ForConstructionPros.com

In an age governed by the customer inconveniences of computer-generated sales calls, answering machines, and multi-level telephone menu programs, TLG Paving Co. has made its mark by recognizing that the customer is king — and treating him that way.

Whether it's explaining the job process, changing a sealcoating schedule, or simply keeping property managers and their tenants informed about the job, TLG has the customer's needs in mind.

"Some companies have lost sight of relationships," says Tom Gilchriese, president of TLG Paving Co., Santa Ana, CA. "They're only into production and they don't care about inconveniencing the customer. We try to be very accommodating."

And laying the ground work for TLG's accommodation are the contractor's efforts to prepare the customers — both property owners and managers and their tenants and residents — for the sealcoating job that is going to take place. Gilchriese says preparation is a big part of TLG's process — and a big part of its sealcoating success.

"We're always thinking about what areas we can get into our preparation and notification efforts," he says. "The more I go out of my way to let them know what's going on and the more I go out of my way to see them face to face, the more the residents or tenants feel like they're a part of the job and that they had a part in it," he says. "We try to keep everyone informed as much as possible so the job goes as smoothly as possible."