Service contractors are notoriously bad with communication. Finding support for this statement is not very difficult; just ask a handful of neighbors what they would want from a good home improvement contractor. You will get responses like answer the phone, return phone calls and emails, show up on time, provide realistic expectations or simply finish the job. The baseline expectations of the average consumer are actually pretty low. Yet, many contractors still can’t meet them when it comes to communication.

Multiple studies conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI), Forbes and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reveal that hundreds of millions of dollars each year are lost by companies due to poor project communication. The PMI claims this represents as much as 7.5% of a project’s budget. For restoration contractors, this can be the difference between a positive or negative bottom line at the end of the year. Furthermore, project communication failures reveal themselves in the most vulnerable area of the business — accounts receivable and cash flow.