HEAVEN!!! If you can believe it, I just wrapped up an add-a-level for a customer from heaven!
Lately it seems that there has been a bunch of problems with tough-to-please, totally off base customers both in my world, and around here. So I figured I owe it to my recent client to post my praises of him.
What a difference it can make to work for someone who truly appreciates what it is we do everyday. When we first met to go over plans, I was a little sceptical as he was/is GC’ing his own job. Gave him a fair bid and included alot of extra words in the contract regarding penalities for late/missing materials, untimely dumpster removal and everything else I could think of that would cost me money and make the job uncomfortable. When we first started ripping his roof off and he came out in a tool belt, I groaned and was immediatly re-thinking my price!
This guy actually pulled it off! He knew when to lend a hand, and when to get the heck out of the way. He’d watch our laborer and when he would start leaning up joists, or piling up studs, or lumping ply or whatever…he’d jump right in. He had no problem stuffing the dumpster, bought us coffee every single day, even offered us dry t-shirts one particularly warm day. The guy was the ballz!
I found myself constantly checking myself to make sure that he couldn’t possibly find anything to be dis-satisfied with. The end result was that this guy got one of the finest additions I have ever done. Wasn’t the fanciest ever, but I can positively say that it was my best work. The end result for us was one of the smoothest, tight, thorough, and seemingly effortless jobs I’ve ever run. Everybody won!
We wrapped up the job today, and I gotta say I was sad to go. Wish everyjob was like this. Everyday was light, meaning we had alot of laughs, got alot done, and nobody ever seemed stressed out. Today he handed myself and all three of my guys each a $250 Woodworker’s Warehouse gift certificate and asked me to, “please use us as a reference, we’d love to show the place off”.
Why can’t they all be like this?
Replies
Show off!
Congratulations on a job well done and landing a good customer. They are nice to have. Enjoy!
Curly
Restoring the past for the future.
"Why can't they all be like this?"
'cause we'd start to take them for granted and forget to thank heaven for them
Excellence is its own reward!
Amen brother Piffin, Amen!Steve
S.J.MERRETTE Carpentry & Construction • Robesonia, PA
Nothing is impossible...It just hasn't been done yet.
Congradulations dieselpig
Having fun at work is what its all about. Nice to hear a good story now and then.
Doug
Why can't they all be like this?
That's like asking why can't all trades people can't be "good" same with your customer, got to have some bad to appreciate the good.
Amen. Tomorrow I'm putting a project in the done column and I feel the same way. These people have been great. She comes out mid morning with hot coffee and sometimes doughnuts. Keeps sodas around, always ready to answer a question or share a laugh. Gonna miss these folks. I did have the opportunity today to repay a little of their generousity. Yesterday they were both home with the flu, running temperatures, feeling miserable. This morning I plugged in a crock pot in the garage with chicken soup in it. It went over great. I was just glad to be able to repay what I though was uncharacteristic generousity.
But I gotta comment on the referrals. They had a party last weekend. Handed my name off to a number of friends. You can't buy that advertising. Glad others are having good luck with customers too.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
Maybe it's that time O year ...
I'm currently working for a great couple.
Plan was for the tight schedule to finish up by ... this T-Giving ...
Drywall should start right after!
The wife came down to the basement a week ago .... asked if I could list and price all the "small changes" he's added on ... so she could track the budget and get me paid as soon as possible!
Just told him looks like a completition date of mid-Jan ... he said with all the add-ons ... that's not so bad.
I come home evey day and tell the wife I'm still waiting for the "other shoe" to drop.
Things have been going way too smoothly.
On the other hand .. like U said ... this one is just makiing a float out of the averages.
I had way higher than average jerks this year.
Even had a contractor I've subbed for many times before completely drop his end of the ball and end up lying to the customer about the whole deal (btw ... never lie about one sub in front of another! .. electrician told me ... and told him after the customer left the room).....
And ... another plus column mark ... this guy knows most all his up scale neighbors ... and is a Dr in a practice with 5 other Dr's .... lotsa good contacts ... hopefully lotsa good leads to come.
It's a good feeling, huh?
Almost what we thought this crap would be all about! I build ya something nice... U realise that ... and are appreciative.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
You lucky Dog!!!
I am thinking that all all potential remodeling customers and quite a few contractors should read this post.
It is really a simple concept.
Treat people with respect and appreciation and they will return the favor.
Yes it would be a wonderful world.
Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
My best jobs ever were ended with prompt final payments, and bear hugs.
Good Luck rg
The best news? He has friends, who are likely in the same vein...good people. So there is a chance of a good referal, and a repeat performance.
Attitude is everything, isn't it?
Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
Maybe this is an omen - sign of things to come. After finishing a project for what was my best client to date, the new client seems even better!
A story here -
Once worked for another company, where we had a little old lady who was just like the one from the Tweety Bird and Sylvester cartoons. She made us coffee every morning, sandwiches for lunch, and sodas later in the afternoon. When our boss gave her the bill for the final payment, she gave HIM a bill for every drink and food item for the entire project.
(MY boss sued, but she won! However, she was fined by the judge for running a restaurant without a license,)When all else fails, use duct tape!
This kind of client makes it all worth it. Like you said, everybody won. I feel I have been lucky with clients, but every now and then, a bad one pops up just so I don't forget. I do pretty good during my initial screenings, but you can't win them all, and one slips through once in a while. I'm just brginning to forget about one I had this year.
Enjoy it, and definetly use them as a reference.
I have a theory-
-you will attract the kind of customers that are like you.
To explain.....in a company I used to work for, my boss, the owner, was a bit of a ...well, a jerk. Our clients were often difficult, fussy, and slow to pay. Then, we hired another guy, and he and myself began to be more of the "front men", and slowly, our clients became less difficult. We actually started to enjoy them. They got downright nice! We started getting complimentary letters.
The only jobs that went bad were the ones where the owner of the company got involved. One client wanted to fire us because our brilliant owner was a "f-ing A..h.....". So we made a point, difficult as it was to tell your boss that he can't go to certain jobsites, to keep him away from many clients.
I hope I'm right, because it was central in my decision to leave that firm and work for myself ..!Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT