People will spend 10,000 dollars on a kitchen floor and crab about a few hundred needed to fix an electrical problem.
it's human nature....
the wires inside the wall aren't visible.... and most people are into bling,
and not infrastructure. maintaining infrastructure is expensive, and not
very exciting.
i was watching tv, and the topic was something really sexy... rust and
corrosion.... and this little number came up.... the US navy spends more
on dealing with rust and corrosion on their ships, than canada spends on
their ENTIRE defense budget.
as for this thread, with regard to the rants about having to remove your
shoes, i have had to take off my shoes in customers houses, and there
weren't any cultural reasons to do it, as the customer doesn't remove
their shoes, and we are walking on the same ground, and that means it's
just an ego thing so that you will know your place..... i've only had it
happen twice where i had to take off my shoes, and the customer didn't.
i price accordingly. start with doubling the price for any work being done.
sometimes, you are talking to someone, and the thought goes thru your
mind...... "how much is it worth to me just to have to put up with you?"
and that affects a lot of pricing decisions.