Whether it is for municipalities, departments of transportation, or regional governments, we’ve noticed that the majority of our work comes from repeat clients. Specifically, 87 percent of our projects come from satisfied clients asking us to partner again. That’s not a figure everyone can boast, so we wanted to take a few minutes to explore why our clients keep Hoyle Tanner top of mind for their important projects.
Our Approachability
Approachability has always been at the forefront when our company handles business. We have consciously tried to be approachable – in our partnerships and relationships with clients and other consultants. The well-known saying goes “people like to work with people they like” – and our clients like us!
But for us, the word approachable is more about coming to a consensus – not only getting to a consensus between us and the client but also between us and the community at large. We work to break down the walls of technical communication – to have everyone understand what our experts are saying and proposing. For instance, at any given project kick-off meeting or public presentation, we might have a room full of our engineers, the client’s technical and non-technical spokespeople, and concerned abutters who simply happen to live nearby a project site. All of these people will have different ways of communicating the problem and potential solutions; we use engagement tools like graphics, flyers, project websites, interactive polling, social media updates, slide decks, video presentations, questionnaires and more to build consensus and get everyone on the same page.
Because of our commitment to getting everyone on the same page, our clients call and email us regularly knowing that they can discuss the challenges, find understanding and seek out a true partner for the project. Our team doesn’t just look at these projects as another project; we take pride in what they do.
Our Quality Work
Beyond our approachability and dependability, our clients are coming back for our people and the quality of work that we perform.
High quality is necessary in the work we do and that is why we’re designing to stand the test of time. The test of time includes the shift in climate; we’re getting more 50-year and 100-year storms and we take creative approaches when addressing resiliency and needs when we work on projects. This is important because the infrastructure we design is lasting longer than five years when the next wave of new technology comes around; what we design today is expected to perform for the next 25-100 years. That’s a long time and there will be many more unanticipated challenges in that timeframe as well.
An example of this creative thinking is our culvert replacement project in Duxbury, Vermont. The stream was very shallow during low flow times of the year. Despite things like droughts, we accounted for fish passage by designing a form-lined bottom culvert to resemble and function like a normal streambed with a precast boulder pattern to help maintain water depths. The project was a typical response to an embankment failure, but presented an opportunity to improve and accommodate the adjacent ecosystem a win-win!
What it’s Really All About
What I want you to know is that we have great people who do great work. Our team is made up of people you can not only call but you can also trust. We have team members who have been with Hoyle Tanner for most of their careers; they build true, lasting relationships with clients, and our clients are relieved that they have the same trusted experts to turn to for help. The longevity of our people not only demonstrates our commitment to the practice of engineering, but also speaks to our clients coming back again and again. For some clients, having that same person to lean on for future projects is important.
When a project goes well and a client chooses to work with us again, that speaks to the client appreciating our people and the quality of work we deliver. As well-known author Zig Ziglar said, “If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you,” and that trust is something we take seriously. Our clients know the quality of work we complete, but it’s also about our people who are consistent, reliable, dependable, and personable.
Want to know more about connecting with our team or finding the right project manager for you? Contact me!
Find more blogs by Nichole: Simplifying Public Engagement with Virtual Tools, Continuum of Asset Management, Employee Spotlight
