Working Alongside Clients

Forry

Any body else do this?

More often than you would think, the client wants to work with me on a project. Scared the crap out of me at first, but after the first one, I got to like it! It makes for an interesting job, the clients so far are very respectful, and helpful, and it's fun.

I bill the same hourly rate, and they seem to like learning from me. So far so good.

I do worry some about liability, and have some interesting wording in those contracts, so far so good.

I'm guessing not many contractors do that... any one else?

mdshunk

I'd rather hit myself in the head with a hammer.

wackman

None yet but it definitely don't sound fun!

Danahy

Makes me think instead of calling me next time, they might just do it themselves. Making for a repeat business killer.

Stone Mountain

We would never do it. Why give them a free education?

Also too many issues: liability, worker's comp, warranty (do you put a warranty on work they did?

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Forry

I don't worry about the repeat business, we're busy. And they DO call back! I think these types are addicted to remodeling, and just can't help it.

And it IS fun! And it's good for the self confidence, people ask TONS of questions, and see the mistakes especially when I or one of my crew says d#$%, I botched that cut for a third time! It's been good so far, and we've done 4-5 client assist jobs now.

I didn't think any one here would be into it, but I like it. The only mistake I've regretted is letting the client buy materials. They don't know how to pick lumber, don't know how to make alternate choices if what I spec isn't available, and I don't get my mark-up. Everything else is good though, believe it or not.

Danahy

Actually now that I think about it... I have customers that call me to paint only the hard parts, as they are painting the rest... So indirectly, it does happen to me, just not really at the same time. In my case, as a painter it could be fun... Especially if I get them on small remedial tasks... Or I could let them roll flat oil, on their great room ceilings using my 18 foot extention pole... I'd pay to watch that for sure...

Forry

Hah! I like to see how far up a ladder they'll go...As for liability, I don't warranty anything that I don't do, and as for comp/liability, then on;y thing that really worries me is a tool going bad and hurting someone, and as I have employees, I try to keep the tools safe, and don't want anyone to get hurt, and clients are responsible for their own safety and don't do anything they don't feel safe about.

Most folks I know don't like to be watched when they work, and I can understand that, it's unnerving, and when it's too much for me, I tell the client to go do something else.

I love to teach. I want people to know how building works. I'm proud of what I do, so it doesn't bother me to show people.

I think that if you're good at what you do, you don't need to worry about teaching the competition, you'll find plenty to do.

I once had a question about part of a job I was doing, and asked around. One contractor I'd worked with knew the answer, but didn't want to share his info, 'cause he did'nt want to teach his competition. STUPID! We all need help, and we all need more education, and if you're good enough, you can learn more, and do more things, and don't need to worry about competition.

WOW! sorry for the rant... OK, now let me have it... I can take it...

Danahy

No rants from me. It's Friday night, kids are being good, I plan on sleepin' in alittle tomorrow... all it great here.

As for the teaching, I like doing it to. I find teaching helps to remind me of things I know. Also I tend to hold a higher respect for guys that tell me a trick or two about their trade.

Gaius Baltar

Are these customers unemployed or something? They can just hang out with the tradesmen all day and pretend they're construction workers? Homeowners are primarilly jerks, so I don't need them interfering and meddling when I'm trying to work.

calypso

All of my "client help" jobs have been nightmares. The questons they ask are so far out in left field it takes a half hour discussion to get them back on the right track. It is also hard to make them realize that by helping, they are not making the job cheaper but doubling the price. One of the worst client help jobs that stands out in my mind was when I was working for a local contractor. The owner of the house was about seventy years old and had to be all over the site making suggestions and trying to help. One day there were three of us rasing this large inner wall for some cathedral ceiling room. The boss decided to make these bird beak cuts in the ends of long 2x4's for us to use once we got the wall up high enough. The whole time the owner is behind us giving us "helpful" hints. Well of course by the time the wall was almost up our slotted beaks in the 2x4's snapped in unison and the whole wall came crashing down. All of us were able to jump out of the way as it hurtled down but the homeowner just stood in the middle of the room not aware of much of anything. When the dust settled, all that was left standing was the homeowner, standing inside the framing of a large door.

thom

The warranty/liability issue may not be as clean cut as you make it. You are the professional, you hold yourself out to be one, and as such you are personally responsible for your actions and words. If a person relys on your expert advice and that creates a problem you are responsible whether you charged them for the advice or not. This has been litigated repeatedly.

If a permit is required, you are the professional and as such you are responsible for making sure it was procured. Most states have warranty requirements and will hold you responsible even if the owner did the work under your direction.

Everything will seem blissful until that day when you get sued. You will get sued for things that were the owners fault/responsibility. You may or may not win in court, but financially you will loose. Court is not about what's fair or right, and as a business or professional, the cards are stacked against you.

Murphy

I had a guy ask me to do this last year and turned him down just because of the headaches. This year I was doing some other work in the neighborhood and found out the guy is a child molester. Not saying that has anything to do with the topic but weird story eh!

dirt diggler

i like it when they do come out and start asking questions

(not in a cynical way --- but just out of genuine interest or just striking up a conversation)

strappin on a tool belt and "showin me how it's done"?

haven't really run into that on construction end of things


on service calls - it happened once - i was polite about it, but i sent a bill and didn't make any effort of showing that I wanted to come back

POOLMANinCT

get the heck out of my hole, you are a liability

A.W.Davis

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Grumpy

Ditto. I don't even like to work for customers who want to provide materials. If they want to do one phase of the project and I another phase, fine...but I'll be damned to work side by side, or to put my guys through it.

POOLMANinCT

once came to a hole and an HO/engineer strung my sub-base, i yanked out his pins... set my pitches & dropped a stone to restring...

dirt diggler

HOO-AH

Forry

Client does NOT tell me what to do... The other way around... They agree to work as part of my crew, and on the lowest rung.. QC is done by me, and if stuff isn't good enough, it's redone, and I'm not shy about it.