Boston Homeowner/Contractor
Found Another Great Contractor

Being a new homeowner, Elliot Daniels wanted to add his own touch to the Woburn townhouse he had purchased a year earlier. It wasn’t a fixer upper by any means, but the kitchen wasn’t anything to brag about, the hardwood floors had seen better days, and the bathroom needed attention, as well. Daniels, an electrical contractor who runs his own small electrical contracting business, knew he didn’t have the time, or desire, to do the work himself, so he set out to find a quality contractor to do it for him.

Enter ServiceMagic.com and MWM Handy Services. An advertisement led Daniels to try ServiceMagic’s contractor matching service, which in turn led him straight to MWM. After reading their online customer reviews and company profile, he felt confident enough to submit a service request.

“After the first phone conversation with Matt and Frank, I could tell they were up-front and honest guys,” Daniels said.

Just as importantly, it was obvious that they knew what they were doing. They held all the licenses and insurance that Daniels, being a contractor himself, required of any potential hire. “You can’t just use the Yellow Pages to find a contractor,” Daniels stressed. “It’s like pulling a name out of a hat. There are a lot of phonies out there.” On the other hand, MWM had credentials, a host of five-star customer reviews, and a favorable first impression. Daniels found what he was looking for.

MWM Handy Services Gets It Done With One-Stop Shopping After a few meetings to discuss projects and choose materials, Daniels and MWM Handy Services settled on a multi-pronged attack to put Elliot’s personal stamp on his Woburn townhouse. In the
kitchen, MWM installed new cabinets, a high-end Corian countertop, and crown molding around the ceiling to give it a finishing touch. The hardwood flooring in the rest of the home was repaired where necessary, then refinished. In the bathroom, they installed a new vanity, tiled the floor, and slapped on a coat of paint. It was just the type of job that Frank Valentino, president and founder of MWM Handy Services, had in mind when he started the company.

“I’m an investment rental property owner, and I saw a need in the industry for a contractor service that could come in and do a punch list of 20 or 30 things, instead of having to hire multiple contractors,” said Valentino. Now, with seven employees working on three teams, MWM Handy Services does exactly that, preferring jobs like Daniels’ where they can save homeowners the stress and complication of hiring multiple contractors.

“Our company does all the tasks that you can’t find anyone else to do,” said Valentino. “It can be a disaster trying to coordinate everybody if you’re your own general contractor. It’s so much easier to call one person.” Customer Service Sealed the Deal While filling the need of multiple contractors with one hire caught Daniel’s attention in the first place, it was MWM Handy Services’ focus on customer service that really impressed him from day one.

“Matt was great,” said Daniels, referring to Valentino’s partner, Director of Operations Matthew MacDonald. “he’s a great guy, very personable.” While Valentino focuses on the business side of things, it’s MacDonald who works directly with customers and manages the company’s three teams of employees. “He and Frank always answered their phones and made themselves available to me,” said Daniels. “They were very professional, the crew was clean and neat, and they arrived and left on time.”

Valentino said it’s that kind of attention to the homeowner’s needs that has become MWM Handy Services’ other hallmark.

“Customer service, along with quality work, is the most important aspect of the contractor trade,” Valentino said.

“Maintaining a clean appearance, good communication with the homeowner, it all matters. Whether we’re there for two hours or two weeks, our goal is to create the least amount of inconvenience for the customer.”

And how about the work?

“It turned out great,” said Daniels, noting that he’d refer MWM to other homeowners in a heartbeat. “They followed through on what they said they were going to do, and that’s a hard thing to find these days.”