Sad But True (and A Little Funny)

Paul Staub

I gave a quote to a lady last july and when she saw my price of around $400 per window she was shocked and angered that is try to rip her off like that. Anyway she told me on the phone that she found a much better deal for about $160 per window and I should be ashamed of myself because this guy used the very best quality around.

So... last week I receive a call from the lady to set up another appointment with me, and im sitting there thinking wtf? So I get out there and she tells me to replace the windows. I go into the house and find 6 new tilt-in windows and 2 new tilt-out windows. I could not beleive what i was seeing. After talking to the lady i found out that the guy and his helper finished off a 750ml of Southern Comfort on the job, got so drunk that they installed the last 2 windows backwards, one of them vomited in the back yard, and when the lady refused to pay they told her to go F@#$ herself and drove off stinking drunk.

$1200 thouroughly wasted. Amazing how dumb money makes people. Furthermore I'm shocked that she called me out after this. I figured she would need to call out someone who didnt give her a quote originally to try and save a little face.

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-Paul

Humble Abode

You should turn her down, tell her you don't fix other peoples mistakes

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Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. Kurt Vonnegut, (1922 - 2007) from the Novel 'Hocus Pocus'
The NAPP
Milwaukee Painting Contractor

Paul Staub

well im just the salesman, i wouldnt have to do the work. And i felt obligated to take her money after the tongue lashing i got the first time.

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-Paul

metalroofer

Thier money spends as good as the next. After all you put your time into this, now get paid! Met.

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Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut!

PipeGuy

I hope you raised the original price

sawdusted

Paul
I usualy tell people in this situation that I charge double for fixing there mistake.( should have hired you in the first place.) you should see the looks on there faces , then we get real and discuss the problem at hand . always cost more to strieghten out a problem than to do it right in the first place . Lesson learned, if she jumps and has the job done for your price ,she will be sure to call you on the next job to have it done right, and almost always tell all of her friends.
what ever it takes
Dan

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"what ever it takes"

Paul Staub

yeah it would be great if i could have raised the price but alas i am just a corporate peon. Anyways, I feel that i have earned the commission that i got this time for not punching here in the face when i was there originally.

I often clash with customers that have a self-defeating or always the victim attitude. I simply tell them the truth and what they need to hear rather than tell them what they want to hear just to get a sale. This will bring an argument out of that type of person every time.

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-Paul

Grumpy

Yup. My favorite quote is "Really you have to wonder with so many problems you have had with so many different contractors I find my self wondering is it the contractorS or the customer who has the problem?"

I've never actually said that to a customer's face though I have thought it 90 million times. I have said similiar more toned down statements trying to point out they could be at fault for being the ones to choose the morons.

shopdust

I luv a Happy Ending, (sniff sniff)

CGofMP

Outside the box thinking here ---- but you could always try to be gracious, understanding, and fair to her and reap the bennefit of the referals she sends your way.

Many items are blind items to the general public types.... There are a lot of shady characters in the industry both charging too much for mediocrity and others charging lowest dollar for absolute crap.

I wager if any of us walk into a jewelry store and buy our girl someting special that we too could find ourselves in similar quandries as the homeowner who is deluged with more products than he or she can understand offered by people that all claim to be the homeowners best answer to their problems.. at least til lthe ink is dry on the contract.. then... it can go either way.

She had the temerity to call you back and lose face... that says somehitng good about her. She is admitting she was wrong. You could spin this into someting positive and reap the bennefit of her hard earned education.

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Memorable Places - My little home on the web
Member of the White Knights Of Contractor Talk

mikesewell

CGofMP,
Works for me. :Thumbs:
Best regards,

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Commercial construction

Sewell Construction

Glasshousebltr

What you should have done is turn the right ones around.

Bob

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Bob

Spectatorz

I would charge double the original price !!!
Fixing other peoples lousy projects costs alot more than being able to have a job done right the First Time.

That aughta teach em...

dacusvillegirl

I see this a lot in HVAC the guy who thinks the Distributor is going to sell him the part so he can install it himself, then he realizes they will not sell it to him because he is not an HVAC Contractor nor is he EPA Certified. So he calls back to set up an appointment and by then I am book out and he waits another day with no AC.

Misty