David Hardin is the owner of the well-respected firm, Precision Counters and Tile, which provides high-quality countertop and backsplash instalment services. Their mantra has always been that quality and service should be the customer’s top priority, and this is something that David lives by everyday through his business. With a 5-star Google Rating, it’s easy to see why Precision Counters and Tile is one of the most respected and sought-after installers in the Kansas City Area. Assisted by his lead installer, Ryan Antonides, David’s firm provides consistent services to Leawood, Prairie Village, Overland Park and Liberty areas.
David answered a few questions we had about his business and their internal ethos.
David, when did you start Precision Counters and Tile and what was the main reason?
I started installing countertops and backsplash tile in 2003 and formed Precision Countertops and tile in 2016. The main reason was I had a corporate job that I did not find satisfying and really wanted a job where I could see the results of my work and provide a service that had an immediate impact on my customers. I grew up in a small family business and have always been a creative person that liked seeing my ideas come to fruition.
Did your previous corporate experience help you in any capacity?
Yes, In my previous position with a large national bank, I was a technology project manager. This skills have paid off tremendously in planning and managing all of the small details associated with every countertop and backsplash project. I feel like my project management skills are one of the primary reasons we have been so successful at providing the highest quality of work and customer service in our industry.
What were some of the early challenges you encountered when establishing the business?
Oh gosh, where to start. Finding vendors and employees that have the same commitment to quality and service was the biggest challenge. Getting our message out, what we are about, finding ways to market to a customer that sees the value in good project management, keeping our word, always being on time, and extreme attention to detail. Those can sound like the same old thing but we have a long reputation of meeting all of our customer commitments and having all happy customers.
What makes your services and the quality of your materials more competitive?
We offer as wide a range of countertop materials and tile as anyone. Basically we can get you anything you want. Most customers have some sort of budget in mind and we have a huge selection of stock quartz designs. By sticking to a stock color you only pay for what you use. Any countertop installer will charge you for waste if you get out of their stock selection. There is no way around it. With over 250 stock designs I believe we have the largest selection of anyone in the Kansas City metro area. All of this is great but what I feel really is our competitive advantage is our quality of work, project management and service. We offer a true turn-key solution to getting new countertops, backsplash and all of the associated plumbing.
What are the main benefits of choosing a high-quality, quartz countertop compared to a cheaper alternative?
A cheaper alternative would be Laminate, a few granites and a few solid surface (Corian) tops. The biggest reason to go with Quartz would be the look. Quartz is available in hundreds of colors and designs, some of which look just like natural stone. Quartz is incredibly hard, and non-porous so it does not require sealing, quartz does not harbor bacteria and is nearly impossible to stain.
How has the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affected your operations and how have you adjusted?
The biggest impact has been trying to minimize exposure to our customers and to ourselves. As a result we have an efficient, contactless process for getting an estimate to our customers. We ask our clients to send us photos of their kitchen showing all of the existing countertops and cabinet faces. From this we are able to get a pretty good estimate of the square footage and scope of the project. This gives us enough information to put together a pretty good preliminary estimate. If the client chooses to move forward then we will make an appointment to meet them in the showroom to pick out materials and then install the countertops in their home. We sanitize the jobs site when we are finished and perform all duties according to the CDC guidelines for our profession.
Thank you David for your time!
You can follow up with David Hardin at https://countersandtile.com
