Using subcontractors

[Silver City Cleaning]

I read Kevin's excellent post about using subcontractors to maximize profit by providing customers with a variety of services.

usacleaning.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=membersmarketing&action=display&thread=1118678523

I have a few questions about using subs.

1. Do customers mind if we sub out services we don't provide? I suppose unless a contract with a customer specifically prohibits using subs, we are free to make that choice. Right?

2. Supposing one chooses to use subs for some services, wouldn't it be necessary to let the customer know beforehand. I foresee a situation in which, say one hires a sub to clean windows, the sub arrives at the customer's site and starts to work. The customer doesn't recognize the crew and asks who they are? Or maybe the security guard goes on a power trip and prevents them from accessing the work area without prior authorization.

3. How would you sell the customer on this approach? From my point of view the benefits to the customer are:

• It saves the customer money by reducing the costs associated with working with several contractors, ie, accounting costs, administrative cost, etc.
  
• It saves the customer time by not having to find and qualify additional contractors.
  
• Since we professionally oversee all the work performed by the subs, the customer has fewer headaches, can focus on other responsibilities, and gains the peace of mind that the work will be performed well (provided the customer trusts us and considers us as competent experts).
  

I really do like the overall idea since it seems to be a win-win situation for us, the sub, and the customer.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

If you use subs, how has it worked out?

[sparklingsolutions]

The problems with subbing the work out. If your reputation is on line. I subbed a job out once and regretted it. I was a floor job that had the opportunity to open up to a ton of work, so I accepted and got another cleaning service to buff and wax the floors and even paid them the whole amount and kept nothing. Needless to say I have been trying to reprieve myself with the customer since and had to pay someone else to redo the floor.

[sparklingsolutions]

I do not recommend subbing anything out if you don't have to.