jerk customers

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electricalperson said:
i was just trying to save the guy from making a mistake by having nail holes all over his wall and trying to save him money by voicing my opinion about that
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If I were your boss I would probably fire you. I don't care about you scratching the floor or argueing with the customer but trying to save him money is totally unacceptable.:D :D :D

Joking aside. Don't worry about it. This sort of thing happen to everyone. You may not run into another butt head for some time but they are out there and sooner or later you get another one. Your next customer may thank you for trying to do what you believe is right.
 
there are a few more jerks out there...

there are a few more jerks out there...

don't get too bent-out-of-shape. Get better at prevention.

We've been doing work for a desk-jockey that claims to have been a former GC. He bragged a little too much about his success and shore houses. My radar was already turned on high. My business partner is much nicer than I am, and he handles the customers. Desk jockey has been slow on pay, but so far has delivered. He, also, plans his work on the weekends. I reserve weekends for extra special customers or emergencies. Recently, DJ let his bill lapse for over thirty days. Then he calls up for a short notice, special trim-out and finish day. My business partner was smart enough to remind him of the pending bill. Because of other committments, I was asked to go there this weekend. I told my BP that I do not have any free time 'til 2009. I'll eat the freakin' bill before I let some jerk run my free time. See why I let BP handle the customers. Have a nice day!:smile:
 
220/221 said:
Awesome advice there son. :roll:

Steal some of his tools while you are at it. Stealing is good Karma.
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I wouldn't necessarily call it stealing but I call it bad business, as well as being foolish. Generally the logic is that the customer will hope for a better price by using the employee of the EC, and the employee will use his price as his only selling point. ("I can do this work cheaper than my boss can.") And as we know selling on low price alone is how you end up working for an EC again.
 
I once had a guy accuse me of stealing his silverware. Why in the he*l would I steal silverware? I use plastic anyways:D I had to talk to an investigator and everything. What a ass:mad:
 
One time, I hit someones mailbox, I hit a patch of mud and slid right into it , mail went flying everywhere....Of course the HO are eating breakfast by the ffront window and come running out yelling " I saw what you did" I was like "I hit your mailbox and Im sorry Let me have you name and phone number and Ill get it taken care of" Meanwhile the carpenters are up the street laughing away making sqeeling sounds and having a good old time at my expense. I then called the shop and told them what happened.....About two hours later I get a phone call from one of my bosses saying that there is a HO out there saying that I hit there mailbox and just kept on going (hit and run).....Of course no one talks at the shop and I told my boss If I hit it and kept going how do I have there name and phone number?.....I dont know what they were trying to get but they didnt get it........And everytime I drive past the new mailbox I have a little chuckle..
 
i guess its a good learning experience. i need to be strickly business with customers and dont mention my opinions about anything. whatever they want ill just do and keep whatever im thinking to myself. someone i talked too mentioned on keeping a journal of the day. like keeping a log of what i done and what happened and what was said during the day incase anything comes up later on. i see doctors using voice recorders after they treat a patient to keep log of what happened maybe keeping a journal is a good idea
 
electricalperson said:
i need to be strickly business with customers and dont mention my opinions about anything.
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I wouldn't let this one client deter you from giving good advice to your customers when you think it's appropriate.
 
I had an alcoholic once accuse me of drinking the remainder of his case of beer. He said he only drank a few of them the night before and after I left they were all gone. Thankfully my boss knew who he was and blew it off.
 
For what it is worth....about 9 years ago when I got into the beloved contracting industry, I did some work for a lady. She lived in a nice area, but had the worst house on the street. I fixed a flood light, and swapped out her front door. Due to the number of locks the original door had installed over the years, I reused a hole and set the dead bolt a bit lower than normal. I had to go install a dishwaher the next morning, (out of cell phone range at the time) so I told her I would be back after lunch to continue.

That morning she called and left me 4-5 messages. Each one angrier than the previous. The final one said I was to do no more work until she met with me.

I called her back when I got back in town, and she unloaded about the lock being to low, and that I ruined the new door. I knew that there was nothing I could do to appease her. (Although I did understand at that point why her husband left her :grin: )

So I told her I would come by and re-install her old door. She said fine, but she owed me for the spotlight. I said if the door was not good enough, that none of my work was, and I would not charge her anything. I just wanted to swap the door (about $300 worth of door, lockset and brass hinges)

Her tune changed and said I would have to call and make an appointment for the swap out since her daughter was home from college. I called two weeks later, and she did not return the call. Six months later I rode by and the new door was still up.

She worked for a big law firm so I let it go. A lawyer friend in the firm (that got me the work to begin with) offered to pay the bill, knowing the lady scammed me, but I let it go.

Gotta love customers....

c2500
 
Was it your very first customer? What a bummer. For what it's worth I probably would have put the dead bolt into an existing hole also, or else rebuild the door frame.
 
MF Dagger said:
Was it your very first customer? What a bummer. For what it's worth I probably would have put the dead bolt into an existing hole also, or else rebuild the door frame.
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Not first, but taught me the lesson of beware the worst house on the street:grin: Also, beware of older divorced women that hate men:grin: :grin: :grin:

c2500
 
c2500 said:
She worked for a big law firm so I let it go. A lawyer friend in the firm (that got me the work to begin with) offered to pay the bill, knowing the lady scammed me, but I let it go.c2500
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Stay away from people who work for law firms and cops. The lawyers themselves are ok, but the women that work for them and cops are the biggest crooks. I had a cop tell a title company that was holding escrow money he paid me with cash and didn't get a receipt. That was after he told them I did unsatisfactory work. He tried everything he could to get them to give him the money not me. They finally cut me a check after pointing out that he must not have been to upset about my work if he claimed to of already paid me and pestering them.
 
electricalperson said:
do you think taking pictures of broken walls, floors windows etc before i start any work just to document whats there is a good idea?
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I get it...you start taking pictures of all the valuables so you can rob the house on your day off.

:D
 
electricalperson said:
thats probably what people will say so thats not a good idea i guess either
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Some people are already saying it!

j/k :D

You could document ever flaw in a building to the HO and they would STILL find something you broke.

Here's a confession:
We are doing a kitchen rewire on a 2nd flr apt. I am inside, one of my guys is outside on a ladder drilling into the unit....
I hear a crash [glass breaking] and an "oh crap" ...[Him]
I'm like "Dude...what was that? [Me]
[Him]...uhhhh..I dropped my glasses
[Me] What are you wearing? Telescopes?
Turns out the bit fell out of the drill and smashed a vase on the 1st flr tenants porch.

1st flr. people [HO 1] are getting home as we are wrapping up...
[HO 1] to [Him]: What happened to my vase?
[Him]: I dunno...it was like that when we left ::gesturing towards a different contractor at the site::
[HO 1] is doing a double take between the other contractor and my guy, I am laughing at my guy's quick double talk.

:D
 
electricalperson said:
the day is coming where im going to open up shop for myself. this economy is not the time to do it. plus i need to save up money for it and trade my truck in for a nice van with shelves.
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I think reconsidering your attitude toward your customers may be in first order before you thinking about going out on your own.

As far as the economy goes, maybe you can join up with Joe the Plummer...:)
 
weressl said:
I think reconsidering your attitude toward your customers may be in first order before you thinking about going out on your own.

As far as the economy goes, maybe you can join up with Joe the Plummer...:)
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what do you mean reconsider my attitude toward them? i get accused of doing something i didnt do and i try to be friendly and nice to them yet they turn into jerks and complain? i dont mind working for homeowners and i respect what they want to do just dont blame me for something i didnt do or claim i was arguing with them when all i did was voice my opinion because i was thinking what the homeowner might think when he seen all the little holes in the wood and a white strip going up the middle of the wall and across the celing.
 
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