Meet One Of The Faces Behind Alberni Electric Ltd.
My name is Stacey Smith, co-owner and office manager of Alberni Electric Ltd. along with my partner, Brad. I look forward to sharing a few things about us and our business and hope you’ll get a better picture of the people behind the name.
We never actually intended to start our own business, but after moving to the valley and being unable to find work (despite the fact that Brad was a very well rounded and experienced electrical journeyman), the decision was kind of made for us. So we started doing a bit of research, seeing where we could fill a niche in the area and time and again found the feedback we were getting from people we spoke with was how difficult it was to get an electrician, they were so busy here in the valley that sometimes even getting a call returned for smaller jobs wasn’t possible. That was our answer to fill the need for homeowners looking for just simple repairs, small jobs that most companies weren’t able to take on due to their already busy schedules.
It started pretty slow, as we were new to the area and really didn’t know anyone in the valley. I was answering calls and doing the scheduling and billing from a small desk in our rec room. We had one work van, no office space, and were basically flying by the seat of our pants, figuring it out as we went along. But within no time, we got an amazing opportunity to assist another electrician in wiring up the new Home Hardware in town. When Jan, the owner of Home Hardware, saw Brad’s work ethic and got to know him as an easygoing, hard-working guy, he gave us a leg up by asking for and handing out business cards on our behalf. From that point on, between his recommendations to his customers and word of mouth as we took on and completed jobs, the work started coming in at a rapid pace. From that small beginning, we’ve grown to include a crew of four red seal electrical journeymen and two apprentices. We’ve now moved into commercial space, complete with two offices and two administrative assistants (me being one of them).
Although a business can be hectic at times, it’s also rewarding to know that we’re able to offer our services and do our utmost to ensure that our clients are made to feel like they matter. Whether we’re going into judo, a simple light repair, a full-on renovation, or wiring a new home, customer service, and communication should take priority, both being the backbone of any business. Nobody wants to be treated like just another number, or have their concerns not addressed.
While we do our best to ensure our clients are happy, we strive to take things one step further if things don’t go according to plan, which sometimes happens. We make a point of following up to address any concerns, even if it ends up coming out of our pocket. It’s better to have a good relationship with our clients than to get ahead. It’s very rewarding when at the end of a job, we’ve received emails of appreciation and thank you cards in the mail, some have even gone so far as to send flowers. We even had the honor of being nominated by the Chamber of Commerce one year for excellence in customer service.
The biggest achievement by far, though, is in knowing we’re able to employ several other people, our crew is very important to us. They’re a great bunch of people to work with, and we try to maintain a family atmosphere. With their help, we’ve built a solid reputation in the community and have had many clients call in to let us know how much they appreciate our guys’ friendly dispositions and professionalism.
When we’re not working, we enjoy our hobbies – for me it’s photography. Getting out in nature is the best de-stressing therapy in the world. We also enjoy fishing, kayaking, and camping. My partner, Brad, also enjoys working on N scale trains and dioramas.
If you’ve read this far, allow me to say thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to get to know us a bit better. I’ve enjoyed sharing our story about what matters to us and how it influences the way we do business.
If you or someone you know could benefit from our expertise as residential and commercial electricians in Port Alberni, I invite you to get in touch. Please visit our website at www.albernielectric.ca.
Warm regards,
Stacey Smith, co-owner
Alberni Electric Ltd