Choosing Your Clients

ZeroTolerance

I have to admit that I can be a real prick when it comes to choosing to work for a customer. When ever I meet with potential customers I take mental notes of every thing they say and listen for red flags, I am pretty sure that they think they are the ones doing the interveiwing but in reality I am screening them much more than they could imagine. this practice has served me well and I have had good relations with 99% of my customers. as the red flags rise so does my price. this tactic works well most of the time but occasionally I get one that is hard to shake without being blatent and telling them that I dont feel that we are a good fit for each other. I have a potential job that will crack the 6 figure range but the more time I put into the proposal and meeting with them the more I want to walk. they have not really done anything wrong but I get a strange vibe from them and my intuition tells me to cut them loose. how criticaly do you screen clients before inking the deal. I usally pull the tax records on there properties and look for anything out of place. what other type of reseach can be done to find out information about them? past lawsuits? personal finances/credit score. ask for a referrel from another contractor that they have done business with in the past?

AtlanticWBConst

It's really hard to get all the info. on a client, especially, if you are not in their town, or have no connections there. It sounds like you do a good job at your research. Generally, we just ask questions, wherever we can find common "contacts" with the individual/business. That has actually been enough to help us avoid doing business with a few losers.

You are more cautious than the average person. But, you know your own tolerances, Thus your "Name" on this forum.

FWIW: We rarely have to screen our customers beyond the initial visit (That 1st visit , or phone conversation says ALOT - to those who listen closely). Often, we have been able to handle (even manipulate) customers (that turn a little difficult) into doing things the way they should. This is where I prefer to send my business partner in, he is actually pretty unbelievable when it comes to "reading" people and dealing with people. When you have someone like him around, it's like having a bloodhound that can sniff out potential problems...

We generally don't worry too much about it, unless, the person has no reputation (and it's a big $$ job), or if they start sending redflags up on the initial conversation, then we will start doing our research by asking around, or simply tell them that we are really completely booked up for 6 months, which is generally the truth. (I don't believe in lying about anything).
My business partner knows EVERYONE, I mean everyone. He could talk a buzzard of a dung wagon, so he has natural finese(sp) and can find out alot...

Anyways, that's just how we've been doing it for the past 22 years. Of course, no matter what you do, you're going to have that "one person" that you blind-sides you ... about once every year or two...

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