Anger Management

Heritage

I got a beef and I want your feedback. It's about customer relations.

Every HO thinks they own you the second they sign the contract. My current clients are on a commercial project (husband wife and male parnter). Everything is fine, but the husband and wife are very rude.

They stick their nose into my business, "where are you?" "Where are you going?" and today the phonecall that started off not with a "hello" but "Where you at"?...

Deadlines are being met, the job is moving along beautifully.

My phone rings "Is that your girlfriend again"?...

They are always on-site and they always interfere with work. They use my tools and start doing little pet projects without even asking. They grab the mop and broom and start dusting this place and that place. Moving things from this side to that side. My guys are grouting and they start sponging behind them insisting that they want the job to move along faster and then they cop an attitude like "we had to help you"...



Am I wrong?

I've told them before that they shouldn't interfere and allow my paid employees to do the job, some of whom are being paid piece-work. But they don't listen and today the guy goes "look at my hands, I had to scrup the tiles...look at my wife's hands".

Well let me do my ing work!!!

I can't have 4 guys in 50 places at once. We're professionals...we know what we're doing, if the grout sits on the tiles for ten minutes it's ok.

But it's getting to the point of absurdity and they cannot be reasoned with and they are making everyday a pit-stop in hell. The woman talks to me like I'm her kid.
"Peter you have to do this next"
"I can't do that yet, I have to finish x, y and z before I get to that stage"
"It's ok, if you don't want to do it then fine, we'll do it ourselves" And then thumps away trying to make me feel guilty or like I'm the A-hole.

How the heck are we supposed to get some reasonable measure of common sense out of people like this? This project will look great in my portfolio and is a 24-7 reference of my work...but is it worth our sanity and dignity?

Any thoughts?...

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Toronto General Contractor-Renovation Blog-Contractor on Facebook-Renovation on twitter-Contractor Youtube

send_it_all

Well, these circumstances would certainly piss me off. If it is a bid job and not T&M I would tell them to stop interfering immediately and, if they continue, you might start charging for the extra time it is taking on the job. Do you have a real contract? If so, there should be something in the terms and conditions about this sort of thing. At least nobody in the work area etc. etc.

If I remember correctly, there was another thread of yours about 6-8 months ago where you had another beef with a customer that ended up with you almost coming to blows with him and if I remember correctly, you tore down work that you had done on his house. You caught quite a bit of crap for that on this site.

If I am not remebering correctly, and that wasn't you, I apologize, but if this is a pattern with you, you might want to re-evaluate how you deal with people.

send_it_all

I'll also add that if you have four guys, and you have 50 places they should be...I would be an unhappy customer too. Get more guys if you have that much work.

EricTheHandyman

You need to add a clause to your contract to cover this, and enforce it. Here is mine, which originally came from this site:

2. Due to insurance regulations and safety procedures, the customer, other contractors, workers, children, pets, and individuals will not enter the work area unless agreed upon by both the Contractor and the Customer. If other contractors, workers, children, pets, or individuals are to be present during the duration of the scope of work, the Customer shall not schedule or permit such activities that will interfere with or prevent the timely and successful completion of the work. If the Contractor must stop work due to interference of any nature, the Customer agrees to compensate the Contractor at the rate of $55.00 per man-hour until work can continue as scheduled. The Contractor shall not be held liable for any damage caused to its work by anyone other than the Contractor and its employees. The Customer agrees to compensate the Contractor at the rate of $55.00 per man-hour to correct all such damage.

jcalvin

I am in a similar situation were the HO will not give up and let me do my job. He wants to do some work hisself to save money so I ask him to keep the trash hauled off and get the shower doors and tile out of the way so I won't have to move it to do the framing . He is buying items on sale for the trim out months ahead of schedule and putting them in the house in everybody's way. I just charge him to move it. It's not really a big concern though. I do similar to what EricTheHandyman does only I don't have it written in the contract. It is agrivating but at least I am being compensated for jumping through hoops.

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Cal


You hired WHO

Chris G

If you pay WC and have liability insurance, that is enough right there to make them stop, because both are null and void if you are under their control. They may be liable for any injury on the job.

mdshunk

Give her a chair to sit in.

wireless

I would take out the customer part. You are setting yourself up for trouble if the customer has to approve every person that comes on the job site.

Michaeljp86

I was thinking the same thing.

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I am just a vessel from which genius flows -Homer Simpson

Global warming is a myth, like evolution and the metric system.

Taranis

Write them a letter stating your insurances prohibit unauthorised persons working or using your plant/tools/materials.
Make them fuly aware of this and state that you cannot allow anyone outwith the company to tamper with etc.
Start the letter with how well things are going on site and all that so they dont have any leeway for complaint.

Taranis

Send it all, if we are all to blame cos we had a dispute with one than one customer then we must all be bad bad people.
4 guys to be in 50 places is a turn of phrase. Dont take it too literally. Please.

Double-A

First of all, you need to grow a thicker skin.

Second of all, people treat you the way you ask to be treated. If you are letting your GF answer your business phone with anything less than your business name, or to call you every time she's feeling lonely or wondering what you want for dinner, then don't expect your clients to ignore that and pretend it didn't happen. You got caught being non-professional and just passed control of your relationship with your client over to them. They now have a weapon to bludgeon you with at will... "Is that your girlfriend again?"

You're supposed to be a professional. Someone answering your business phone should also convey that professionalism. If they don't, they shouldn't touch the phone. This is especially true for you. If you can't maintain a professionally short conversation with your girlfriend on the phone with something like, "can I call you back in 10 minutes? I'm in the middle of something and I can't stop to discuss that now.", then leave your phone in the truck!

"Where are you?", "Where are you going?"...
These are signs that these folks are insecure. They need you. Turn the tables on them. When they ask this question, answer it with something like, "I'm trying to take over the world. Yesterday's plan didn't work out so well, so I'm trying something new." This will stop their train of thought with some humor and shift them over to getting down to the business of their project instead of doing what you see as prying into yours. Its not. They just want someone to talk to about the project. They are just being demanding.

You're dealing with folks that like to be in control and you're having to deny them that. If you completely deny them, you will have two unhappy clients. If you somehow accommodate them and their control freakiness, in such a way as to not interfere with your guys, then you've just learned the secret to dealing with difficult clients and become a hero to your clients and to your guys.

You've just entered into management, or as I like to call it, Adult Day Care.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I can hear the responses now. "I shouldn't have to do that. I'm not a in this business to pander to someone else's whims and petty foibles."

Guess what? Yes you are. That is what a GC does all day, everyday. We pander to everyone. If you're not good at it, perhaps its time to put some supervision on that job that is and can handle these folks.

Better to make a little less money on this job and have happy clients than to allow this nightmare to continue for everyone involved. Put your foot down. You're in charge. Your tile setter or plumber isn't going to do it for you. But, they might just walk off the job if you don't do it soon.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

kevjob

set boundarys while work is in progress no HO input or help is needed because you are the professional sit them down and try to have an adult conversation and when she starts in with her BS call her on it. Un-acceptable behavior has to be dealt with swiftly.

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Kevin
Basement Finishing Highlands Ranch Colorado
Littleton Colorado, Basement Remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling Denver

SelfContract

LOL yes! .... Arm-Chair General's said... "Peter, you have to do this... do that... why??.. why not??... why??... why not??...etc."

EricTheHandyman

thanks guys, I never thought of it that way, but you are absolutely correct, it's my butt on the line if somebody gets hurt, no the HO's. Nice catch

xkv8r

I had a customer do the same thing, she then started to take her chair with her and would follow us around the house as we were working.Then it got worse. She called and said our drywall sub "grabbed her boob" ,now if you saw what she looked like there is no way in hell.So we give her benefit of the doubt ,fire sub ,hire a new one, then she decides when it is all done she doesnt want to pay.

The second one , lady had a daycare and we were putting on addition. She had a son named Joey,the kid would always come in be in the way.She would just let the kids go,run all over and take our tools.We would build barricades and kids kept coming through,but did little to help. We were putting down vinyl flooring and had just glued the floor , so we stepped outside for fresh air came back in.There is old Joey stuck in the middle of the floor, I left him their ballin his eyes out .

You need to tell these people you dont need there help , they can clean up when you leave . Tell them that they are a LIABILITY, and a DISTRACTION , and if they are going to watch it is going to cost them money. If they think your kidding give them an invoice.

KentWhitten

Call your ins. company. Mine will help me by saying to the client "we cannot and will not cover any claims happening from a highly dangerous job site while uninsured people are present. My client will not continue until the jobsite is free from other uninsured persons" or something to that extent

namely the HO

You might want to start thinking of having a lawyer write something up in your next contract to cover this.

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If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

john5mt

As well as the whole insurance angle you could also tell them that you bid the job to do it a certain way in a certain order and you will accommodate their desires as far as which order they want things done in but every hour that it takes extra will be $XX.00 plus mark up on any extra materials and it voids any warranty.

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1st Gen tradesman
My summer job in college became my profession

Jason Whipple

I'm all too familiar with these types. Unfortunately I can't offer any good solution that would defuse the situation. They will most likely be offended at any suggestion that they are not helping to move things along. They will most likely be upset if you demand they stay away from the work area. Really nothing you can do to get what you want and have them understand the sense of it.

The best you can do is keep your tools locked up or in your truck when you don't need them, calmly explain and go over your game plan daily before you start work, and let them know that you aren't thrilled with the constant interruptions. On the same token, get rid of the cell phone if this irritates the H/O. If you have a need to be on it all day perhaps you should think about getting another person on site to make up for the time they feel is lost.

Basically, keep your head down and on there tasks while your at work. Let them know that it is also your best interest to get out of there in a timely manner.

Good luck, I feel for ya, been there!

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Jason E Whipple, General Manager
Historic House Restoration, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Sieloff

Ive been there too, just try to get it done and move on to the next job. Some people are just like that and "Some Construction Guy" is not gonna change them. I give you credit for not flippin out. Good work.

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Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.