# perfect job



## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

davidanbess said:


> Is there such a thing as 100% perfect job
> I am pricing a job at the mo and the potential customer seems way to picky,ie closet is already immaculate since hubby painted it but she does not like gloss finish and says there is lint/fiber in the paint on the closet walls (I seen nothing wrong with it)
> Hubby also painted 3cts on the walls of bedroom but she is unhappy with the finish saying you can still see roller marks (wall drying out not giving uniform finish)to me it did not look that bad the color btw is mid to dark blue.
> your comments are welcome


Maybe it's not actually the quality of the work she's after, maybe she's just trying to emasculate her husband. 

I did have a customer who wanted a piece of window glass replaced because it was scratched (I couldn't see the scratch) With a straight face she insisted it (the scratch) was visible only in the 3rd week of December Between 4:30 and 5:00 in the afternoon.


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## Bonzai (Dec 23, 2009)

I was asked by a local couple to quote for laminate flooring install in 4 rooms plus hallway including replacing all baseboard and door trim with wooden trim to match and replacing a stair nosing which was carpet. The husband is an artist and pointed out that he was very particular about the smallest detail. They didn't want any transitions at the doorways so there was going to be a need to customize some pieces of wood to match. 
So I put together an estimate allowing 3 days for the work which I would be doing alone. I should mention they had purchased the flooring themselves from a liquidator at $1/ft. 

A few days later they asked me back to discuss the quote .. They lead me to believe this was to hand over the deposit. When I got there they said they had a quote from another installer who said they could do the job in 6hrs and for $500 less than my quote. They asked me to reduce my quote to match the other company as they liked me better. 
Knowing they expected a low price & quick install & perfection I advised I would have to think this over but very much doubted I could help them in this instance. I later emailed back to say my estimate was already as low as I could go and wished them luck with their reno ;-)


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## Gough (May 1, 2010)

There are several words or phrases that trigger my alarm bells when I'm in the initial meeting with the client and "perfect" rings that bell the loudest. We've built the company reputation on excellence, but I've learned the expectation of perfection is unrealistic.

A few of the other words or phrases: "six other bids", "if we help", "monthly payments", "we found this material on sale".


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## Rob PA (Aug 30, 2010)

save yourself 2 days and the loss of your time and materials and walk

i have run into this...get the job done HO says everything looks fine...send invoice

you start getting calls this or that...you go down there nothing wrong..HO isnt there..talk to daughter she says well my brother isnt going to pay??? i have never talked to your brother he isnt involved..well arent you going to fix it? NO

i said well your brother does everything perfect so he can fix it...i know you have the money since you wont pay us


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Would quoting pda specs help in this situation? Doubtful.

I have a sister that I would not want to work for.


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

Here's one - about a year after we finished this project the HO calls me up and says there are some defects showing in the paint on one of the bedroom ceilings.

So I go to have a look, and sure enough there are these tiny black spots in one corner of the room on the ceiling, not far from the only window in the room.

As I'm looking around, I see flies in the window. So I get the step ladder out, go right up close to the black spots. You guessed it - fly sh*t. 

I told the Ho I was not responsible to clean this, have a nice day. :laughing:


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## Bonzai (Dec 23, 2009)

I was called to discuss issues with the paint finish on a basement ... Homeowner said he could see a difference in color at certain times of the day and claimed i had used the wrong paint to do the 2nd half of the room. Thankfully it was only 5 mins from my house to tell this guy that he was seeing shadows at certain times of the day. He didn't believe me until I put a water bottle in front of the window and then he saw the water bottle shaped darker area on the wall ;-)

This is the same idiot that called me at 10:30pm to tell me the shower head was leaking ... This was the day I had been grouting the shower stall. He called again on the Sunday morning. On Monday I was there to tell him that the water he had seen was the residue from my sponge when I was wiping off the tiles. I knew this all along cos I told him on the Friday but clearly he forgot. 

By the way same guy did not want any form of heating in his basement bathroom and had vinyl installed directly on the concrete floor. It goes down to -20C on occasion in the winter here ... I told him at least 5 times that this was a big mistake. Amazes me how some "perfectionists" make the most basic of stupid decisions!!


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## antnepi (Aug 26, 2008)

Did $80k interior paint job for a crazy woman. We skimmed the old walls and used 3/16" roller covers for the primer and finish coats. All trim was in high gloss oil. We also used swedish puddy to level all imperfections in the wood. After 6 months it still wasn't good enough and she hired someone else. You could of had your wife do her make up the mirror finish that was on the trim and doors. 
All work was T&M.

Oh...and she had her hardwood done before we started. She said she needed to see the color of the wood in the natural daylight before she could pick her paint colors.


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## davidanbess (Apr 2, 2007)

well went over to homeowners discussed the word perfection, she was a little more forgiving after we debated what she was looking for and what she will get 

JF FYI I have been painting for over 30 yrs, 26 of those back in Bonnie Scotland This is the first time I swear that someone has been so hell bent on perfection, but as I said 
I will endeavor to give her my usual high standard of workmanship :thumbsup:
Regards David


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## GPI (Jan 13, 2005)

Expectations are spelled out at the beginning not the end. If you quoted this and that, and you gave it, how are you wrong? The BS i hate is when a GC says to said painter, once you prime the walls youre responsible for imperfections related to the drywall finishers workmanship. Im glad i have it noted in the contract ,it is not, but some will jump up and down and try to get you to fix it. By the Min. or the hour, its all billable.


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## Gough (May 1, 2010)

GPI said:


> Expectations are spelled out at the beginning not the end. If you quoted this and that, and you gave it, how are you wrong? The BS i hate is when a GC says to said painter, once you prime the walls youre responsible for imperfections related to the drywall finishers workmanship. Im glad i have it noted in the contract ,it is not, but some will jump up and down and try to get you to fix it. By the Min. or the hour, its all billable.


Actually, what those GCs are saying is the accepted industry standard and you can be held to it unless you specify otherwise. This is one of the things to be aware of if you use a phrase like "standard practices" in your contract.


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## 4thGeneration (Nov 23, 2006)

No matter what you price them they will have you go back and back and back ect ect. their excuse will be that they are not satisfied. You do your thing, let them do their thing with the blue tape and all, have them sign off on it and then complete the work. Have your contract state that after their one(1) walk through that any more beyond that will cost x amount per hour plus materials to complete to their satisfaction.


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## THINKPAINTING (Feb 24, 2007)

Schmidt & Co said:


> This is what happens when a "perfectionist", finds blue tape............


We just finished a 7 room modular home in a 55 an older park She the HO picked a BM Pearl finish for the walls and drove us nuts with blue tape...:w00t:

These people are nuts! They want to haggle you down in price and then want a BMW paint job....they watch to much home imrprovement TV programs...

We got paid but what a PITA........PDCA specs for interior painting state a finished painted wall can only be viewed at least 3 ft away with a light and painter is not! responsible for plaster finish...:furious:


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## NAV (Sep 5, 2008)

You better bill for the roll of blue tape that they used!


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## Remodelor (Nov 5, 2010)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> Like I said, I would be happy to charge them perfect job prices.


This is my boss's problem. He charges general pricing and takes the time to make things perfect, which earns him repeat and referral business, but he's always backpedaling financially.


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

I don't think I've ever seen a perfect paint job..not on a job of any size anyhow.

I know I've never DONE one.

..nor would I care to try, at/for any price (I have enough stress and drama in my life already).


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## davidanbess (Apr 2, 2007)

just to let everyone know I never got the job and guess what 
this time it never really bothered me, I wonder why :whistling


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## Remodelor (Nov 5, 2010)

Better to walk away from a bad job than get stuck losing money because the homeowner has some fantastical notion of what the quality of work should be.


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## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

Schmidt & Co said:


> This is what happens when a "perfectionist", finds blue tape............


sorry, haven't read the whole thread, but this is hilarious:laughing: thanks!!


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## BattleRidge (Feb 9, 2008)

I just had a client hire me after being the next to highest bidder. I told them we do great work, they called references and they also agreed. Did the job and had back ordered siding and a mixup with windows. All paid for out of our pocket. Then when we were basically done they decided to take 4k off the final price. 

Following that gut feeling is something that takes experience, I was looking at another big project and dollar signs. I knew from the start that it was a bad idea. Now they profited more off their insurance company than I did, after I talked to them to get more money for the project. Then they got a nice looking reside with MINIMAL problems, like a few mediocre caulk beads and nicks in the bottom edge of the hardi.

Nothing is more non motivating to go back to work than to work a month for free. :sad:


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