A Lead Stands You Up, Deal Breaker?

2804 Views 18 Replies 17 Participants Last post by PoleBarnsNY, Jan 21, 2014

tonyc56

Discussion Starter · Jan 5, 2014

You had a scheduled appointment with a potential client. You wait 30 minutes, only to later find out that aforesaid potential client left early -- due to weather issues. You didnt receive a phone call or notification about him cancelling the appointment. Would you entertain the idea of rescheduling?

As for me depending upon how desperate I were to get the job, I might swallow my pride, but it really does not bode well. I don't like to have my paycheck dependent upon a person who is inconsiderate and can't manage their own time.

If they can't manage their own time, how good are they are managing their finances? I want my paycheck. I don't want to expect to be paid and the check not show up without any explanation or prior arrangement.

If I am the one doing the hiring, a no show is an automatic deal breaker.

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

thom

· #2 · Jan 5, 2014

I was stood up several times before getting smart about it. Just before leaving to drive to the lead I would call to confirm they would actually be there and be prepared.

Now that I'm a LandLord I do the same thing. When a prospective tenant makes an appointment to view a house they must call me when they are leaving wherever they are to head over to the house. My rentals (15) are only 2 miles from my house so I can get there quickly.

mikeswoods

· #3 · Jan 5, 2014

You have a built in set of warning bells that have allowed you to survive in this business----

How loud are they ringing?

pinwheel

· #4 · Jan 5, 2014

Tell em to piss up a rope.

Your competition will get the paycheck.

Personally, I stay in good communication with my clients & potential clients. When I write down the info from the lead, I get all available phone #'s. If I'm there & they're not, I pick up the phone & get an explanation. I don't have blanket policies for how I deal with clients. They're on a case by case basis.

For me, weather concerns are a valid reason to leave early. Yeah, I would have appreciated a phone call, but at the same time, I can understand that they might have other things on their mind & I wasn't one of them. Course, if I land the job, that time spent for being stood up will be calculated into the final price.

Reactions: 2

jstanton

· #5 · Jan 5, 2014

I would probably charge to come back again. Something like $50 that goes toward the job if you get it. At least make sure they are serious. This also depends on if it was a referral, past customer or cold call.

huggytree

· #6 · Jan 5, 2014

about once a year I have a customer stand me up....now I always call before I show up..if they don't answer I don't show up

had a customer 2 years ago answer and say come on over....when I showed up no one was home, so I call him and he says his wife was supposed to be home and he hasn't been able to get ahold of her......i asked why he told me she was home? (he had no real answer)...I told him I wouldn't come back unless he paid $160 for my trip charge and 1 hour min. labor.....of course he said no ....I finally sent him a bill for $60 to cover gas and he did pay it.

if the customer is a no show why would you bother with them again??? its not a grey area....

I don't think anyone here is going to tell you to beg them for work

Pearce Services

· #7 · Jan 5, 2014

How many contractors don't show up or show up late, without a phone call?

They may have been stood up themselves at some point.

Bottom line is they are the customer, **** happens, I would hope you don't discount all prospects based on one oversight.

Given the weather, maybe you should have called them.

I would be on the look out for other warning signs and prequalify a bit more agressively to ensure that they are not a time waster, But I would not run just for that.

Reactions: 2

plazaman

· #8 · Jan 5, 2014

I've been stood up before, and i stood people up before as well. sorry! it just happens.

Reactions: 1

huggytree

· #9 · Jan 5, 2014

Pearce Services said:
How many contractors don't show up or show up late, without a phone call?

.

a better question would be how many get HIRED after not showing up....the answer.................................0

not showing up for a bid is a pretty big sign of a bad customer....might as well be wearing a neon sign---im a bad customer

Pearce Services

· #10 · Jan 6, 2014

huggytree said:
a better question would be how many get HIRED after not showing up....the answer.................................0

I wish that were true.... a piss-poor excuse for not showing, followed by a low bid still works way too well for some people.

Lack of courtesy, unreliability, and poor communication is far too common in many professions.

Gary H

· #11 · Jan 6, 2014

If a lead stands me up I don't come back. If that's the game they play it will be the same when you go to collect your check.

power

· #12 · Jan 13, 2014

mikeswoods said:
You have a built in set of warning bells that have allowed you to survive in this business----

How loud are they ringing?

I agree with that.

Reactions: 1

Gregory D

· #13 · Jan 13, 2014

pinwheel said:
Tell em to piss up a rope.

Your competition will get the paycheck.

Personally, I stay in good communication with my clients & potential clients. When I write down the info from the lead, I get all available phone #'s. If I'm there & they're not, I pick up the phone & get an explanation. I don't have blanket policies for how I deal with clients. They're on a case by case basis.

For me, weather concerns are a valid reason to leave early. Yeah, I would have appreciated a phone call, but at the same time, I can understand that they might have other things on their mind & I wasn't one of them. Course, if I land the job, that time spent for being stood up will be calculated into the final price.

:thumbup: Makes sense to me.

aptpupil

· #14 · Jan 13, 2014

If they are appropriately apologetic about it then I'd let it slide. If they think it's no big deal then they're probably the type of person I don't want to do business with. At the very least, if that were the case, I'd figure that fact into my bid.

pcplumber

· #15 · Jan 15, 2014

huggytree said:
about once a year I have a customer stand me up....now I always call before I show up..if they don't answer I don't show up

I think it is a bad policy not to show up when the customer doesn't answer the phone because about 80% of the customers I call don't answer their phones because they didn't hear it ringing, it was in another room, etc.

We find that we have to call almost everyone at least to times these days before they will answer their phone and most customers are home even when they don't answer.

I have a few lazy employees who blow off jobs every day and their excuse is the called the customer and there was no answer. Then, I have to take a bashing from the customers because they swear that there phone never rang. Then, my employees will show me on their caller ID where they did call the customer, but my guess is my employees allow the phone to ring one or two times.

maxwage

· #16 · Jan 15, 2014

Gary H said:
If a lead stands me up I don't come back. If that's the game they play it will be the same when you go to collect your check.

My thoughts exactly. Something as simple as a no call could mean bigger headaches down the road.

Mrmac204

· #17 · Jan 15, 2014

I got a really nice crown/baseboard job from an HO a few years back. His designers carpenter missed two scheduled meetings with the HO.

He found me, I made sure that I was there about 1/2 hr ahead. A couple weeks work, and a nice referral to one of his friends.

If I'm late, I call.

I allow about an hour window now, so I used to say "I'll be there at 10 A.M." then the traffic is at a stand still I'm late. Now I say "I'll be there between 10 and 11".

Had another guy (4 years back?) set up an appt. I went to his house, I woke up the tenant. (Saturday morning) the guy didn't answer his phone. Ok, that was a dud.

A few months later he calls me and wants a quote to install doors HAH! I questioned why he wasn't there the first time, he had no answer. I didn't quote him.

thesidingpro

· #18 · Jan 16, 2014

If I'm scheduling something more than a few days out I always tell them I will call in the morning to confirm. This kind of sets the appointment in that 90% for sure phase. I do this so if I need to cancel it's a little softer on them. Sometimes I might have a 10000 problem that needs my attention more than a possible prospect. Just the nature of what we do and being a smaller outfit without a dedicated salesperson.

PoleBarnsNY

· #19 · Jan 21, 2014

It depends on the reason. Wife went into labor. Child had a car accident in critical condition. I decided to play bingo with my grandmother. I forgot. See what I mean?

You can avoid this entirely with a better approach. I always confirm an hour before and explain I do not leave until I can confirm. It works and is appreciated by the prospective clients.

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

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