“There’s a feeling out process involved,” he says. “It’s very much equivalent to when you start dating someone – you feel them out early on to make sure you get along before you dive headfirst into the relationship. And there are prospective clients where we have that initial conversation with them and we don’t get the right feeling. And in those cases, we say, ‘I don’t think this is going to be a good fit.’ We don’t take on work just for the sake of taking on work.” Again, however, when the fit is right, Dutra Architect tends to form repeat relationships that last many years. Some clients have been working with the firm for decades. Brent partly credits that loyalty to their transparency: “We’re transparent with everything,” he says. “We’re very straight forward and upfront. If there are problems or obstacles, we like to deal with those at the beginning of the process. Some people might sweep those problems under the rug and say ‘we’ll deal with it when we get there.’ We like to deal with it right away, so everyone goes into the project with their eyes open. I think our clients know that about us, and ultimately I think they find it very comforting.” Michelle agrees that transparency is important, but she adds that it’s not just about relaying news quickly. It’s also about getting back to people quickly when they have questions or concerns. “We get back to people with answers right away – not just clients, contractors too,” she says. “If they reach out to us with a question, they don’t have to wait very long for us to respond.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTYzNTg=