# client call a month later to finish work at same cost



## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

SectorSecurity said:


> She couldn't go to a home depot or something to look at styles before deciding?
> 
> I mean when you paint your house you look at paint chips and make a decision, you don't start just painting random colors all over.
> 
> I'm glad I don't have to deal with these problems in my line of work.


Some people don't think that far ahead...


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

m1911 said:


> Once in a while we have to eat chit on a job, so it reminds us what not to do next time...
> 
> Some of us eat more than others...


Aside from keeping his word (in her mind because a customer will not think she should pay more than $200 because that's what was taken off and no explanation seems to be have given otherwise), the only business reason I see to lose money on this job at this point is that she was a referral, and you come off much better staying with what you told her if she can't see your side of it and pay the difference... 

That said, I wouldn't even bother setting up again with two guys, and lose a day compounding the money he's going to lose having to pay his employee and materials ON TOP of it (he not only gets nothing but has to pay out of pocket to boot)... two Formica doors (depending on color/style) are most likely going to cost him less than the $200, if he outsources it, and he can drop by to hang it AFTER work (not having to pay his employee), so he'll break even instead of losing more money and compounding the problem and losing a day of work/money and reaching deeper into his pocket if he can't get more money from her for the doors (read that run-on twice :laughing: )... he doesn't make any money on it but at least he's little to nothing out of pocket and the customer is happy as opposed to the alternatives, paying out of pocket, losing a day of work (and paying his employee and materials) and/or an unhappy client at the end...

If you've got to each chit on the job to keep a client happy and not kink the referral chain, better to eat as little as possible IMHO...

It'll be curious to see how he eventually handled it...


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

KAP said:


> Aside from keeping his word (in her mind because a customer will not think she should pay more than $200 because that's what was taken off and no explanation seems to be have given otherwise), the only business reason I see to lose money on this job at this point is that she was a referral, and you come off much better staying with what you told her if she can't see your side of it and pay the difference...
> 
> That said, I wouldn't even bother setting up again with two guys, and lose a day compounding the money he's going to lose having to pay his employee and materials ON TOP of it (he not only gets nothing but has to pay out of pocket to boot)... two Formica doors (depending on color/style) are most likely going to cost him less than the $200, if he outsources it, and he can drop by to hang it AFTER work (not having to pay his employee), so he'll break even instead of losing more money and compounding the problem and losing a day of work/money and reaching deeper into his pocket if he can't get more money from her for the doors... he doesn't make any money on it but at least he's little to nothing out of pocket and the customer is happy as opposed to the alternatives, paying out of pocket, losing a day of work (and paying his employee and materials) and/or an unhappy client at the end...
> 
> ...


Plus, if hes making money on those two employees elsewhere theres the oppurtunity cost on their work. Ie if hes making 200 per day per man he lost 400 in potential profit.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

KAP said:


> Aside from keeping his word (in her mind because a customer will not think she should pay more than $200 because that's what was taken off and no explanation seems to be have given otherwise), the only business reason I see to lose money on this job at this point is that she was a referral, and you come off much better staying with what you told her if she can't see your side of it and pay the difference...
> 
> *That said, I wouldn't even bother setting up again with two guys, and lose a day compounding the money he's going to lose having to pay his employee and materials ON TOP of it (he not only gets nothing but has to pay out of pocket to boot)... two Formica doors (depending on color/style) are most likely going to cost him less than the $200, if he outsources it, and he can drop by to hang it AFTER work (not having to pay his employee), so he'll break even instead of losing more money and compounding the problem and losing a day of work/money and reaching deeper into his pocket if he can't get more money from her for the doors (read that run-on twice :laughing: )... he doesn't make any money on it but at least he's little to nothing out of pocket and the customer is happy as opposed to the alternatives, paying out of pocket, losing a day of work (and paying his employee and materials) and/or an unhappy client at the end...*
> 
> ...


 However, if the OP had the capacity to think ahead this way, he wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place...
So, eat chit it is... :laughing:


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## aquakbd (Aug 19, 2016)

It all depends on what you told your referral when you walked out the door. If you left her with $200 and an option to change her mind, then just do this and learn from this experience. People talk and if you're in the neighborhood, you certainly want to get more referrals. On the other hand, you don't don't want to be misunderstood and to appear as someone who charges less than he should, so just maybe be more specific price-wise and set clear deadlines in the future.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Then and now...two completely different scopes of work. If she can't understand that, she needs her head examined. Why are people so afraid to take charge of these situations and tell it like it is. $200.00 wouldn't even meet my job minimum.


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## 12shinglemyroof (Aug 30, 2016)

superseal said:


> Then and now...two completely different scopes of work. If she can't understand that, she needs her head examined. Why are people so afraid to take charge of these situations and tell it like it is. $200.00 wouldn't even meet my job minimum.


Most homeowners don't understand that. They dont know our business or our costs or anything like that. Its very difficult especially in a design heavy type job like cabinets.


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## SectorSecurity (Nov 26, 2013)

I had a customer a while back they ordered some switches and stuff, I delivered them for x.

Couple month go by they call up want the same switches again, they couldn't figure out why they were paying more, I had to expain to them since the last order the price has gone up on them thus you have to pay more.

They thought the price should just stay the same


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