It only really takes one bad client to really upset your day. Everyone has them no matter what people say about being perfect. I wasn't sure that I would make this post in time for Wednesday, but I thought a lot about one client who sort of grated on my nerves for a long time.
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It only really takes one bad client to really upset your day. Everyone has them no matter what people say about being perfect. I wasn't sure that I would make this post in time for Wednesday, but I thought a lot about one client who sort of grated on my nerves for a long time.
Once or twice a year we all seem to get a bad client no matter how experienced we think we are in reading people. I know there have been a lot of articles written about the topic, but I want to chime in on what I use as red flags for bad clients.
- They want you to meet them for an estimate outside of normal business hours. This point is a HUGE one for me. Every time I do an estimate and someone says to me, "The other contractor who met me on Sunday said….", I generally know something is looking bad. Religious beliefs aside, the week has to have some order and Sunday is supposed to be about relaxing, family time, etc. … Clients who expect you to show up on a weekend or after 6 p.m. generally want only what they want and don't care about your time at all.
- They have no children and their dogs are their "children." These people generally have the belief that life is perfect and floors don't scratch, especially when the floor is subject to a 150-pound black Lab and they live on a houseboat. I'm not judging people without children at all. I'm saying that people who love their dog as much as a child and have never experienced the miracle of a child are likely to have some pretty intense expectations for how a floor should be done.
- They're panicked about dust. I know that there is a lot of money being made right now while marketing the term "dustless." I've witnessed a lot of contractors strike fear into the hearts of homeowners about dust. Just the process of hand-sanding your corners can make dust unless you have a vacuum attached to your hand. Leaving a clean house with whatever it takes is more important than hooking up a vacuum and assuming that's all it takes. If the hose falls off your edger while it's running, you are no longer "dustless." Let's all man up and ditch this term in 2012 and use the more accurate phrase "dust collection."
- You're estimating the job without them present. I've done estimates that get forwarded to the homeowner by the realtor, etc. If you are not meeting with the homeowner in person, you have absolutely NO WAY of asking about their personal expectations for the floor until it is too late. The homeowner may be focused on price over quality or vice versa, but you will never know until after they accept the estimate, you are signing a contract, or are in the process of doing the job. I recommend you be VERY careful about this unless you really trust the Realtor, designer, etc.