To Catch a Contractor

[Eieio]

pMqSMrNvBEM


To Catch a Contractor


The National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s new ad campaign has a common theme: missing contractors. The association uses print and video ads to address the frustration of homeowners when they hire unprofessional contractors who disappear from the jobsite.

Especially entertaining is a spot-on spoof of the investigative news show To Catch a Predator, which helps NARI educate homeowners about hiring member contractors. The actor who plays the reporter perfectly captures the intonation of Dateline NBC’s Chris Hansen. Other videos and print marketing campaigns have the same "missing contractor" theme. The two other videos start with photos on milk cartons and an Amber-alert traffic board.

The campaign reminds me of the television ad by Ocean Spray with a “refreshingly honest” tagline that showed a remodeler coming in to a home and bluntly telling the homeowner that he would come in, rip up the old cabinets and disappear for a while. Does anyone remember that ad? I thought it was funny, but then again, I’ve never done a major remodel with a bad contractor.

NARI president-elect BiIl Carter of William E. Carter Co. mentioned the campaign to me in a recent interview. He said some members were against the campaign, but it resonated with a reader panel set up by Meredith, the publisher of consumer magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home, and Ladies Home Journal. Local NARI chapters will have access to the campaign ads and videos.

Do you think NARI's “missing contractor” campaign to get homeowners to hire NARI members will work? What do you think of leads that come to you from associations? Comment at the end of this blog or send me an e-mail at npatel@hanleywood.com.

Link

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/blogs/postdetails.aspx?BlogId=npatel_blog&PostId=88533

[Eieio]

Do you think NARI's “missing contractor” campaign to get homeowners to hire NARI members will work? What do you think of leads that come to you from associations? Comment at the end of this blog or send me an e-mail at npatel@hanleywood.com.

I think it was a funny ad, but I am not sure of it's effect will be. We all know this is a major problem home owners have with the missing contractors and guys running off with deposits never to be seen, but did it further the cause and will homeowners really relate to this message??

Where is the enforcement and National Groups to oppose the illegal contractors and activities we face running our business day in day out?

We pay all these permit fees, licensing fees, taxes, insurances, lead training and group memberships fees and enforcement is no where to be found.

I am really tired of spending my money to be legit with minimal benefits from those that collect my money.

[Leo G]

Haven't you figured it out yet, they don't care about it, just the money they collect. That is it. And when they pull a sting operation it isn't to get the illegal contractors off of the playing field, it is to collect money from them as fines, and then force them to enroll in the licensing/registration and then tax them as a business. Enforcement costs money and does the opposite of what the licensing is suppose to do for the state, be a revenue producing entity.

[Bodger]

Haven't you figured it out yet, they don't care about it, just the money they collect. That is it. And when they pull a sting operation it isn't to get the illegal contractors off of the playing field, it is to collect money from them as fines, and then force them to enroll in the licensing/registration and then tax them as a business. Enforcement costs money and does the opposite of what the licensing is suppose to do for the state, be a revenue producing entity.


I've noticed that in CA, whenever the State Licensing Board enforcement division puls a sting, they make sure it's well covered by the media. It gives the appearance that they are actually enforcing the laws on an active basis. Which in reality, they are not.

And their stings attract a lot of licensed legit guys as well, whose time they waste on bidding ficticious jobs. I have also heard that they have snared a few licensed guys for not properly executing their estimates in writing.

All the while, the industry is full of illegals who perform construction services without a license. And the state won't even respond to a report.

[Eieio]

The logic for enforcement is so simple.

You bust the illegal contractors and fine them (make money)

Licensed guys get more work and we pay more taxes (make more money)

Am I missing something?

[DavidC]

pMqSMrNvBEM


The campaign reminds me of the television ad by Ocean Spray with a “refreshingly honest” tagline that showed a remodeler coming in to a home and bluntly telling the homeowner that he would come in, rip up the old cabinets and disappear for a while. Does anyone remember that ad? I thought it was funny, but then again, I’ve never done a major remodel with a bad contractor.



I've borrowed that punchline on occasion as an ice breaker before explaining how we operate. It's a good one.

[QUOTE=Servicezunlimited;12604]The logic for enforcement is so simple.

You bust the illegal contractors and fine them (make money)

Licensed guys get more work and we pay more taxes (make more money)

Am I missing something?

The logic is there but must have gone awry by;

A.)Costing more to enforce than is offset by fees, fines and increased taxes generating a net loss.

B.)Costing less to enforce than fees, fines and increased taxes but still short of "profit" targets so not cost effective to enforce.

We are barely regulated here within the State and my home county. You might say we enjoy the benefits of complaining about hacks and fly-by-nighties without the burden of paying fees. For that reason I would not support any movement towards regulation.

First the politicians would have to admit up front that the program was going to cost more than it generated because they were going to vigorously enforce it. Then there is the deeply entrenched idea that they will say whatever is needed to garner public support and then rationalize not doing so after the fact.


Good Luck
Dave

[Silvertree]

Its too long

Don't make yourself look good by comparing NARI to a cartoon, saying your better than the missing contractor is weak.

NARI leads are far and few between, I never got one and most of my roundtable have never gotten one. One friend got 2 this year to date. He did not close either.

When someones tells me consumers like an ad I get suspicious. Which consumers? Marketing companies test an area and give people 3 choices and they go with the best pick. I serve on a few marketing forums and we always joke about how the companies test an ad then pick the one they like best, not the one that is the best.

I wish them well with this campaign but nothing new here.

[Eieio]

FINE the Homeowners.

When DC issues stop work orders the fines are levied on the Homeowners if a licensed contractor is not involved.

The minimum fine I think is 1k have seen them regularly in the 4-6k range, this makes a difference when the homeowners are ponying up the fees.

We have a way to go, but enforcement has been stepped up greatly in our area, I just hope it continues

[Eieio]

Its too long

Don't make yourself look good by comparing NARI to a cartoon, saying your better than the missing contractor is weak.

NARI leads are far and few between, I never got one and most of my roundtable have never gotten one. One friend got 2 this year to date. He did not close either.

When someones tells me consumers like an ad I get suspicious. Which consumers? Marketing companies test an area and give people 3 choices and they go with the best pick. I serve on a few marketing forums and we always joke about how the companies test an ad then pick the one they like best, not the one that is the best.

I wish them well with this campaign but nothing new here.



What really irks me is that they never include the members in these decisions. It is always done at the top levels.

We pay for these ads, So why don't we get a say in what goes out to the public?