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Difficult customer

FastEddie | Posted in General Discussion on January 5, 2006 07:52am

I’ll try to keep it brief.

Fella I’ve known for 8 yrs, very good business relationship, developed into good non-business relationship.  Asks me to do so work to his house.  He works long hours (owns his business, non-construction) so all my daily contact is with the wife.  Very nice guy.

The scope slowly starts creeping, with her adding stuff to the punch list in subtle ways  “Is that how this is supposed to look?”

Did some outside trim repair & painting, that grew a little too.  She and I walked the outside, with her pointing out things that didn’t look right.  I could see some of the stuff, some things I just nodded cuz I couldn’t quite make out what she had in mind,  specifically, cracked and flaking paint under the soffit (exposed rafter tails).  So i went back around the entire house, looking carefully, touching up whatever I could find.

Sent him an email, said I was done, please check it over and send money when you’re satisfied.  Got a voice message, wife says still some things not quite right, he get’s home after dark so he can’t verify.

Then I got an email from him, he notes that the window frames weren’t painted (I was supposed to do the fasacia only) and … big one … he notes that the “bad paint” under the soffits is actually the shingle nails poking through the plywood, which has small splits as a result.  says we need to discuss how to patch & repair.

I could use the money he is holding back, and just as importantly I want to leave him thinking I did a good job.  But this is getting tough.

Just a rant.

 

 

“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.”  T. Roosevelt

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  1. johnharkins | Jan 05, 2006 08:56pm | #1

    as one replying here all the while procrastinating billing work I completed 6 mos ago - you and I need to sit in the front row of the fine classes people like Mike Smith & Jerrald offer around here concerning business acumen and being accountable to oneself, family, customer, community etc...

    pick up the phone now and in this day & age it is just fine you speak w/ his wife and say you would really appreciate being paid for services already rendered and you look forward to completing the other outstanding projects
    if you get shady responses and are being put off than you have to start talking about the difference between job satisfaction on a bid job vs. hourly work - then perhaps you need the services of the breaktime road crew if all else fails
    carry on Fasteddie! John

  2. Dutch1 | Jan 05, 2006 09:32pm | #2

    FastEddie,

    Doing work for friends becomes a tricky situation sometimes.  But, buisness is business.  You went around and touched things up but they are still finding problems.  The best thing is to be straight with them.  This is what we agreed to and this is what I did.  Sometimes no mater what you do customers will continue to find problem after problem and you end up running around like a mad man trying to finish.  Good Luck

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