Fed Up!

Double-A

Do you have an access clause in your contract? The one that says that the job site has to be accessible with materials storage, etc.?

If so, this is the clause to enforce. By moving your materials, they have violated the materials portion, by moving the stuff onto the deck, they have violated the access clause.

Just sit down with them and explain that you'll be back on the job as soon as the job site is cleared of anything that isn't tools, material, or supplies. They will be charged after the first lost half day of work for delays. If not, then you will wrap up and they can pay redeployment charges to get you back out there when you can schedule them back in.

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

nukem99

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Leo G

Ever think it might shame the HP into being a normal human and following the safety rules.

__________________
Sawdust Follows Me Everywhere

http://lrgwood.com
Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut

Tscarborough

One and done is sometimes the best outcome, Nukem. A lot of times, I don't even let it get that far with homeowners, since my customer base is commercial contractors. I get lot's of pissed off HO's that think I am a dick because I won't sell them Muriatic acid, or explain how to stucco their house, or estimate their projects for them, etc.

You always have to keep the 80/20 rule in mind:

80 percent of problems are caused by 20% of customers, and my goal is to eliminate that 20%.

__________________
It ain't Rocket Science unless you are building rockets.

nukem99

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Tscarborough

80/20. Write it on your arm with a permanent marker.

__________________
It ain't Rocket Science unless you are building rockets.

Leo G

I really doubt that very much.

__________________
Sawdust Follows Me Everywhere

http://lrgwood.com
Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut

nukem99

"Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” How many homeowners would hire me if that were the business card I presented? " Come on -Wishing the HO or family was to get killed on job site you maybe in the wrong line of work ....

Gus Dering

Does that really work for you?

I mean do you say it in a nicer tone than I perceive you to have in your post?

Personally in a case like this I tend to lean a lot more on common sense. I can understand their excitement about their new deck and wanting that weekend to enjoy it. I can also see them not understanding how much they set you back by moving in prematurely.

So for the first offense I would move all their stuff and get back to work asap. Then educate them on your exposure to risk that they unknowingly bestowed upon you. Not to mention the hassle it caused in lost hours.

It is my personal view that if I have to mention or show something in a contract to a client that I have failed at communicating at some point and the relationship is strained, probably beyond repair.

We all have a style that works for us. Waving a contract around to settle something like this is not mine. I can understand having the clause and briefing them on the meaning of it before it's a problem. But come on guys we are guests in their home at the core level.

__________________
Every parent who has walked barefoot into their child's room late at night hates Legos

deckman22

Well said Gus.

Nothing to gain by getting PO'd & walking off, move the stuff & get on with the job.

On any extra work they want hit them up a little extra for the pita they caused.

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Deckman
www.alscustomdecks.com

Leo G

I think you guys might be missing the point. He is fed up. It is not this one client. It is a lot of them. And they keep doing the same thing to him over and over. It may be the clients first indescretion, but it is his breaking point. After a while, you just get sick of things happening that shouldn happen anyway. He has it drawn out in his contract and they are just disregarding it because they are excited. If you are excited use the deck and then move your crap back when you are done. As I have said to my clients on occassion, it isn't really yours until the last payment has cleared.

__________________
Sawdust Follows Me Everywhere

http://lrgwood.com
Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut

nukem99

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Gus Dering

I get that the OP is full and needs a vacation or something. Probably pissed off and frustrated elsewhere as well. I think he did well to vent here rather than at work too.

All I'm saying is that these things get handled better through relationship than paperwork. No good relationship comes from proving a point with paper.

Vent away but don't corner a client into being wrong with your contract. Interact with them, educate them, basically win them over with concern and kindness.

And its fine to cover your ass with the initial contract.

__________________
Every parent who has walked barefoot into their child's room late at night hates Legos

nukem99

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neolitic

You don't know a lot about Chris,
do you?

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Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

nukem99

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neolitic

Take a look and see if you
have the right description....
http://www.customdecksandcarpentry.com/default.aspx

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Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

nukem99

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DecksEtc

Making snide, uneducated comments about someone you don't know is worse.

You're new here - maybe you should take a bit of time to get to know something about people before you start assuming you know them and start insulting them.

I don't know you, but I'd wager a significant amount of money that the OP's skills and experience are far superior to yours.

Double-A

Gus, when it comes to clients, I'm a soft spoken person, but I speak with a confidence that let's folks know I'm not just flapping my gums. I'm tactful, but to the point. I would tell the client we need to meet because we have an issue on the job site that has us at a work stoppage.

When we meet, I remind them of our conversations regarding site access and try to understand where their thinking is on the whole subject. Once I think I have their side of the story, I then assert my position and what is at stake per the contract we both agreed to. I don't threaten, I don't cajole, I just put it on the table and go from there.

Yes, we have pulled off of jobs before and redeployed at a later time.

My whole point here is just to remind folks that you have to control your jobs and job sites. This doesn't mean rude or emotional, it just means calmly asserting your position in a professional and unaccusing manner and then working to a resolution.

Nukem, I think you're reading too much into what the OP actually said and did in front of his client. He needed to bitch to some folks that could understand his position and appreciate all the implications of what they did.

Just because he's upset doesn't mean he's gonna do anything but get on with the task at hand in a professional manner. Read some more of his posts and I think you'll see that while a bit stubborn, he's also a consummate professional. He might bark here in the yard, but I think his clients love him to death and I know they love his work.

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