Muskego, Wis.
callcallen.com
GQ All-time Recommend Rate: 96%
GQ 2022 Recommend Rate: 93%
Number of Jobs in 2022: 331
Type of Firm: Design/Build, Home improvement/Replacement
CEO: Christiane Wood, Michael Wood
QR: Your team was able to achieve high rates of customer satisfaction during the pandemic, a time of greater scrutiny because clients were at home more. There were also supply-chain delays. What measures did your firm take to maintain client satisfaction?
We reduced the number of product categories we offered, sticking with our best products where we had greater control over the supply chain and installers. We also implemented a paperless inter-office project management and communication system (Microsoft Teams) that allowed us to communicate in real time from any location.
QR: Firms with happier employees have higher levels of customer satisfaction. What are the top ways you are able to keep your employees happy and satisfied?
During the pandemic when competition for employees was fierce, one initiative for Callen was our new Employer of Choice program. This program started by right-sizing employee wages to a ‘living wage’, where employees could be proud of what they do and also be able to support their families. This was especially important during the past few years of inflation. We also added additional benefits, including options for vision and dental insurance, as well as a company sponsored life insurance policy for every employee. We also recently started a bonus program for installers for them to earn up to two weeks equivalent of pay based on job profitability.
QR: “Purpose driven” companies, those that exist to effect change or take action on something bigger than their products or services, attract a younger, higher skilled employees who tend to be more engaged workers. Some firms connect their “purpose” to a written mission statement. Do you operate a purpose-driven organization? And in what ways does your firm extend itself to outside causes.
Our purpose is to provide our employees with an opportunity to have a career in the remodeling industry that can support a family, that has upward mobility, and that they can be proud of. By doing so, we strive to be the top choice for customers looking for a company that offers quality products and installation services by analyzing what we are best at and offering only those project categories to our customers. All of this is done by careful selection of our vendors, subcontractors, and maintaining a happy employee workforce.