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MAY 2018
THANK-YOU GAZETTE
A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY How One Client’s Story Changed the Way We Do Business
In business, you learn from your mistakes. Whenever you take a wrong step or make an error with a client, you do everything you can to make it right, and you keep it in your mind moving forward to avoid another misstep. But the opposite is true, too. When everything goes right, and you get an incredibly kind note from one of the people you serve, it doesn’t just make your day; it gives you a playbook to exceed your client’s expectations even further the next time they call.
Jane, her daughter, and their beautiful home
Years back, in the days when I was still running sales calls, we were contacted by a client named Jane Hannigan. She was a wonderful woman, a busy single mom with a lot on her plate, and she needed our help. On the side of her house, there were two storm windows that had overstayed their welcome and were starting to fall apart. We gave her a quote to replace them with two sliding windows, and she hired us to come out and do the job — so far, so good.
The BBB rep was as surprised as I was since they rarely received anything positive about a business in the mail.
But when we got to her home, we realized that the problem was a lot worse than we first thought. The windows were situated on a concrete slab, their wooden sills rotting down to the core. What should have taken a few hours ended up taking a full day and a half as we ripped out the old wood and completely rebuilt her sill plate. Meanwhile, Jane was wringing her hands, worried that this huge increase in time would result in a massive hike on the bill. But when we were all done, and the new windows were installed and looking great, we refused to charge her even a penny more than our original quote. For me, honoring our quote was just the right thing to do. But Jane was absolutely thrilled. So thrilled, in fact, that she wrote me a personal note, along with a letter she sent to the Better Business Bureau. When the BBB sent me an email titled “Complaint Case No. 221700” my heart about leapt out of my chest, but when I opened it, I discovered that it wasn’t a complaint at all — it was a complimentary letter extolling our integrity and craftsmanship!
A year later, when we did our routine call to Jane to ensure the product was holding up and doing exactly what she expected, it turned out that she had more work for us to do. We installed a garage for her and completely redid the sides of her house. What started as a relatively routine, small job — replacing a few windows — turned into a yearslong relationship of trust and repeat business. Fairly early on in my home improvement career, this event forced me to shift my mindset about the way we did business. Before, we focused mostly on finding new clients who needed our help, but today, we do everything to become our existing clients’ contractor for life. For us, it’s all about founding a lifelong relationship built on honesty, excellent service, and genuine investment in our clients’ well-being. And, as we’ve always believed, it’s about doing the right thing, no matter what. –Ger Ronan
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HAND-WASHING VS. DISHWASHER ARE YOU WASTING WATER, TIME, AND MONEY?
We’ve all walked into our kitchens, looked at the dishes stacked high in the sink, and asked, “Is it better to throw those in the dishwasher or wash them by
Dishwashers heat water to around 145 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure your dishes are disinfected. Even if the water from your sink could get that hot, you wouldn’t want to stick your hand in it. Which brings us to the science experiment that is your kitchen sponge. Dr. Philip Tierno, a clinical professor in the microbiology and pathology departments at NYU Langone, determined that your kitchen sponge is the single dirtiest item in your house. Soap and water aren’t enough to sanitize your sponge, which is left damp next to your sink after each use. Have you ever noticed that stagnant sponge smell? That’s bacteria growing. And when you wash your dishes by hand, you rub that bacteria all over your plates and silverware. Yum. If you have just a single plate or cup, you obviously don’t want to run them through the dishwasher alone; that would be incredibly wasteful. But the drawbacks of washing by hand are too great to ignore. The best option is to wait until your dishwasher is full, then start up the washing cycle. All your dishes will be clean and disinfected, and you’ll use less water in the process. THE RIGHT DOOR MAKES YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. Older doors, especially wooden ones, become warped with time to the point where no amount of weatherstripping can keep air from slipping through the cracks. In the winter, your heater runs overtime as warm inside air is constantly being sucked out the old front door. And come summer, you’re probably wondering why your house is still hot, even after having the A/C run all day. Installing a new door can tightly seal your entryway, keeping your home well-insulated and saving you a few bucks on energy costs. THE RIGHT DOOR WILL PROTECT YOUR FAMILY. A study from Consumer Report found most home invaders get in not by breaking a window, but by kicking in the front door. Now, unless your door happens to be hollow or held together with duct tape, the door itself won’t likely break. Most doors fail because the door jamb near the lock’s strike plate was slit open. For this reason, your new door needs to have a 1-inch-long deadbolt, a reinforced metal box strike, and three- inch-long mounting screws to beef up the door’s kick-in resistance. At Yankee Home Improvement, we know your front door serves many purposes, and we can help you find the right style to fit your home’s needs. Give us a call at (413) 320-4994, or visit yankeehomeimprovement.com/doors to get a free estimate on your perfect door today. soon, being greeted by a beautiful door when you return home can be nice, and there are other perks you’ll enjoy in the long run.
hand?” The dishwasher would certainly save you some time, but many people believe that washing dishes by hand uses less water and electricity. In reality, however, washing your dishes by hand is one of the worst things you can do for both the planet and your wallet. Dishwashers use less water than washing by hand. A study conducted in Europe found that individuals who wash dishes by hand tend to use 27 gallons of water to clean just 12 place settings. Meanwhile, modern dishwashers only use 6 gallons of water, and Energy Star appliances use as little as 4 gallons during their wash cycle. The Environmental Protection Agency determined that using a dishwasher instead of washing by hand can save 5,000 gallons of water and $40 in utility costs a year.
It’s not just about water! Unless you have incredibly thick dishwashing gloves, you can’t properly clean your dishes by hand.
There’s one part of your home everyone in the family uses every day: the front door. How many times is your door opened and closed throughout the day? After years of constant use, even the best doors break down. Unfortunately, few people stop to consider the state of their door unless there’s a serious problem. Here are three reasons you should think about upgrading your front door. THE RIGHT DOOR CAN INCREASE YOUR PROPERTY VALUE AND CURB APPEAL. While guests certainly see your lawn, it’s the door that they get a close-up view of, and a beautiful new door can really influence prospective buyers. Business Insider estimates homeowners see an ROI of 129 percent when they invest in a new front door. Even if you don’t plan on selling your home anytime
KNOCK KNOCK 3 REASONS YOU CAN’T IGNORE
YOUR DOOR
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Why Cindy and Ed Wloch Love Yankee Home Improvement A LONG RENOVATION RELATIONSHIP
When Cindy and Edward Wloch decided to hire Yankee Home Improvement to do some work on their beautiful raised ranch, they made their decision based mostly on our name. “I’m a big New York Yankees fan,” Cindy says. “As you can guess, the name caught my eye.”
Though they acted mostly on instinct when they originally called us, they were excited after that first ideal experience to have our team do more work on the house over the following years. “We had a major problem with our French doors that lead to the back deck,” Cindy says. “We had a local contractor from our neighborhood install them, and within two years, we were getting leaks that caused the wood to rot below the door area. We ended up with carpenter ants! Yankee Home Improvement came out and repaired the damaged wood, and now it looks brand new again.” Just last March, we completed our third project for Ed and Cindy out in Ware. Today, their charming ranch is decorated with Americana-
Asparagus and steak is a classic pairing. Skirt steak packs a ton of flavor without the high price point of other cuts, and this is the best time of year to buy asparagus. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get grilling! Grilled Skirt Steak With Asparagus
When they bought their house in 1992, it was much smaller and needed some serious work, especially on the windows.
style furniture and art that Nancy has been collecting for years. And don’t forget the NY Yankees-themed rec room. All in all, they’ve doubled the floor size of the original structure. Now, Cindy is one of our biggest fans. “You would be crazy not to work with Yankee if you are a homeowner,” she says. “They are No. 1 in my book, and I will always use them for my home. If you want something done right, go to the people who know what they are doing. I’m sticking with Yankee Home Improvement!”
INGREDIENTS
They constantly leaked heat, leaving the inside of the house frigid and intolerable. So the Wlochs called up Yankee Home to fix the problem once and for all. “Being the first project we did with you, I didn’t know what to expect … but I was very happy with the experience,” Cindy says. “Your rep was just so nice! I walk away from pushy salespeople, but he wasn’t pushy at all and made suggestions that just made sense.” When Cindy followed his expert recommendations, she was very happy with the outcome.
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2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
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1 1/2 pounds skirt steak 2 tablespoons canola oil
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Salt and pepper to taste Grated pecorino Romano cheese
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1 pound asparagus
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DIRECTIONS
1. Heat grill to high. Season room-temperature steak with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil. Any oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, will work. 2. Trim bottom inch of asparagus and season with salt, pepper, and remainder of oil. 3. Cut steak into four portions and grill for 3–5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Skirt steak is thin and will cook quickly. 4. Let steak rest for 10 minutes. While it’s resting, grill asparagus for 6 minutes, turning once. 5. Sprinkle cheese and crushed red pepper on asparagus. Serve alongside steak.
Inspired by Food Network
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(413) 320-4994 | www.Yankeehome.com
36 Justin Dr. Chicopee, MA 01022 INSIDE
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How Client Jane Hannigan Changed the Way We Do Business
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Kitchen Cleaning Secrets Is Your Door an Eye Sore?
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Cindy and Ed Wloch on Their Yankee Home Transformation Grilled Skirt Steak With Asparagus
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Gear Up for Grilling Season
GET YOUR GRILL ON 2 MAY HOLIDAYS, 2 REASONS TO GRILL
Is there anything more American than grilling a burger outside on Memorial Day? This year, there’s another reason to fire up the grill that weekend: In addition to being Memorial Day, May 28 is also National Hamburger Day! Enjoy this delicious coincidence by heating up the grill, gathering the fixings, and making one of these tasty burgers at home.
your patties. Serve it on a grilled ciabatta bun topped with marinated red peppers and arugula for flavor and texture. If you want to get extra fancy, pour a bit of balsamic reduction over the patty before adding the toppings. THE PORTOBELLO BURGER For a delicious veggie burger even meat eaters will love, use a portobello mushroom as your patty. Remove the stems, then
THE CLASSIC BURGER Nothing beats the American classic: a seasoned beef patty, a slice of cheddar cheese, a squirt each of mustard and ketchup, a layer of crunchy lettuce, some thinly sliced onions, and a couple of zesty pickles. For a homemade touch, make the pickles yourself by soaking cucumbers in a brine of vinegar, dill, and salt.
marinate the mushrooms for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a clove of minced garlic. Season the shrooms with salt and pepper, then place them on the grill just as you would any other burger. Gruyere cheese is the perfect creamy topping, and you can use grilled focaccia bread topped with garlic aioli. As you bask in the late spring weather and the inviting smell of delicious food this Memorial Day, take a moment to remember the Americans who gave their lives so we could enjoy these freedoms, and thank those who served.
THE MEDITERRANEAN BURGER Take your patty to the next level with a Mediterranean twist. Mix feta cheese and garlic into your ground beef before forming
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