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Interior designor flips out

4K views 35 replies 27 participants last post by  Tom R 
#1 ·
I went to her husband condo for rent to check out a small job.

3 Doors, knobs and a deadbolt setup for front door and new kitchen counters with matching backsplash - no problem so far - I get pricing for her and tell her that I need to order the counters (not in stock) Price XXX.

Sent her all info by email - now I get a reply by email on Sunday Please order counters ASAP and she will have doors on site when I install the counters. (arrrrr) Economy being what it is I agree BUT I need a check to cover counter tops! Order them and I will give you a check Wed morning.
No problem - I get a call on wed morning Her Husband forgot to leave a check but she will put one in the mail in the next day or so :censored:............. I pause on the phone and then I ask her if she would give me a custom design without a check in hand?????:no: No but that is not the same:blink:..... I explain that this is not how I do business and I do not like being in this position, but since I have no choice, I guess so.

I get one job per year from her and she makes me feel like I owe her contractor pricing.:laughing:

2 hours later she calls me (crying) and asks if I can cancel the order because she feels insulted by me asking for money ahead of time (&*%&^%$) I told her that is exactly why I need the money up front because any thing can happen and I do not want to get stuck with the materials.

Should I feel good I stuck to my principles?
OR
Was that foolish and I should have taken a chance getting stuck with counters?
 
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#4 ·
drywallinflorida is right on.

Do detailed contracts, even with close friends and family, unless you intend to work for free.

Detailed contracts prevent hurt feelings. Both parties understand exactly what is expected by themselves and by the other.

Your real friends will hire you even if the price is more. Fake friends want a discount.
 
#15 ·
i dont know about that last part. so money will mean the difference of a real friend and fake friend? thats pretty odd, but maybe our definition of friends is different. if i call on one of my friends or family in a trade to do something and they wanted to charge me what they would charge joe shmo up the street then so be it, but dont ever call me asking for help with a single thing and dont expect me to view you as someone i can count on. to me a friendship is a bond formed by helping eachother and being there for someone. and you do that because for whatever reason have things in common whether it be life experiences, the same interests in things, your view on the world or whatever the case is.


i'd never charge one of my friends to help them out with something unless they were passing the charge onto someone else. i care too much about my friends to dig into their pockets. but thats just me.
 
#6 ·
Honestly, does it matter what I (or anyone else) think? What do you think you should do?

Some will say, think with your integrity.
Some will say, think with your wallet.
Some might even say, think with your dipstick..Jimmy:laughing:

What's most important to you?
Hmm good question, I did what I thought was best at the time- Loosing a customer sucks - But paying $500 bucks for a counter I can't sell
"Really sucks" but this site offers good advice ( most of the time lol) and I wanted to see the results of the Pro's

Thanks
 
#7 ·
I worked a half day today for the same reason. Customer was supposed to hand me a check today for last weeks work. Hourly job where I'm working off the deposit.

Initially he agreed to pay weekly within three days of receiving an invoice. I sent the invoice last weekend. He wants to pay me next Tuesday. Reason, "I have to go to the bank" :blink:. Later he said "We'll I have to get going, don't want to hold you up" :wallbash:

After he left the job, we cleaned up and all went home... till next Tuesday :w00t:

Couple of us will probably go to the job a couple hours a day, just to keep the cob webs from forming. I'd love to crawl into a customers head once in awhile to see what goes on in there. Im amazed by how fast they fall off the game plan.
 
#8 ·
It sounds like you have been in that situation before and you followed your gut. It shouldnt be that much work to get you a check for materials. What is the amount, ok its on its way. do you want to pick it up ?

You were in the right I feel. And if you only do one job a year for her. that is not that in depth of a relationship
 
#17 ·
I did a bathroom remodel for a designer once. Job was going well and we were ready to start tiling by the end of the 3rd day (not a full gut job)
I called the designer as we were using a decorative listello and wanted to know where he wanted it. He said I'll see you first thing in the morning - around 10:00 (thats first thing??). Well, we started tiling as the listello wasn't going to be right above the tub. 10:00 came and went...no designer. I called him at 10:30 and he was busy - could he call me right back..........by 12:00 - no designer, no return phone call. I called again-right to voicemail. So, we finished up the tile - installing the listello at about eye height (where we normally put it). THE NEXT DAY at about 11:00 the designer comes in and starts mouthing me as to where the listello was. He wanted it one course higher and expected me to remove the tiles and re-do it. When I told him that we would be more than happy to do that - just as soon as he signs this work order - he freaked. The customer who had heard his rants came down to find out what was going on. The designer started to complain about his trades (that would be me) when the customer said "I really like where the listello is, and, weren't you supposed to be here yesterday at 10:00 to go over this with Mike?)

He shut up and pretty much did not talk to me the rest of the job. When he gave me a cheque he said he wasn't sure if he was going to call me again. I made his decision a lot easier by telling him, with all due respect, NOT to call me to do anymore work.

You do not need to put up with that kind of crap!
 
#19 · (Edited)
On the scale of customers, I rank interior designers about equal to the little old lady who wants 4 brick (and mortar!) to match her 60 year old house, and WAAAAY below some clueless DIY'er who wanders in. My wife does some interior design, and she knows better than to even ask me to do anything for her, other than give her technical information.

edit-The very first thing out of each and every designers mouth is, "Do I get a discount", to which the answer is, "Sure, how many truckloads of material did you need?"
 
#21 ·
I feel fortunate to live in a fairly rural community where we don't have to deal with designers & most dealings are still done with a handshake. I've got a contract at the bottom of my bid sheet, that outlines payment schedule & downpayment. I try to take the time to get to know my clients before I agree to work for them. If I feel uneasy, I get a contract signed & money down. More often than not, no paperwork is signed & I get paid at the end of the job. Heck, sometimes I even get a tip. :) In 15 years of being self employed, I've been stiffed for $1700 on one job. Not a bad track record if I do say so myself. Course, a $15,000 job is a big job for me & the majority of what I'm owed is labor as a rule.
 
#29 ·
Re: Friends in the trade helping out. As a rule, I will not ask a friend to come help me in his trade, other than in an advisory capacity. That is, I do not ask my mason friends to come help me lay brick, although I may ask them to come help fell a tree, or if he is an electrician I may ask him to come over and keep me from being electrocuted as I change out an outlet.

I do not mind using their labor or their mind, but I would never use both. Plus I give good BBQ and beer.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I went to her husband condo for rent to check out a small job.

3 Doors, knobs and a deadbolt setup for front door and new kitchen counters with matching backsplash - no problem so far - I get pricing for her and tell her that I need to order the counters (not in stock) Price XXX.

Sent her all info by email - now I get a reply by email on Sunday Please order counters ASAP and she will have doors on site when I install the counters. (arrrrr) Economy being what it is I agree BUT I need a check to cover counter tops! Order them and I will give you a check Wed morning.
No problem - I get a call on wed morning Her Husband forgot to leave a check but she will put one in the mail in the next day or so :censored:............. I pause on the phone and then I ask her if she would give me a custom design without a check in hand?????:no: No but that is not the same:blink:..... I explain that this is not how I do business and I do not like being in this position, but since I have no choice, I guess so.

I get one job per year from her and she makes me feel like I owe her contractor pricing.:laughing:

2 hours later she calls me (crying) and asks if I can cancel the order because she feels insulted by me asking for money ahead of time (&*%&^%$) I told her that is exactly why I need the money up front because any thing can happen and I do not want to get stuck with the materials.

Should I feel good I stuck to my principles?
OR
Was that foolish and I should have taken a chance getting stuck with counters?
Wow!

From what you describe, her position is not based on professional standards. Why would she "feel insulted" by you asking for your materials costs to be covered before you purchase a non-refundable item? That is just common business protocol.

Maybe you were a little uncertain yourself as you asked? That could have come through in your voice, that you doubted your own position. Sometimes those things influence others when they shouldn't. But you did the right and normal thing, so there's no reason to doubt yourself. Remember that confidently taking a professional stance will attract like-minded professionals to working with you.

Kathie
 
#33 ·
In regards to friends- I have one friend who's wife racked up huge debt in his name. Before he found out about the debt and that she wasn't paying bills she was supposed to be paying he found out she was cheating on him. When he confronted her she left him. He can't give me anything except have a beer w/ me now and again (that I usually buy) and we talk about how things are and about whatever it is we have in common that makes us good friends. I buy him stuff, fix his pos Ford, and do whatever for him because he's a good friend and that's what good friend's do even though he can't give me anything except his friendship in return.

I have another friend that I just finished a bathroom remodel for. He's very grounded financially, and very blessed w/ an incredible family. Right before I gave him my quote (that was going to be quite a bit cheaper than I would've done it for Joe-shmo for) he said "Charge me whatever you normaly charge, I don't want you working for nothing". After I finished he paid me more than my quote. I tried to give it back but he insisted I take it.

Both of these guys are two of my closest friends. A good friend is there even when you don't have anything to offer. Bartering relationships aren't friendships, that's business. If you live your life worrying about weather or not you're ahead, I'm betting you're pretty miserable
 
#35 ·
I've got a good friend who is an electrician. I helped him frame his shop, he helped me wire my shop.

We don't keep track of how many hours each has spent on the others' home. We are just there for each other. If I need him for something, he comes, no problem, and visa versa.

Friends don't keep time sheets, they just help their friends out when needed.:thumbup:
 
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