's and Home Depot, so as you can see it's a serve-yourself type of thing. Lower pricing means the suppliers are not getting top quality material. We're limited on materials in a smaller community, and the only game in our town is Lowe's."

Tom Barr, Deck World, Inc., McHenry, Il., demanded "consistency, to all the above! Since we contract with our customers up to 16 weeks in advance of construction, we must be assured from our suppliers there will be no changes that will impact the quality or cost of the projects we contract."

Whgrg do you shop?

Because they typically prize quality and service over price, deck builders overwhelmingly said they buy their materials from local lumberyards. Nearly 837o first shop at a retail lumberyard, almost l2vo at a big box retailer,3Vo buy direct from the manufacturer, and 27o from a hardware store.

"Normally I purchase my materials from local lumberyards," Artistic Decks' Fogarty said. "I find that doing business with the local lumberyards you build up loyalty and this works both ways. I refer business to them and they provide me with the great service it seems only a local lumberyard offers today. Local lumberyards take the time

Where are you most likely to buy materials from?

to learn about your business and the quality you demand from them and provide for your customers. It is also an excellent way to build a referral base."

Property Services also buys its materials from a local yard. Strange said, "I have had a 3O-year relationship with them. They treat me as if I am there most important customer-and I'm not. Their service is second to none. They always help me out if there should be a problem. Their staff is well knowledgeable, and they are a true resource to me. The few dollars of savings from the big guys is worthless without the teamwork, commitment and assistance given to me, a small contractor."

Deck Masters of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Ok., goes to a local lumberyard for redwood, cedar, composite and pressure treated lumber, direct to the manufacturer for ipe, and to Home Depot or Lowe's only "for a quick fix."

Robert Hauck, Mr. Deck, San Martin, Ca., patronizes "whoever goes the extra step and pays attention to our statements and questions. We only go to the big box suppliers for convenience on minor items."

Whv?

Itllt r

Asked if their favorite supplier provides any added services or does anything special or different that they truly appreciate, multiple contractors mentioned hassle-free returns, free delivery, prompt delivery/quick turnaround, call ahead ordering, ease of communication, reasonable billing, a desire to stock what the customer wants, or allowing customers to hand-pick their lumber.

No-questions-asked returns were commonly cited. "My main supplier knows that I am a high quality builder, and my first priority is top-notch materials and top-notch craftsmanship," said Glenn Mathewson, Mathewson Carpentry, Lakewood, Co. "This means that I am never questioned about a return, and when I come to the yard to pick up small orders I am allowed to pull and pick my own pieces-a privilege that is given only to few. When you are a return customer and consuming large amounts of material on a regular basis, the supplier should make you feel extra special."

One pro said that, if anything goes wrong with an order, his supplier's sales rep personally delivers the correct supplies.

Several contractors value being notified of new products. "My local supplier provides me with outstanding service, mainly due to my volume, I'm sure," J.J. Keefe, KRK Development, North Pembroke, Ma., "but they also familiarize us with new products and services as they come out, which is helpful in utilizing new products. For instance, when Trex and Smartdeck first came on the market, they took time to explain to us what the product was, its guarantees, installation procedures, etc."

Deck World's Barr listed the added services he most appreciates: "First, consistency in product quality, availability and cost. Second, prompt response/assistance to any of our questions or concerns. Third, information on 'special offers' and/or new products that would be of importance/interest to us."

Contractors want their purchases to be as quick and painless as possible. "One of the biggest labor issues in building a deck is simply selecting, loading, checking out, and loading onto a trailer, all of the materials neccessary," said Dixie Decks' Morgan. "This is especially problematic at some of the box stores. These same stores usually have a 'contractor's program' where if you call ahead, they will to supply me with all of my hardware. If I need special order items, they are done quickly." have the order ready fbr you. That sounds great, but the one time I tried it, they tried to load me up with all of the warped, cracked, knotty boards they could find. I ended up taking more back to the store than I usedl"

What is the most important consideration in choosing a supplier for your decking materials?

Top dealers go the extra mile. "They go out of their way to make sure I have what I need to do the job," said Rick Parish, Decks Appeal, Plano, Tx. "lf this means driving 100 miles round trip to deliver one board so I can finish the job, then that is what they do. I can call them in the morning and have a truckload of lumber on the job by early afternoon. There is never a delivery fee or a restocking charge. In exchange for this kind of service, I don't nickel and dime them over price and buy all of my lumber from one supplier."

"The sales rep always checks my order to make sure I have what I need for the project and calls me before he ships to see if we have forgotten anything," said Phil Donoghue, Continental Designs, Inc., Kearney, N.J. "That really helps when you're doing multiple projects."

Benchmark Structures, Inc., Chardon, Oh., buys from a local yard, according to Robert Kronk, "because of the quality of the materials and the selection of the material by the loaders. They cull non-conforming material before loading, minimizing returns, special trips redelivering, and carpenter downtime. They also make pickups of extra material at end of job and provide total material costs per customer great for final job cost math."

He continued: "There is a local, family-owned lumberyard nearby that charges about l07o more than Home Depot for the lumber. This guy knows me personally. I can drop my 16-ft. trailer off at his store in the morning with a materials list, and come back at lunch, and it's all quality lumber and ready to go! This guy has got service figured out. If it weren't for his higher prices, I would use him 1007o of the time."

Regular customers want preferential treatment-or at least to be made to feel special. Mr. Deck's regular suppliers "don't hire cheap, know-nothing help," Hauck said. "Usually there is one person assigned to work with me and knows what we used and liked in the past. One thing that they never do is let a new-hire assist me because their attempt to cover up for their ignorance will get them in big trouble with the owner/general manager. I have neither the time nor the inclination to listen to their B.S. or educate their help."

His company, he said, "can place large orders and I want to buy from people who appreciate my business. I am not a hard-price driver-we're not in that price-competitive league. I get projects based on what I design and I am interested in getting the material that I specify, not what is popular or what they're promoting. For example, many suppliers lost our business for plastic planking right off the get-go because they were pushing their 5/4 plank. That's because they wanted to be competitive on price per board foot; but we were interested in stiffness because these 5/4 boards buckle in the hot California sun from expansion, no matter what the spacing. Actually, we eventually contacted the manufacturers directly. The manufacturers who were receptive to my requests and questions got my business. And once you get my business, I am a loyal customer for a long, long time."

Mike St. Antoine, Cedar Decks Construction, Kirkland. Wa., said, "My supplier has me on a special price list due to the amount of lumber I buv." said "Thev also are able

Artistic Decks' Fogarty noted, "Some of my favorite suppliers actually help us unload deliveries instead of dropping a load of wood in the driveway and leaving. Providing this additional service helps us tremendously. It also reduces the damage to the materials."

Favorite retailers often provide a personal touch. "My supplier is made up of experienced people, many of whom I have know for three decades," Strange explained. "They take excellent care of me. I would say their price may be 5Vo higher than I can get in other places, but the first time there is an issue they save me hundreds. Their advice and knowledge is worth much more than the 57c differential. I get first class treatment, always."

"They know me, they take the time to learn about my business, and to understand my needs," agreed Randy Varga, Decking Northwest, Inc., Lake Oswego, Or. "They all know my name and my employees' names. They take the time."