When it comes to refurbishing your office workspace you want to get it right first time. After all it’s a big expense, probably one of the biggest expenses your business will make. So it’s easy to understand why many companies worry that they are making the right decision when it comes to choosing the perfect commercial office refurbishment company. How do you place your trust in a company that you don’t know? How do you know they’ll do a good job?
With over 25 years in business we feel JBH Refurbishments are well placed to guide you on what to look for and what to ask to help you decide who to choose to carry out your next office or workplace refurbishment and once you’ve chosen the perfect commercial office refurbishment company the steps to take to keep your project moving forward.
Researching A Commercial Office Refurbishment Company
The first step when looking for any type of service including a refurbishment company is to carry out some research. When searching for a company to carry out your office or workplace refurbishment you should search for companies that specialise in “commercial” refurbishments rather than a company that specialises in residential projects as the knowledge and skills sets of these two types of jobs are very different. Once you identify a company you are interested in take a look at their website.
- Does their site look professional?
- Do they show projects of work they have carried out in the past?
- Do they list or show the same or similar types of work that you are looking to have carried out?
- Are there testimonials from past customers which show how well they fulfilled past customers’ expectations?
- Do they explain what process they use when they are working on a project e.g. do they do a site visit, do they help you plan your layout, do they use CAD (Computer Aided Design, so you can see your office before any work is even started)?
- Look to see if they are an accredited contractor e.g. of CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) or FIS (Finishes & Interiors Sector) or a member of any recognised bodies e.g. Constructionline?
- It’s also worth looking to see if they have a insights or articles section to see if they show their latest projects or discuss industry news as this shows they are aware of the latest industry standards.
Another good place to look is on social media.
- Check that they are active on social media and are actively posting. An active social media presence usually indicates they are available to customers via their website and through social media.
- Look at what they are posting. Do they post projects or other news items that will show you the type of work they do and have carried out in the past?
- Look for any reviews or feedback given by customers.
Areas of expertise and previous work are very important points to consider when deciding on the right office refurbishment company for you. Given the choice between two good companies choose the one that has a proven track record of the type of work you are looking to have done.
Equally if not more so, genuine references from past happy customers should play a significant part in your decision. You’d be surprised how many companies “make up” testimonials in an effort to secure work. Make point of asking the company you’ve chosen to show you their client list or provide you with past references. Ask if they mind if you contact past customers to check the references. A reputable company will not have a problem with providing details of their previous clients.
Check if the company employs its own workforce or at least the majority of them. A company that needs to outsource work doesn’t always have full control over the project or the quality of the work being carried out. You also want to make sure that you’ll have a dedicated project manager who will act as your main point of contact (with a backup when the main project manager isn’t available). That way you can be sure when you pick up the phone or send an email you’ll get the attention your project deserves.
Working With Your Commercial Office Refurbishment Company
Once you’ve identified the office refurbishment company you want to engage with the next step is to work with them to define your design brief. A site visit should allow them to discuss what you’re looking for in terms of objectives and the best ways to achieve them in terms of layout and design.
A common concern that many companies have is: how will I know what’s right for me? Will I be able to see that the new office will look like before I commit to anything? This is where your office refurbishment company’s expertise will come into play and CAD or Digital Rendering can be used to show what your office will look like after the refurbishment is completed. CAD can highlight any likely issues in your plan before work begins on site. It can ensure the partitioning is in the right place, the reception desk is in the best position, break out areas will fulfil their objectives and you have the right colour scheme, carpets and wall coverings. Ensuring the design and layout is right prior to carrying out the work will keep your development on budget and on track.
Once the design and layout is decided, agree the best time to start the work and the project timelines. Throughout the project it is vital to keep communication open and you should expect your office refurbishment company to give you updates as they work to make sure everything is on track and to brief.
If you are in Kent, London, Sussex, Surrey or Essex and are considering an office fit out or are in the process of looking for a commercial office refurbishment company, contact JBH Refurbishments on 0333 207 0339 or via our contact page today for a free on site consultation. We’ll be happy to take you through our how we work and arrange for one of our project managers to come out to visit your site and carry out a full site inspection. The next step would then be to provide design options and a quotation. Once agreed you can leave your office refurbishment in our very capable hands.
