[John Palasek]

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Although I think that the CLT and CLP programs have some merit, I don’t understand how they apply in the real world. My reasoning is that the public at large has no idea what any of this means and consequently any such certification serves more as a way to impress one’s peers than anyone else. In all the years I’ve been in this industry, I have never encountered a person outside the industry who even heard of such programs much less anyone who knew what they signified. Because of this, I feel that unless the public is made aware of such certifications, then having them is essentially useless.

The average homeowner, through having read countless newspaper and magazine articles and having seen many television news reports on the subject, knows to ask three basic questions regarding home improvement contractors, which are:

1. Are you licensed?
2. Are you insured?
3. Can you furnish me with references?

Since the same homeowner has no idea what CLT stands for or what it represents, they are not likely to be overly impressed with any such certification because they haven’t been “told” to look for it. No “official” source, (Newspapers, TV, Radio, etc.), has informed them that such certifications would be beneficial or indeed preferable in assuring them that they are dealing with professionals.
In fact, since most people regard landscapers as, “the guys who cut the grass”, if a maintenance company mentioned CLT or CLP while soliciting work, I think homeowners in general would view such claims as little more than a marketing gimmick.

Take the ICPI, (Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute), for example. If you tell someone that such a thing exists, most of them offer a wry smile and say something like, “There’s an institute for that?”
In this case, the term “certified installer” carries more weight to an uninformed public than any affiliation with some alleged “institute”, because at least that phrase implies that a manufacturer is so impressed with the workmanship of a particular contractor that they are willing to recommend them to do the work; which is more of an implied guarantee than anything else.

My personal opinion is that most jobs are sold on references and finished jobs that can be shown to prospective clients, and I don’t think that will change. CLT and CLP certifications are probably a good way to get a foot in the door, but ultimately it’s past performance and satisfied customers that will win the day.

In any case, in order for the CLT and CLP certifications to mean anything, the public needs to know that it does. That means that the emphasis needs to be on advertising the importance of looking for these qualifications when interviewing prospective contractors.
Keeping it within the industry as it is now, is just preaching to the choir.

-JP



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