# The nick-pickers!!!!!



## Alska101 (Dec 31, 2008)

Ok I have dealt with them before. But this one has got my goat!! My company was hired by the homeowner to drywall his basement to level 4 finish. He leaves his dad there to watch us, no big problem, until he gets out his magnifying glass and starts saying its not good. So I talk to the homeowner and he is mad, says its not good. {Ps its good just shy of level 5, it told the guys to go extra becuse he was looking so hard.} So I tell him if he sees anything after primer to call me and I will send over a guy to fix it up. He tells me his dad has drywalled a room before and knows what he is doing... holly crap a whole room!!! He must be a dam pro. Lol I tell him again to primer the room and see, and I will fix anything up. No good he is going to get another guy in to "fix" it and bill me. I say " lien" what do you guys do? Lien asap or fight with the customer?


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## otislilly (May 30, 2012)

I think if you made it clear the steps that would be taken to make sure he was happy, before you start working, you would have no problem.
Before I start any type work ( if contract work)I let homeowners know that there will be some temp. defects. After it is primed I will return with a 500 watt light to point any defects that can be found. I let them know how much I need down, how much when I am done, except pointing. and how much they hold for however long it takes for the painters(if not me) to get there. 

If it is T&M, hey the pickier the better, I let them go wall to wall and shine the light for me. Get that one, yep oh theres one, great. 

I like the picky ones, the calls from thier friends always start with
you did billy bobs work and he was happy, didnt think anyone could do that, we would like......

written explination of the process of job completion is essential when dealing directly with homeowners, expecially if they are strangers. If your contract says hang and finish drywall at 1444 loblolly lane. then you are opening yourself up to this kind of misunderstanding. if it says level 4 (that always kills me) exactly how many flaws is that per foot. how many/ and who decides what a minor flaw is. If they can see it it is not minor LOL(not to them )

When you said you were done and they see a single flaw, they hear alarms.you say you will come back after primer and point it up for them. they hear pay me and you will never see me again.
If they were given a contract that required signature, it should outline the steps that you are going to do, and payment schedule. how much up front, they would see that they were to give you your second payment of _______ now, and after the primer you will return for pointing, at which time the last balance of ____ is due. They would have no reason to doubt you, skipping the problem entirely.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Alska101 said:


> Ok I have dealt with them before. But this one has got my goat!! My company was hired by the homeowner to drywall his basement to level 4 finish. He leaves his dad there to watch us, no big problem, until he gets out his magnifying glass and starts saying its not good. So I talk to the homeowner and he is mad, says its not good. {Ps its good just shy of level 5, it told the guys to go extra becuse he was looking so hard.} So I tell him if he sees anything after primer to call me and I will send over a guy to fix it up. He tells me his dad has drywalled a room before and knows what he is doing... holly crap a whole room!!! He must be a dam pro. Lol I tell him again to primer the room and see, and I will fix anything up. No good he is going to get another guy in to "fix" it and bill me. I say " lien" what do you guys do? Lien asap or fight with the customer?



I would have said if you want it perfect then your more than welcome to pay for a level 5. These people really do my head in. They expect the cheapest price but complain so much about the stupidest things. Then they always come out with a comment like "my uncle used to do this and he said its all wrong" hoping their gonna get a even better deal than they already got.


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## bloop (May 17, 2012)

Customer is always right. Do what it takes to make him feel he received a quality job.


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## BrandConst (May 9, 2011)

Competed to industry standard doesn't mean magnified. Tell him to get real


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## kevjob (Aug 14, 2006)

I thought the AIA specs are viewed from 6 ft away or something like that. 

when they say My uncle used to this or that, I tell them you should have hired him. 

now if it is that close to level 5 tell him to pound sand.


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## Spike7 (May 18, 2012)

"otislilly" is the only one who saounds seasoned 
no offense g you other guys.
but you have to be able to satisfy the toughest customer, and always do your work like thats who your dealing with.
you can`t do your to your standard . you have to to it to the highest standard.
i`m a messy guy 
when i work at home , i`m embarassed to say i don`t always do "a" quality work.
but my guys know that on the job , you have to be fanatically neat.
you have to be professional 
you have to do it as good as anyone else can do it

also . like otislilly said 
you have to spell out eveyrthing on the contract
let them know what they are going to get .
basically a contract should be a "C.Y.A." ( cover your ass) 
when you get the job ,and start the work let them know also" we`ll finish it as best we can . whe your painter comes out , and primes , if there any imperfections , please mark them with some blue tape and i`ll come back , and get them all at once "( make sure you push that .you need to get them all at once , and it would help if there is an disagreements , that the contact signer is present at that time)

your not totally wrong 
but you can`t expect that all clients are going to be easy going .
if you can satisfy a picky person , they will love you , and will refer you

i always told my wife when we drew up a contract ," prepare it like we might get sued , that way we`ll have our ass covered at all times.
its all about writing .
if you ever go to court( i`ve been there a few times , and thats all the judge will want to see.


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

Regardless of what a contract says you will periodically have customers who go over the edge with nitpicking and doesn't really solve the problem. That's par for the course, it's a normal situation in construction. 

A spelled out contract is nice and all but the reality is problems like this are solved before they start by means of relationships and discussions. You can spot this type of person immediately before a job is finished and that's the time to start addressing it.

You created the initial problem by "agreeing to fix" what you say wasn't even a problem. If it wasn't a problem why would you agree to fix anything. THAT is when you correct the problem, with stern conversation. When a homeowner makes a decision to call a different contractor there's usually a serious problem and more to the story.


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## Alska101 (Dec 31, 2008)

Ok the contract is a cya, like that term. After all the talks with the client we have come to an understanding, we will have a third party look over the job and say good or bad. And go from there, will all the talks we got the feeling he was trying to be cheap, and just not want to pay to save a buck. Love these guys!!!! But he had signed the contract so he has giving the money to the third party and it up to them. I have no worries now. 

People are cheap. And this is a way to screw contractor and save them money they think. That's all it is.


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## Alska101 (Dec 31, 2008)

bloop said:


> Customer is always right. Do what it takes to make him feel he received a quality job.


Right! So if the customer wants a main support beam cut to fit in his new windows that they bought himself to "save" money he must be right.. been in this too long.... some days a desk job looks good.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

I don't know what they expect, but to achieve level 4 finish you have to follow this chart. If you did this, which is industry standard application and if they're not happy, charge extra and give them level 5


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## mbryan (Dec 6, 2010)

bloop said:


> Customer is always right. Do what it takes to make him feel he received a quality job.


No, the customer is always the customer. That doesn't make the right but doesn't change who they are.


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## otislilly (May 30, 2012)

Alska101 said:


> Ok the contract is a cya, like that term. After all the talks with the client we have come to an understanding, we will have a third party look over the job and say good or bad. And go from there, will all the talks we got the feeling he was trying to be cheap, and just not want to pay to save a buck. Love these guys!!!! But he had signed the contract so he has giving the money to the third party and it up to them. I have no worries now.
> 
> People are cheap. And this is a way to screw contractor and save them money they think. That's all it is.


Sounds like you are making every effort to work this out. The world is made up of all kinds of people. Be documentedly prepared the next time for another one just like this one, and you wont ever have another problem.
Well thats not true and we know it, some people will still be a issue, but you will be better prepared in your argument as to what they agreed to by signing..............


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## NHCremodeling (Mar 20, 2010)

When I was building houses, I could pick and choose what level of finish I needed, depending on what I planned to top it off with. Texture, wallpaper, or just painted.

Since I have descended into the hellish world of remodeling, I just finish everthing to a glass-like finish.

Homeowners are  arsholes, and it is just easier to do it as perfect as you can. Just to avoid the argument.


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## dave_dj1 (Mar 16, 2010)

I would have marched right over to mister homeowner and had him show me EXACTLY what he thought was "wrong". If I didn't see anything wrong I would have demanded payment as per contract. If in fact I found an error I would fix it right then and there and demand payment as per contract. Let's face it, mistakes, boo boo's can happen but as long as they are dealt with properly it shouldn't be a big deal.
Sounds more to me that HO is just trying to cheap out. Refer to my first sentence.

I've only ever been stiffed once and it was by a real estate developer, turns out he was just a crook and ended up getting run out of town. I did a few jobs for him and he got me on the last bit.


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## Shellbuilder (May 14, 2006)

Whenever I hear subs being raked over the coals by owners, I come back to why are they working for owners and not GCs. A smart remodeler marks up .50 over costs and has to sell the customer. A sub on the other hand thinks how low do I go to get the job. If I was a sub I wouldn't work for homeowners.


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## Chris G (May 17, 2006)

Sorry to nit pick, but you've spelled the term wrong.


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## Alska101 (Dec 31, 2008)

Chris G said:


> Sorry to nit pick, but you've spelled the term wrong.


Love it!!!!!


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## bloop (May 17, 2012)

Alska101 said:


> Right! So if the customer wants a main support beam cut to fit in his new windows that they bought himself to "save" money he must be right.. been in this too long.... some days a desk job looks good.


If that was allowed in your contract then yes. If you don't mind him not paying you then leave it. If you want your money then make him happy. Its really that easy. Think about what you do when you are at a restaurant and the food is not to your liking. What do you do? Hope that helps.:thumbsup:


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## MALCO.New.York (Feb 27, 2008)

Just so you know... A curious derivation of a common word!


nit·pick   [nit-pik] 
verb (used without object)
1.
to be excessively concerned with or critical of inconsequential details.

verb (used with object)
2.
to criticize by focusing on inconsequential details.

noun
3.
a carping, petty criticism.

adjective
4.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a nitpicker or nitpicking.



nit
noun

1.
the egg of a parasitic insect, especially of a louse, often attached to a hair or a fiber of clothing.

2.
the young of such an insect.



Hope that sheds some new light on said term!


So next time someone is "Nit picking", just picture them as a Monkey grooming another Monkey and it will not seem so bad!


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