One
Homeowner, One Nail at a Time ... Rauser’s Touch
Makes Dreams Come True
January 31, 1998
By Bill Rauser
Dreams
really do come true. With some creativity, skilled
craftsmanship, the Rauser “touch” ...
and a hammer and nails, of course.
Rauser Professional Contracting (RPC), a family-owned
and operated business since 1981, is in the business
of making their clients’ dreams come true.
From custom-built homes and additions to the renovations
of bathrooms and kitchens, RPC has a portfolio of
completed project photos and customer thank you
letters to make almost anyone oooh and ahh. And,
they do it with a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship
— a rarity in the industry, for sure.
This RPC commitment to “creativity and quality
at competitive prices” is only one trademark
of the company, in the eyes of its clients. RPC’s
sensitivity to the fact that clients are still living
where the contractors are working (with the exception
of custom homes, of course), along with the Rausers’
hands-on involvement in all phases of the project
are also noteworthy to clients.
With regard to personal attention, RPC client, Richard
Higgins said, “With oversight by Bill Rauser,
supervision and leadership by Bob Rauser, and your
‘dropping by,’ there was little opportunity for
problems.” Complimenting the workers and staff,
Higgins says, “They became part of our family
for the summer.”
A different kind of contractor
Speaking of family — a member of the Rauser family
is always personally involved in each project to
ensure total satisfaction each step of the way —
from working with the architect and the client in
each stage of the planning and “spec” process to actual construction and site management.
According to Andre Fontaine, a Baltimore architect
who has worked on many projects with RPC, “What
makes Rauser different from so many other contractors,
and allows me to feel comfortable recommending them
to clients, is the fact that a principal of the
company is always on the job.” He added, “Sure,
while their subcontractors are excellent, it really
makes a difference to have someone on the job who
can handle questions and changes immediately.”
And, while personal involvement with open, two-way
communications is essential, according to company
president Bill Rauser, it is only one key to the
company’s quality assurance process.
He says that there are two other equally important
ingredients to ensuring that projects will not just
satisfy clients ... but “thrill them.” They are: top-quality materials and top-notch subcontractors
who pay as much attention to detail as the homeowner.
With regard to detail, Vaughn Milby, a recent RPC
client, noted, “The quality of the job and
the attention to detail is flawless. In particular,
we are amazed at how the wood floorboards and ceiling
are cut to join perfectly to the jagged stone wall....”
Rauser proudly adds that clients also find RPC particularly
easy to work with because there are no surprises.
When Rauser gives a price, the company sticks to
it. It’s that simple.
RPC works with each client to advise them on design
options and material choices within their specified
budget. These decisions range from flooring and
lighting to plumbing fixtures, and exterior finishes.
Milby added that RPC willingly gave “input
and suggestions during the process on ways to improve
on the original concept.”
About the details, John Rauser, vice president of
sales, says, “We work with the architects and
clients on even the smallest details because these
are decisions the clients will live with and, therefore,
need to be happy with.”
Another RPC client, former president of Chesapeake
Cadillac, Neil Forthman, says about his addition
and major renovations, “You and your men consistently
demonstrated great attention to detail, quality
control, communication, and job-site cleanliness,
resulting in a 100 percent satisfied customer who
got exactly what he paid for served up on a hassle-free
silver platter.”
Company expands through referrals
Rauser says that their customer-oriented philosophy
(especially their fixed price policy and lifetime
warranty) and their reputation for quality, as seen
in the projects themselves, are responsible for
the terrific word-of-mouth marketing the company
has enjoyed since 1981.
As Milby put it, and another
satisfied client who has hired RPC for four separate
jobs (home construction and three separate additions)
echoed, “We have already recommended RPC to
our friends, and will continue to do so without
hesitation.” Both say they wouldn’t consider
anyone else, which is the ultimate compliment to
RPC. The Rausers are particularly proud of their
track-record and reputation, given the fact that
so many other contracting firms have come and gone
while RPC has been doing one-of-a-kind projects
throughout the entire metropolitan area.
“When a project is completed, we like to stand
back and look at our work with our client. Like
any master craftsman or artist, we relish that sense
of accomplishment and the artistry of the project,” said company president Bill Rauser. |
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