The 24 Hour Rule
We have a lot of new folks in the company over the past 12 months so I wanted to explain one of the unwritten rules here at Williams Company. In a day and age of instant communication, sometimes we are all guilty of not being good communicators.
The 24 hour rule is quite simple. If an owner, client, architect, fellow team member, or subcontractor contacts you by phone, email, text, or smoke signals, then out of respect, you should return their communication within 24 hours. Clearly the most important of these are our clients.
Are their exceptions to this rule? Of course. The folks in estimating get inundated with calls after a bid asking "How did I look?" I don't expect all these calls to be returned in 24 hours. Are there emails or phone calls from solicitors? Of course and these do not apply. If you are on vacation or our sick, the rule does not apply.
And then there are some grey areas. Sometimes there are instances where you may be in a dispute with a subcontractor or vendor that you really don't want to talk to. Out of respect, we need to get back to them, even if the communication is "I need more time to review the information." Sometimes as email that says "Got your phone call, I'm working on it, back to you tomorrow" will do. The point is to acknowledge receipt of their communication.
One of our core values here at Williams Company is "We are Respectful." Take the time to follow up within 24 hours as a matter of respect. Respect is earned, not given. Returning folks emails and phone calls in a timely manner will earn you the respect you deserve.
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