How Pros Are Continuing to Work Remotely With Clients
Building and design pros tell how they’ve adapted to virtual meetings for some tasks and why it’s been a plus
When the pandemic hit and sheltering-in-place orders went into effect across the country, some home pros pivoted to meeting virtually with clients to eliminate or reduce in-person contact. They found that videoconferencing was fine for initial consultations, design meetings and other communications, even as construction work continued as an essential service in some areas. Now as businesses begin to reopen more fully, building and design pros we’ve spoken with say they plan to continue working virtually with clients where it makes sense. Read on to hear how and why they plan to do it.
It Integrates Well With Other Tools They’re Using
Builders and remodeling pros rely on their mobile phones in the field, and these devices continue to play an important role on construction sites. “We have been conducting FaceTime walks and videos emailed from job-site walks that my project managers or I conduct individually,” homebuilder Richard Harp of Richard Harp Homes in Little Rock, Arkansas, says. “Clients have been more receptive to making a decision remotely after reviewing video or having a video conference, as opposed to making decisions remotely after reviewing still photos.”
Carl Mattison, a design-build pro in Atlanta, echoes the value of mobile video calls with out-of-town clients or those who are social distancing while their home is under construction. “People can point at stuff in question and then go back and forth in conversation,” he says.
The ability to share computer screens and collaborate in real time during virtual meetings enables pros to effectively use digital tools. In some instances, virtual meetings have made it easier to focus in on detailed drawings and photos. “Review of design boards is working really well,” Mattison says. “We have had great success in it, as we can go board by board and point at things we can all see.”
Builders and remodeling pros rely on their mobile phones in the field, and these devices continue to play an important role on construction sites. “We have been conducting FaceTime walks and videos emailed from job-site walks that my project managers or I conduct individually,” homebuilder Richard Harp of Richard Harp Homes in Little Rock, Arkansas, says. “Clients have been more receptive to making a decision remotely after reviewing video or having a video conference, as opposed to making decisions remotely after reviewing still photos.”
Carl Mattison, a design-build pro in Atlanta, echoes the value of mobile video calls with out-of-town clients or those who are social distancing while their home is under construction. “People can point at stuff in question and then go back and forth in conversation,” he says.
The ability to share computer screens and collaborate in real time during virtual meetings enables pros to effectively use digital tools. In some instances, virtual meetings have made it easier to focus in on detailed drawings and photos. “Review of design boards is working really well,” Mattison says. “We have had great success in it, as we can go board by board and point at things we can all see.”
Clients Are on Board
Most of the pros we spoke with said clients have been eager to make progress on their projects and have been understanding of the circumstances that require remote collaboration.
“Everyone I have worked with is just open to ‘whatever is best.’ As always, I think communication is key,” says Karen Ice-Burris, owner and principal of Ice Interior Design in Austin, Texas, who has expanded her firm’s virtual offerings since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “Whether it is email, text, FaceTime or a virtual meeting, making sure our clients are informed makes everyone happy. Having systems in place to follow also ensures that our clients know the next step and we have a road map as well.”
Design-build pro Mattison notes that he’s been able to better collaborate with some couples through remote meetings. “Often if there is a couple working on a home design or renovation, they stay in two separate rooms and each logs in to the virtual meeting separately. This gives me the chance to actually see each of their faces and expressions without the other being right next to them.… I feel this allows each party a super honest approach to their responses.”
Pros say they feel clients have come to appreciate the convenience of virtual design meetings, and they expect to see more requests for them in the future. “I thought it might be awkward to meet with clients virtually, but the transition was very smooth,” Tomchik says. “Clients seem to be excited about staying in the comfort of their own home and meeting us virtually before having us out to their homes.”
More for Pros on Houzz
See more from our Resilience series
Learn about Houzz Pro business software
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Most of the pros we spoke with said clients have been eager to make progress on their projects and have been understanding of the circumstances that require remote collaboration.
“Everyone I have worked with is just open to ‘whatever is best.’ As always, I think communication is key,” says Karen Ice-Burris, owner and principal of Ice Interior Design in Austin, Texas, who has expanded her firm’s virtual offerings since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “Whether it is email, text, FaceTime or a virtual meeting, making sure our clients are informed makes everyone happy. Having systems in place to follow also ensures that our clients know the next step and we have a road map as well.”
Design-build pro Mattison notes that he’s been able to better collaborate with some couples through remote meetings. “Often if there is a couple working on a home design or renovation, they stay in two separate rooms and each logs in to the virtual meeting separately. This gives me the chance to actually see each of their faces and expressions without the other being right next to them.… I feel this allows each party a super honest approach to their responses.”
Pros say they feel clients have come to appreciate the convenience of virtual design meetings, and they expect to see more requests for them in the future. “I thought it might be awkward to meet with clients virtually, but the transition was very smooth,” Tomchik says. “Clients seem to be excited about staying in the comfort of their own home and meeting us virtually before having us out to their homes.”
More for Pros on Houzz
See more from our Resilience series
Learn about Houzz Pro business software
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Much of a remodeling project, such as the construction and installation work, needs to be done in person, of course. But pros on Houzz have discovered that virtual meetings for initial consultations, design presentations and project reviews are extremely efficient.
Instead of having to schedule a time to meet in person and look at one computer screen together or discuss whether the project is a fit, the parties can share their screens remotely and collaborate effectively from afar.
“It saves a lot of time for … us to meet virtually for the initial appointment. It helps to gather all the pertinent information ahead of time. Sometimes things they request are out of our scope of work, or we realize that their budget is not in line with the extent of the work requested,” says Kelley Tomchik of Bearded Builders Baltimore, a kitchen and bath remodeling company that began offering virtual services during the pandemic.
Architect Mark English in San Francisco, who began offering virtual services for the first time during the pandemic, says he was surprised by how useful they are. “We will actually continue even after we are able to return to the possibility of face-to-face meetings,” he says. “We have found [virtual conferences to be] very efficient, since our clients are less distracted by the drive, the search for parking, the traffic or other stimuli.”
For some clients, time saved by the pro also means money saved. “We bill hourly for our work. It is actually a cost savings to our clients because they are not paying for travel for us,” says Dana Webber, principal architect at Dana Webber Design Group on Bainbridge Island in Washington. The firm has long offered virtual services to clients who are out of town or don’t want to make the trip to the firm’s office.
Pros say it took some time to get used to virtual meetings, but improved office setups and the expanded use of virtual tools in daily life — along with some patience — have led to a smooth, easy process overall.
At Designs Northwest Architects in Seattle, principal architect Dan Nelson has set up his firm’s office to allow for virtual meetings with clients. “We have a camera in our conference room and each staff member will have access to our Zoom account from their workstations,” he says. “Rather than drive to our office for meetings, I anticipate that a lot of our clients will want to meet remotely to save on time and energy.”