Dealing with Difficult Clients, Part 2

In the last blog I focused on making a case against contractors. Now it is time to focus on what clients do that makes our job more challenging, annoying, frustrating, upsetting, you name it. The bigger picture is this: We all face the same problems at work. Whether you’re a contractor, salesman, accountant or doctor, the issue is the same: People are people. As such, we all possess the same feelings, emotions, insecurities, fears and views. You are probably thinking, “How does he know this and where is he going with it?” I know this because I talk to my friends and family when I see them, and I don’t like talking about the weather. My wife, who is an accountant, has the same problems with clients my dentist has with his. In fact, my last client, who is a computer programmer, has the same problems with his clients, ironically the same problems he presented to me when I did his floors.

Here is a list of things I bet you had experienced before with your clients:

1) You show up to start the work and the house is not ready. Now you have to wait—or worse, help move stuff out of the way so you can keep your schedule. Remember the complaint that “contractors are always late.”

2) They (your clients) want to add a room to the installation after you started work or (as happened to me last month) want to add a room and change the flooring product to be installed. Well, now you have to adjust your schedule accordingly so you are behind schedule on your other jobs next week, and you haven’t even started them. Well, “Contractors are always late”.

They watch you and your crew while working, I think it’s called “creepy staring.”

3) They watch you and your crew while working, I think it’s called “creepy staring.”

4) You find out the painter was working after you left last night and he didn’t have enough time this morning to remove all his gear and drop cloths from the floors you’re working on (that’s how you found out).

5) They blame you for a ding in the kitchen cabinets … kitchen cabinets that have 100 more dings and scratches.

6) They talk too much and at the wrong times. It is usually in the early mornings when you get the most work done. They want to converse while holding a cup of coffee with both hands and they won’t offer you any. Forty-five minutes later your guys start making evil sounds while closing on both of you.

7) They don’t want you making noise before 8 in the morning (or 10 a.m. in the case of one job I had).

8) They want the floor sample to look black as black can be. You make the sample but “it is too black.” Now they want to see more brown.

9) They say things like:

• I don’t like this board.

• You can’t see it now, but this blemish can be seen in the afternoon when the sun comes through the window and I can’t live with it.

• I can’t live with it.

• I thought you were going to fix all the squeaks (on a refinish job).

• This board is too dark.

• This one is too light.

• I want a wood floor but I don’t like the variation between boards.

• The finish you put on my floors made them cup (true story)

10) You’re dealing with the husband for weeks on this project and when it comes to the staining phase, guess what? He is married! The wife shows up, takes over and wants 50 shades of gray (for stain samples—focus, guys!).

11) You’re dealing with the wife, who is smiley and trusting. The husband shows his face toward the end of the project only to mark his territory and make your life miserable.

12) There is blue tape or sticky notes all over your final coat.

13) They are walking you toward a problem area but they can’t find it now. Hold on, it was just around here, let me get my flashlight.

14) Your final payment is due, like, last year. They put the check on their desk but “forgot to mail it.”

15) They will email you and they will text you, but they won’t pick up the phone.

16) They will bring their plumber/electrician/gardener to critique your floor work.

I told a friend last week that I didn’t think of them as difficult clients, just clients.

The list goes on and on. I am sure you have some comments adding onto the list. The bottom line is this: How do you handle difficult clients? I told a friend last week that I didn’t think of them as difficult clients, just clients. I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of doing some horrible things as a consumer. Some of which I probably wasn’t aware of. We don’t mean to be mean to each other, but we are. It’s everywhere, not just our jobs but on the road. You can never go fast enough for the driver behind you, right? So what to do when facing a rough situation?

• Be a professional from day one. Everything needs to be solid. From your reputation to the way you present yourself. Your walk must match your talk.

• Expectations—talk, talk and talk some more before you start the job. Assume nothing. The client doesn’t know that your floors come in nested bundles and have square edge … it is your job to educate your client.

• Learn to say no or I can’t, and for the advanced level of pro’s, learn to say I won’t.

• Always be on time and keep your schedule per your promises.

• Always have it in writing.

• Never do work without a written change order.

• Make stain samples before you start the work. Before! Provide three samples and charge for anything after.

Clients are just relationships with people. If you have a bad one, it will only get worse. I don’t expect to be hired by every client. I don’t want to work for every client … much like I didn’t want to date every girl in high school. I told one client two weeks ago that I wasn’t interested in working with them. She asked why and I said that I didn’t think it was going to be a good fit. To conclude, you must be professional at all times. Never email or call back when upset. In the words of Al Pacino, “Never open your mouth till you know what the shot is.”

Be cool.