# Good homeowners stories?



## Thewoodman (Aug 30, 2006)

Alright guys and gals many times now I have read stories about difficult and picky home owners. And as I read those post I can related to alot of them. 

But then a bad thing starts to happen to me. I become kinda negative thinking of all the hard to deal with customers I have dealt with. 

That is why I started this post. Please tell us about your dream customers,something they did to make your day, how they treated you fair, etc etc etc...

Mark


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## BreyerConstruct (May 22, 2006)

Big cups of ice water on a really hot day, and fresh homemade salsa to take home...

~Matt


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## reveivl (May 29, 2005)

Cold beer in the hot tub after work and three course meals.

Just came back from that one, he also threw in $100 'travel expenses' when I handed him the invoice.


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## Magnettica (Dec 19, 2006)

I had worked on an addition on a house for 2 months and at the end of the job the HO handed me a $100.00 gift certifcate to Home Depot for a job well done.

Another time I said to a HO, "damn, that smells good" and asked her what it was she was cooking. She told me Meatloaf. The next time I did work for her she sent me home with one. It was delicious.

These type customers are few and far between.


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## TempestV (Feb 3, 2007)

on the job I'm on now, the homeowner came around the job site and gave everyone cookies.


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

I use to get meatballs for tips all the time, some customers would include sauce. I worked for a sales guy for a while who would tip me with demo stuff. On the last job he wanted to do partial payment in dilldos, I told him the wife would kick me out if I came home with a few hundred dollars in toys instead of cash.


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## TempestV (Feb 3, 2007)

my dad had a job that he underbid, and the homeowner found out that he wouldn't be making money, and asked him how much he would have to raise his bid to make money on the job, and paid the new bid amount.


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## DeanV (Feb 20, 2006)

On one high end remodel job where the general contractor and his two guys did the trim work and the head guy carried the hammer around and talked on the phone, the 2nd guy tried to tell jokes all day, and the third guys actually did try to work but could not overcome the negative energy of his partners. 

Needless to say, they took forever and where not staying ahead of the painter (me). The homeowners where aware of the hassles I was dealing with working behind Larry, Moe and Curly. I was employed by another painter back then. The homeowners gave me a $200 gift certificate to Gander Mountain and $100 to the nicest Italian restaurant in town.


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## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

Just finished a full house remodel with a 20x20 kitchen addition. The owners lived there the entire time and never left! They'd watch TV in the next room and when it got loud, they'd turn the volume up. Come a commercial and the homeowner would walk around and see what we were doing. This went on everyday for 5 months. He was a working man who inherited a large sum of money, though relatively not wealthy.

We were pulling our hair out by the 4th month! The last week of the project he cooked my partner and I breakfast, handed us each $500 cash and thanked us for putting up with him.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

I have had customers send me checks in the mail because I finished early and told them to pay me less. I have had other take me out to eat. I have had others give me cash to take my wife out. I have stayed for dinner before. 

I would have to say I have been blessed with great customers. I have had a couple not so good ones but none real bad.


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## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

*Dream customer*

Dream customers, works in a forign oil country on the other side of the world and has left his key for his house with his bank loans officer. I do the work give the loans officer the invoices for progress payments, money is transfered into our account, job complete, final payment made with no hold back. All this on a 40 thousand dollar job over four weeks, never meet the man, only spoke to the loans officer twice. Weird, nice and true....best customer I never meet.


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## Edsollen (Oct 30, 2006)

Today customer gave me a gift certificate to Cracker Barrel, my son, and our employee 20$ each. We are almost done with a difficult kitchen remodel.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Edsollen said:


> Today customer gave me a gift certificate to Cracker Barrel, my son, and our employee 20$ each. We are almost done with a difficult kitchen remodel.


Nice. One of my more favorite places to eat. 

Who was your sparky on that job?


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

A few years ago a customer gave me a sock.
I stepped in a pan of blue paint.


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## MKamis (Nov 17, 2006)

The customer I have right now is great! Her kids knock on the basement door and ask if I can have a break for cookies with them. They're a really nice family.

Best tip so far was $1,000 bonus on a $10k job. They were REALLY pleased with my work.


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## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

George Z said:


> A few years ago a customer gave me a sock.
> I stepped in a pan of blue paint.


one gave me a pair of shorts ...


not gonna tell ya what color paint was involved ...




:laughing:


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## Edsollen (Oct 30, 2006)

Mark: 
I was naughty, all we did was unhook a disposal and rehook it.
Joel


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## Edsollen (Oct 30, 2006)

PS. It was not in CBURG
Joel


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Edsollen said:


> PS. It was not in CBURG
> Joel


I was just teasing you anyhow. :thumbsup:


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## pre-reno (Oct 19, 2006)

*harley davidson*

A few years ago I did a kitchen and bath remodel for a woman. 3 weeks after the job was over a young man showed up at my house and handed me a set of keys. I looked in the driveway and there sat a 1992 heritage Harley Davidson. The guy gave me the title and said thanks for a job well done. I was shocked, and I tried to contact the home owner for 3 or 4 weeks after, but she would not take my calls. I have not done anymore work for her since then, but every Sunday morning when I fire up that bike I look to the sky and give thanks. That beats cookies any day.


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## AbeBarker (Jan 3, 2007)

Few months ago I was asked in for a beer. While drinking it was abruptly demanded to escort the HO out into the yard and "back him up" while he yelled threats at his neihbor about... (One more time motherf__kah, just one phone call) An alleged mafia threat.

I stayed out of it. Later I learned the reason for his actions were as pathetic as they come.

And later yet they bragged to me how they dug up one of the guy's bushes in the middle of the night.


I could go on and on about things that happened at this job. I later named them the "Pyschotic Scicilians"


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## Dave Mac (Jan 30, 2006)

Thewoodman said:


> Alright guys and gals many times now I have read stories about difficult and picky home owners. And as I read those post I can related to alot of them.
> 
> But then a bad thing starts to happen to me. I become kinda negative thinking of all the hard to deal with customers I have dealt with.
> 
> ...


GreAT TOPIC

about 15 or so years ago, when i just went out on my own, i handed out flyers, landed a very nice interior job, really under bid it, but that didnt mattter i was proud and busted my butt, the client were very happy, and gave me a 500 bonus, said that was the differnce between my estimat and the other guy, that made my year.I have painted for them for years after that, until i moved to another town. the guy was a retired buisness man, andnew what it was like just startting out.

thanks
dave mac


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## Fence & Deck (Jan 23, 2006)

Some years ago 
I met with a customer for a deck. I designed and priced it, but in the end he gave the job to someone else.
A few weeks later, I got a cheque in the mail for $50.00. The note said "thanks for the design. Here's a little tip for you. The other guys did a lousy job. Next time I'll use you. Thanks."
And he did!


I've had many good customers over the years. More good than bad, otherwise I would have done something else years ago.


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## reef (Feb 2, 2007)

Coffee and muffins every morning, cold beers for everyone when finished, then a **** load of referrals.


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## Thewoodman (Aug 30, 2006)

Reading these posts give me hope that there are good customers out there. I want the Harley Davidson customer.:thumbup: That was way cool.

Mark


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## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

Last year on a big job, everytime the HO came around she asked if I needed another check yet. The Dr. I'm working for now always rounds up the draw, today he rounded it up by 760.


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## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

skyhook said:


> Last year on a big job, everytime the HO came around she asked if I needed another check yet. The Dr. I'm working for now always rounds up the draw, today he rounded it up by 760.


I don’t think most customers realize that we don’t hold back 10% of our service; they just get an additional 10% by being nice.


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

Nothing thrilling: 1/2 way thru an addition job, HO handed me and our lead framer $50.00 restaurant gift cards. Tells us he's very, very happy with the way the work is going and how everything is coming out. 

Not real unique, but alot of HO's don't even tell you your doing a good job...


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## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

OK, I know I have everyone beat on this one (well, except maybe the harley). And you probably will not believe it because it is such a whopper. I tell it over and over. 

Throughout the years, you all have been told "oh we'll have a housewarming party and we'll invite you over" uh huh sure. But this time.......

I was given the opportunity to remodel a beach house. owners were very well off, not gigantic rich, but damn rich nonetheless. He was a businessman that had good connections and did favors for people. He hands me a package one day, about the size of a dress shirt box (which is what I thought it was going to be). He said take it home and open it with your family.

Whatever, I threw it on the floor in my truck cab with empties and garbage pretty much. Next day he's like "so???" what? I said. "you didn't open it?" he seemed a little ticked off LOL. OK, OK, I'll go home tonight and open it. So me, the missus, 4 kids (yes 4) and my parents were there and I opened the box.

Inside was a paper and at the top was a little picture of Minnie Mouse. As I read the letter, my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it. I had to leave the room. I handed the page to my wife. All expenses paid trip to Disney World. Airplane tickets, hotel room, hopper pass, transportation all paid for. And to boot, he gave everyone in our family each a $500 gift certificate to Old Navy to buy new clothes for the trip. And to top the whole thing off, $2500 in cash to spend as we like on the trip. 

To this day I have a hard time telling this story. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me ever. I cry like a baby telling it. Just boggles my mind. All because he was happy and ecstatic I was helping him and his family realize their dream of a beach house in Maine.

You better believe I did a damn good job on his house.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

> businessman that had good connections and did favors for people. He hands me a package one day


So maybe it is a good thing you did a good job! :whistling


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## wackman (Nov 14, 2005)

Wow! I hope I have some customers like that some day.


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## karma_carpentry (Aug 7, 2005)

Dave Mac said:


> GreAT TOPIC
> 
> about 15 or so years ago, when i just went out on my own, i handed out flyers, landed a very nice interior job, really under bid it, but that didnt mattter i was proud and busted my butt, the client were very happy, and gave me a 500 bonus, said that was the differnce between my estimat and the other guy, that made my year.I have painted for them for years after that, until i moved to another town. the guy was a retired buisness man, andnew what it was like just startting out.
> 
> ...


Same thing happened to me a few years ago when I was starting out on my own. I way underbid a bathroom remodel job, but I plugged away and finished it with quality, and they gave me $500 bonus. Those kind of people are angels. Hope to never need that kind of angels again but they're angels.


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

framerman said:


> OK, I know I have everyone beat on this one (well, except maybe the harley). And you probably will not believe it because it is such a whopper. I tell it over and over....


Yep,...I think you're gonna have one of the best on this thread...and IMO - the best one that I have read about here....WOW....:thumbsup:


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## laybrick (Jul 2, 2006)

I've gotten a couple to a few 100s in bonuses, some compensation for bid mistakes or miscommunications. got old tools from customers grandfather,great uncle, etc. I did a citadel stone veneer & fancy retaining wall for a HO (about a month). He would have lunch delivered every other day and on the weekend, his mother would make lunch (almost a buffet) and a full course meal at the end of the day. she was insulted if you refused, so we were always full. All week, his wife would keep a full pitcher of an iced beverage and cups on the porch . At the end of the job, my mixxer motor started to puke. Last day , he pays me , then goes down in his basement & brings up a new 5hp briggs he was gonna put on his snow blower. Thought that was pretty cool, till I read this thread. Then I thought to myself, I CAN'T PUT THAT ON A F#$KIN' HARLEY!!! j/k It was cool as hell. You EARN customers like that by going out of your way to do an exceptional job. The best free-bee you can get from a customer is a good referral toward more work. I did several jobs for his co-workers & family after that. The same guy is gonna GC a house for a co-worker with 2000 sq. ft of stone & retaining walls& steps in stages to get up the hill that it's on. While fast production gets fast money, pride in workmanship keeps a continuous flow of work & money.


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## hrscammisa (Mar 9, 2007)

did a bath remodel and tile job lasted about 3 weeks the wife made us lunch every day it was great


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## Hate Stress (Jul 31, 2020)

Last Christmas, I was out of sight and out of mind by my dad. Mailed him his gift and didn't even get a card. Mom's side turned into a big fight where her youngest son constantly disrespects her and I didn't stand for it and she sticks up for him regardless so I left them their gifts and left. Then look in the mail the next day or so I find a gift card for Starbuck's in my mailbox with a merry Christmas card attached from one of my nicest customers. That gift almost made me cry. Still haven't spent it all and have it in my car. Sometimes the smallest things can have the same effect as the Disney trip or Harley which are awesome gifts too. I've gotten sweet tips and was even offered an all paid trip with room and board plus my pay to work for a customer that just moved to 5 states south of me and wanted me to repaint his huge house. But that gift card will always mean the most to me.


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## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

Thia is an old thread, but I'm glad you revived it. Some good stories in hwre.

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk


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## deckman22 (Oct 20, 2007)

TxElectrician said:


> Thia is an old thread, but I'm glad you revived it. Some good stories in hwre.
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk


Me too. Made me think back of all the good customers I had over the years.


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## Adamthebuilder (Apr 14, 2016)

“Help your self to water, pop, beer in the refrigerator” and home made cookies are the best. You can’t help but go out of your way to accommodate them and you look forward to working for them.


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## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

Have a customer that is very friendly, always a hug before you leave. They live in an affluent neighborhood but I always wondered if they lived beyond their means.

Super nice folks. Opened their house like family.

A few months ago while at the hospital I noticed they had donated the wing I was in.

Not always what someone does for me, but what they do for the community.

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk


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