# How do I handle this customer situation?



## workingintx (May 8, 2010)

eastend said:


> Oh, I just checked out your website.
> 
> You claim you refinish most doors in 3-5 hours!
> 
> ...


We are redoing it. Customer is happy. Moving on.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

workingintx said:


> We are redoing it. Customer is happy. Moving on.


Smart way to handle a bad situation, get it behind you asap and move on.


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## TimberlineMD (Jan 15, 2008)

workingintx said:


> We are redoing it. Customer is happy. Moving on.


I have a feeling this is not over. This customer has seen you blink and unless your people can make her COMPLETELY happy, you will hear from her again.


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## ArtisanRemod (Dec 25, 2012)

This isn't a cracked foundation, its a stained door. How hard is it to just fix it? Sometimes easier to get off the computer figuring out how to do something, and just go do it lol.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

this client sounds like their half off their rocker.. if she signed off on it, its done other than the bubbling issue.. if she doesnt like the stain color now its now a all new contract for a refinishing of the door.

a few years back we did a remodel for a woman who was bipolar. we would walk through the floor layout she wanted in the early am. showing her wall locations via snapped chalk lines. shed ok it and wed build it 3 hrs later she comes back and says what the hell is this this isnt what she asked for.. start over.. this happened 3x.. not to mention she pulled it on the plumber as well with fixture locations. 

also.. on the structural plans she drew on the plans a flush beam, however the plan clearly shows a short spanning dropped beam with a bearing wall.. then tried to say it was on the plan the whole time. 

our final straw was at the trim stage,, the contract clearly states $2500 budget for interior trim via paint grade mdf, as i was putting the last bit of casing on the walls. she comes in and flips out stating its supposed to match the existing upstairs.. which is virola pine./mahogony,, which would make the trim budget 4x more... any how we didnt change anything on the main floor that was already installed... met half way and used clear pine for the basement... but when she started insulting the entire crew we pulled out of hte job until her husband actually spoke up to her until she had some sense to her.. shes lucky we finished the job because we were going to terminate the contract and put together a folder of all the signatures showing where they had signed off on things and then started demanding other stuff


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

Patrick said:


> Id be willing to pay a monthly fee if we could create a "special" customer database in the hardhat section organized by state and zip code. Kinda like an angies list.


Are you gonna call it the dick list????

To the op I would build a hideous tent in front of her door and leave it for a week, tell her because she lives in Texas that's how it has to be done!!!!


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## pcplumber (Oct 12, 2008)

*I'm creating such a database tonight*



Patrick said:


> Id be willing to pay a monthly fee if we could create a "special" customer database in the hardhat section organized by state and zip code. Kinda like an angies list.


The problem with creating a database is it will backfire big time when customers learn that if they choose your company they have a chance that their name will be smeared like the front page of an Enquirer magazine. Customers will retaliate against you relentlessly and write bad reviews about your company on every website they can find.

I have been thinking about making such a website. I'm trying to think of a name for my website and it will be something like badcustomer.com or rebuttal.com. It will have the disclaimer stating that our Freedom Of Speech gives us the right to express our opinions just like the review websites. It will state that all information I post is available elsewhere on the internet, nothing is fabricated by the writer, and the website will not be liable for information submitted by third party persons.

The way my database is going to work is the customer's personal information will appear when their name, address or or phone number is searches (when the phone number is already public information) and I will use different combinations of their name.

Stupid idea! This is the dumbest post I ever wrote and I'll take all the credit.

My dad used to eat a light bulb every night before he went to bed.

Ask me how I know this was true.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

I can understand a customer being hard to please after two call backs on a small repair. On the other hand, requesting a color change, after sign-off no less, and threatening to slander you would earn her the option of playing nice and getting the bubble repair only or "so long and have a nice day". 

Nasty people don't get an extra inch from me, they don't get a damn thing. One unhappy, unreasonable, customer can't wreck your business unless you don't have any happy customers sending you referrals. You have full documentation of her behavior so any complaints with the BBB should be easy to handle. Who the hell uses that site anyway? Is she 90?

PS- If you're looking for a database of difficult customers you need not bother. You'll know when they call and say they found you on Angies List.


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## GTBuilds (Aug 31, 2013)

Wrong as this may sound, in my community, the contractors keep a "black list" of evil clients. You've bent over backwards for this woman and, it appears, she will not be satisfied with anything you do.

It's time to cut your losses -- but do so carefully.

You can't afford to ignore her - that will come back to haunt you. But, you can confront her.

Go - yourself - to meet with her and ask her to show you - in person - what she's unhappy with. Make her point it out to you. Ask her what she wants. She could be a scam artist - or she could be anal retentive. Either way, you've got to pin her down. 

You can't afford bad feedback - but look at it this way. Less that .05 percent of your customers will turn out to be assholes like this. This is a challenge - rise to it.

Kiss her ass, but pin her down on what the problem is. You can't send out the A crew anymore - you're on the hot plate now.

Remember -the customer is always right, even if we both know she's Satan in sheep's clothing. Do what you have to do and NEVER work for her again.


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

pcplumber said:


> My dad used to eat a light bulb every night before he went to bed.
> 
> Ask me how I know this was true.


Is there a *vaudeville* thread you're auditioning for somewhere?

:whistling


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

You are nuts for giving in. She says fraud and you cave. Sounds like there is a lot more to the story that you are not telling us, because I cannot understand why you would want to look so impotent in front of the all of the internet.

Someone ever says fraud, I send them a certified letter with copies of the signed agreements and contracts along with a letter stating that if she does not cease and desist with false allegations we will be forced to sue her for damages.


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Someone ever says fraud, I send them a certified letter with copies of the signed agreements and contracts along with a letter stating that if she does not cease and desist with false allegations we will be forced to sue her for damages.


Sometimes...

Discretion, is the better part of valor.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I have to go with Dr. Phil's advice - never give people the benefit of the doubt.

Everyone has their own image / market strategy, etc. I'm not interested in being the "nice guy". I don't have to worry about bad reviews or being bad mouthed, so I guess I'm somewhat lucky in those respects.


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## pcplumber (Oct 12, 2008)

*Set the doors on fire and walk!*

I don't think I saw the $value for this project. If we are talking less than $1000 then this is what I would do.

My first choice is to finish the job the way it is supposed to be. Give me her number and I will call her for you. I promise not to swear at her like I do to my customers, but I am a fairly good listener and negotiator.

My second choice is tell her in a nice way that we are at a point where we are afraid to do any more work and it will be better if we negotiate to get paid for the portion of the work that is completed and she start fresh with a new contractor.

My last choice is to free myself up so that I don't lose 10 times what this job is worth. Give her all her money back and move forward with making money on other jobs. There has been many times I've refused to take jobs, or cancelled jobs that I thought were going to turn bad and I made 10 times more money.

Not all money is good money and remember that every bad review haunts you for the rest of your life. BBB reviews take time to answer and the thinking and worrying can drain you to the point you hate everyone and lose your will to work. 

You don't want to step on dollars to pick up nickels.


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

pcplumber said:


> You don't want to step on dollars to pick up nickels.


:thumbsup:


Precisely


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## Rio (Oct 13, 2009)

Having had personal experience with having a jerk of a customer attack me and my company through it, The BBB is no big deal. 

We got a letter from them with the allegations from the 'client', all of which were a bunch of lies and when I asked the BBB if they were prepared to defend themselves legally by publishing these lies they said something to the effect that if we responded to the accusations with an explanation then the complaint would be shelved.

We did so and that was the end of it although I think the jerk would have the opportunity to respond to our response and then we would have the final opportunity to respond. In any case the BBB had the common sense to avoid publishing false allegations.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

I've read articles where companies are fighting back

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-04/local/35625084_1_yelp-online-reviews-defamation


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

tenon0774 said:


> Sometimes...
> 
> Discretion, is the better part of valor.


How does that apply to this situation?


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## pcplumber (Oct 12, 2008)

*Not shelved here.*



Rio said:


> Having had personal experience with having a jerk of a customer attack me and my company through it, The BBB is no big deal.
> 
> We got a letter from them with the allegations from the 'client', all of which were a bunch of lies and when I asked the BBB if they were prepared to defend themselves legally by publishing these lies they said something to the effect that if we responded to the accusations with an explanation then the complaint would be shelved.
> 
> We did so and that was the end of it although I think the jerk would have the opportunity to respond to our response and then we would have the final opportunity to respond. In any case the BBB had the common sense to avoid publishing false allegations.



I would think the BBB rules are similar in other states and the case is closed when all parties are finished responding, but not shelved. A closed case is visible to the public for three years and the intelligent customers will check you out with the BBBB before Yelp. 

I was being a smart butt with the BBB for several years and was responding with really bad and insulting things about customers. I was not aware that there was a link where all my responses were visible for the world to see.

The best thing to do is to avoid every review because if you let this job turn into a bad review you may get another and then another and then you will have many reviews haunting you for life.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger would say, "do the right thing" and then she goes to commercials.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

woodworkbykirk said:


> a few years back we did a remodel for a woman who was bipolar.


I have done that twice hopefully never again. What a nightmare, they should be forced to wear a sign. There is no way out without losing money or time. They always seemed to have a lot of time.

That's when I came up with my 1 day rule, I will fix/replace it if I can do it in 1 day. And then never ever call me again for anything. I would easily spend more than a day fighting with them, so I am ahead.


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