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b Another homeowner. One day we will rule the world.
Sometimes you just got to eat it when you find out you planned wrong on a bid job and the x factor occurs then something else that complicates matters and you realize that the worse case scenario you considered suddenly wouldn’t be so bad in light of what you’re involved in now, and you’re going to be poorer than when you started when you finally finish up. I was wondering if anyone else has found themselves in a similar situation and could elaborate a bit since the old saying goes…misery loves company.
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I just finished a small job for a client. She bought a flat screen TV and wanted a small cabinet made kinda like a coffee table to hold the DVD, VCR, etc.
It was to have a stainless steel top. I got smart and bought some Chemetal (like plastic lam but with a metal finish) for the top. We ruined $400.00 worth of it trying to get it right. The stuff scratches with just a sneeze and you can't buff it out.
Can't charge her for that.
I finally found a place that sells REAL stainless and had them make the top for $95.00. Scratches buff out with scotchbrite pads with no problem.
Oh well........
It's a small loss, but it still stings.
Ed.
*Just yesterday sent a crew in to scrap a phase of a house. Slow pay contractor but they are caught up. Adjusted the price to be on the high side. 2 loads later and not enough price. Oh well. Lesson learned again. Bump those prices up so they get scared off to the competition. Thought about bumping his price again, not saying anything to see if he would pay. He probably would. I would not feel right though. I gave my word.
*A few years back (6) I was into the last stages of a custom house and felt comfortable enough to plan a two week vacation. I had ordered the cabinets and they arrived as we left for a jaunt through the Great Lakes and Canada.Someplace on the northern shore of Lake Superior I called to check in!.......The Cabinets had been installed when the owner arrived to declare the stain color was wrong. I had inverted the last two digits of the color code.....$4000 up in smoke.In order to complete on schedule we hired a box truck to drive 11 hours one-way to pick up the correct units to avert a 3 week wait for a regular delivery and then we paid the carpenter to remove and reinstall.Profit......an illusion!................................Iron Helix
*I've got two glass french interior doors in storage. 2'4" x 7'0"What I needed was 24" x 7'Couldn't read my own writing and too much was going on that week to remember taking the measurement.
*A few years back I was asked to replace a rotted cellar door.It was made of T-111.Since my name was on the job figured it would be better to upgrade to T&G clear cedar.Went to lumber yard picked out materials including new hardware. Built new doors,removed old doors and installed new doors.Materials=$230.00 Labor=10hrs. Estimate was $250.00. 6 months later was back doing $12,000 job and being served lunch by day and a cocktail or two every evening. I love when a plan comes together!!!
*b Another homeowner. One day we will rule the world.Cliff, that is a happy ending.
*It ain't over yet.
*b Another Homeowner. One day we will rule the world.hmmm
*I like the way that one went too, Cliff. Not enough said about how good comes back when you put it out there and do good just because ya feel like ya want to do it. Good on ya!
*I've also noticed that when I have a task to do I dread, and try to take the easy way out, I fight it the whole way. But when I set out to do the best job I can to complete that task, and not hurry or take any short cuts, it goes together smooth as silk. Seems like you kind of get these little rewards from the universe, or something. I think of it as related to my motives. If my motives are good, good things happen.