The Cool Ponds' Difference
Update: This article was written in 2016. The house painting turned out great!
Let me be clear: we are big fans of doing it yourself. Our home has been remodeled by our family team of five many times (and most of those times our team members were just big enough to wield a hammer!). So when it came to deciding to hire someone to paint our house, it was not without some reservations.
After an inspiring visit to the Home Show, we decided to contact a short list of painting contractors for estimates.
It has been a crazy experience.
The estimates we have received have differed by the thousands, for no apparent reason. Some people say the house can be painted in two days, some say seven. Some of them gave us pricing before they left our yard, and others gave us pricing many days later. From some we received professional printouts, and others simply scribbled notes on the backs of business cards. Some had excellent communication with us, and some just dropped off the face of the Earth.
We finally found a professional we liked who was upfront and fair, and we're dying to see our new paint color!
This huge array of paint contractors is an accurate representation of any contracting world-- including our own pond niche. It can be difficult to know who you're working with, and it can be scary trusting someone in your house or yard.
So we're here to be totally upfront with you. The following is how WE do business...
We're going to detail exactly what our process for our installation is. After all, you're inviting us into your home, asking us to tear up your yard... You should have precise knowledge of what that looks like!
However you found us, online, from your neighbor's cousin's daughter's boyfriend, or some other way, we would love for you to visit our store before we ever come out to your house. It's not necessary, but helpful.
You wouldn't buy a car over the phone, would you? Most likely not. You go to the showroom. You test drive a few models. You pick out the color. You find the right package so that you can get that sunroof, right?
It's the same principle with ponds. We recommend you visit our store, see what our style is like, find the right size pond and waterfall, find out where the pump goes, etc. And get pricing. Our display features at our store are all priced so there are no surprises when our designer arrives at your home. Our retail staff will answer all your questions.
Plus, we don't just do ponds. Our company started off as a full-scale landscaping company -- we later found out that we're REALLY good at water features. So if you want a patio next to your water feature, a fire pit, some plantings around it to make it look totally natural, we can do all that for you too. This initial house call is the perfect time to paint a complete picture of what you'd like to have. And maybe not all right away. We can certainly design it so that it can be installed in phases.
Most of the time, before we leave your house, we'll hand you a project proposal, broken down line-by-line for you to see exactly what we're charging. Valid for thirty days, this proposal will only change if you want to add something in the process. In cases where special consideration and extra design needs to take place, you'll receive a proposal within a day or two.
You'll be added to our work schedule on a first-come-first-served basis. We're not going to put another job ahead of you because it's bigger or quicker or for any other reason. The only thing that will push your job completion back is weather, and that's if it's pretty bad weather by the way. We will work in
the rain or the cold or the heat. Just as long as we can get a shovel in the ground and our machines through your yard without making a muddy, soupy mess.
Throughout the process, we will maintain clear communication with you. If you have any questions, you can call, text, or email the project manager or the staff at the store -- whatever is easiest for you. If rough weather does push our schedule back, you'll be the first to know.
Our entire crew will be at your house from the day we start, and we will stay at your house exclusively until the project is finished. There's no jumping from job site to job site or having half the crew somewhere and the other half somewhere else.
This makes our completion time very timely. Our Delight pond (around 1000 gallons, 8' wide by 12' long) will take a day and a half. Our Journey pond (3500 gallons, 15' wide, 19' long) will take four days.
Our crew is entirely professional, and they love their jobs. You're welcome to ask every single one of them questions. They'd love to chat with you! They're artists, and they work extremely hard.
We are a tobacco free company so you'll never find a stray cigarette butt from us.
We treat your yard with respect. This is your home, after all.
You'll be given a welcome packet with answers to every question you never knew you should ask. But our assistance does not stop there. We call our store the support center for a reason! We're here to support you. Whatever question you might have, big or small -- ask it! Every one of us at Cool Ponds is here to help your new oasis become an intimate part of your life for many, many years.
Your Cool Ponds experience will be unlike any you've ever had with another company. If you have any interest at all in our services, visit our support center and display gardens. You can tour our gardens, sit by our ponds. Our staff is on hand to answer all of your questions-- not to pressure you at all.
Water features are beautiful, relaxing, and life-transforming.
We believe every step of the process should reflect that.
After an inspiring visit to the Home Show, we decided to contact a short list of painting contractors for estimates.
It has been a crazy experience.
The estimates we have received have differed by the thousands, for no apparent reason. Some people say the house can be painted in two days, some say seven. Some of them gave us pricing before they left our yard, and others gave us pricing many days later. From some we received professional printouts, and others simply scribbled notes on the backs of business cards. Some had excellent communication with us, and some just dropped off the face of the Earth.
We finally found a professional we liked who was upfront and fair, and we're dying to see our new paint color!
This huge array of paint contractors is an accurate representation of any contracting world-- including our own pond niche. It can be difficult to know who you're working with, and it can be scary trusting someone in your house or yard.
So we're here to be totally upfront with you. The following is how WE do business...
We're going to detail exactly what our process for our installation is. After all, you're inviting us into your home, asking us to tear up your yard... You should have precise knowledge of what that looks like!
Initial Contact
However you found us, online, from your neighbor's cousin's daughter's boyfriend, or some other way, we would love for you to visit our store before we ever come out to your house. It's not necessary, but helpful.
You wouldn't buy a car over the phone, would you? Most likely not. You go to the showroom. You test drive a few models. You pick out the color. You find the right package so that you can get that sunroof, right?
Initial At-Home Consultation
At this initial consultation, we'll take a look at your yard and find out exactly what you're looking to get out of your yard. If you really have no clue what you'd like -- don't worry. We're very good at brainstorming and designing something specifically for you.Plus, we don't just do ponds. Our company started off as a full-scale landscaping company -- we later found out that we're REALLY good at water features. So if you want a patio next to your water feature, a fire pit, some plantings around it to make it look totally natural, we can do all that for you too. This initial house call is the perfect time to paint a complete picture of what you'd like to have. And maybe not all right away. We can certainly design it so that it can be installed in phases.
Most of the time, before we leave your house, we'll hand you a project proposal, broken down line-by-line for you to see exactly what we're charging. Valid for thirty days, this proposal will only change if you want to add something in the process. In cases where special consideration and extra design needs to take place, you'll receive a proposal within a day or two.
Getting Added to Cool Ponds' Work Schedule
We ask for half the total proposal to be paid when we schedule your project. We will collect the last half once the job is 100% complete.You'll be added to our work schedule on a first-come-first-served basis. We're not going to put another job ahead of you because it's bigger or quicker or for any other reason. The only thing that will push your job completion back is weather, and that's if it's pretty bad weather by the way. We will work in
Throughout the process, we will maintain clear communication with you. If you have any questions, you can call, text, or email the project manager or the staff at the store -- whatever is easiest for you. If rough weather does push our schedule back, you'll be the first to know.
Your Project Installation
So far in this you should have noticed some big differences in how we do business compared to the rest of the contracting world. But this is where you'll note the biggest difference.Our entire crew will be at your house from the day we start, and we will stay at your house exclusively until the project is finished. There's no jumping from job site to job site or having half the crew somewhere and the other half somewhere else.
This makes our completion time very timely. Our Delight pond (around 1000 gallons, 8' wide by 12' long) will take a day and a half. Our Journey pond (3500 gallons, 15' wide, 19' long) will take four days.
Our crew is entirely professional, and they love their jobs. You're welcome to ask every single one of them questions. They'd love to chat with you! They're artists, and they work extremely hard.
We are a tobacco free company so you'll never find a stray cigarette butt from us.
We treat your yard with respect. This is your home, after all.
The End Result
When we've finished working in your yard, swept all the sand off your new patio, set your chairs at just the right distance from your fire pit, we'll do a final walk through with you. Our crew foreman or project manager will walk you through your entire installation. This is especially important for those who receive water features-- we'll walk you through where the pump is, how to turn on the new underwater lights, what steps you will take to keep your water crystal clear, etc.You'll be given a welcome packet with answers to every question you never knew you should ask. But our assistance does not stop there. We call our store the support center for a reason! We're here to support you. Whatever question you might have, big or small -- ask it! Every one of us at Cool Ponds is here to help your new oasis become an intimate part of your life for many, many years.
Your Cool Ponds experience will be unlike any you've ever had with another company. If you have any interest at all in our services, visit our support center and display gardens. You can tour our gardens, sit by our ponds. Our staff is on hand to answer all of your questions-- not to pressure you at all.
Water features are beautiful, relaxing, and life-transforming.
We believe every step of the process should reflect that.
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