and.....

? ....... it doesn't bother me -. why are you worried about it?

Brian,

 

Completely normal for a HO to want to be home, no problem.

I've had the odd one sit and watch me work all day. I think it is more of a curiosity thing rather than looking for mistakes. Don't forget, they probably wouldn't know anyway.

It doesn't bother me, I tell them it's fine, you can watch all day, just please don't get in my way.

If it were to be hindering my ability to work, I would politely tell them you need to stay clear of my work area so I can do the job you hired me for.

To the HO that want to help, and I've had a few, I tell them you can clean up the site at the end of the day. It will save my helper a half hour each day.

Never are they allowed to actually do any work. Not covered under my compensation, and then there would be more stuff for me to fix.

 

I tell 'em to stay the ***** outta my way!

heh

Actually, in my line all I have to say is: "careful, that door's still wet...so's that wall...and that one too...

 

Some of that answer will come from how confident are you with your work and your work habits.
Another area will be liability. Talk to the HO and explain that he cannot be in your immediate work area because of liability issues.
Lastly you might suggest that they are welcome to come and see the progress only after you have taken a break or after the end of the day cleanup.

As long as he/she's not disruptive or in the way they have every right to watch and learn how much is actually involved to do things properly.

.......and why, in real life, it takes a lot longer that it does on the DIY shows:w00t:

 

I understand the wanting to know how its done thing.

I agree as long as they are out of the way safe a sound its all good..

But there is that little place that thinks they just dont trust you..?

 

We were spraying some acoustic ceilings once.
The HO's (about 80 year old) mother was sitting in the living room...and she KEPT sitting there.

I told my guys "if she don't move pretty soon, just throw some plastic over her".

 

I don't mind it until they get in the way.

I kindly remind them that their presence slows me down, which will raise the price.

 

That may work for an hourly charge but when you are working on a fixed price they can really slow things down.

As long as they don't get in my way I could care less if they watch me.

 

If you have the confidence in yourself at what you do, it doesn't matter who is watching you or if you're being video taped. Once they see that what you do works, if they have any doubt they might back off now, or they might just be curious on how you figure things out and how you get the job done.

In the end, it doesn't mater who is watching you as long as they're not in your way.

 

Most of the time they are just curious. There is also the trust thing until you can build the relationship.

Now if HO's bother you, wait until you experience a pesky architect or state inspector that doesn't have anything better to do but watch you. And there is nothing you can do to get rid of them.:w00t:

 

Most of the time they are just curious. There is also the trust thing until you can build the relationship.

That's interesting because after reading this thread, I tried to think of a time when a homeowner watched me work but didn't slow me down. I can't think of a time. Whenever a homeowner watches me, it seems their sole purpose is to make the job take twice as long as it should. Normally it's just elderly people who don't work, so they have nothing to do besides watch me work and get in the way.

My solution is to bid time and material when I think this will be a problem. But if you are stuck on a contract price, you may find yourself constantly fighting with them, watching your profit diminish every minute. Do what you can to negotiate with them, but sometimes you can't, you just have to eat the loss.

Did you ask the homeowner why he is taking time off work? You can explain to him that he doesn't have to take time off, and that you can do the work while he isn't there as long as he explains what he wants. Sometimes homeowners think they have to be there when they don't, could be a misunderstanding.

 

It depends on my mood, most times I don't care if they watch. If they get in the way they bother me.

I had to ask one guy to step back and watch from the lawn while I was installing a new front door for him. The front porch was only 5 feet square, with all of my tools and me and the door they was just no room for extra ...help?

Some times I wish I could just ask what time I could come and watch them at work?

Thanks Chad

 

i don't usually mind,but after awhile it can become tiring,sometimes i feel like Cool Hand Luke:blink:...takin it off here boss:clap:

 

What we have here is a failure to communicate:laughing:

 

That's the beauty of having Zip Walls with me always.

 

use black plastic and you could do anything in there:shifty:

 

If they are getting under my skin and some thing that is detailed. I have a easy way to back them off. Very nicely With a smile I tale them it is going to start costing them a $100.00 per heart beat. they say and back off.
David

 

I don't mind

As long as they don't mind.

 

You owe him Meleko....

I don't mind

As long as they don't mind.

That is the solution to your problem :laughing: Priceless answer ewing:thumbup::laughing:

Brian

 

I don,t care if they want to watch but i do get a little pissy if they keep sticking a level on everything i touch . :blink:

 

i heard the cardinals where the worst for that kind of stuff

 

I don't care really, unless they're overly chatty or in the way..."time is money, don't f&*% my dough up!":laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

I've had some that say something like - "I just love work, I could watch someone doing it all day long"!

In all seriousness, I've had several that actually get in the way, then comes the time to treat them just like a parent would treat their child and point out what exactly is wrong with doing what they do. I've even had one fellow shut the compressor off just so he could finish talking about something that didn't amount to a hill of beans, much less have any bearing on my work (his project). Fact is, some folks just don't grasp things sometimes and have to be treated much like a father would handle his child.

 

When someone watches me, it makes me nervous. That causes my palms to sweat which can make the hammer slip out while I am swinging it. Sometimes it just barely misses them, sometimes.:whistling

 

Easy solution. Put on your safety glasses and hearing protection, then hand them your spare set.(The really big, obnoxious, brightly colored ones). Tell them if they insist on being in the work zone, they either wear them, or you go to another job.

They can't talk to you, the glasses make them feel like a dips#!t and after you spin around once or twice, nearly taking their feet out from under them, they'll go away.

 

Don't forget the hard hat, gas mask and safety harness tied off too a safty line.
:lol:

 

Beans, lots of beens the night before and all is well at work. At home. . . I may have to sleep on the couch

 

Beans, lots of beens the night before and all is well at work. At home. . . I may have to sleep on the couch

For a painter, that gives a whole new meaning to coming out of the closet! :blink:

 

i find it depends on the homeowner, some of them im fine with that being the ones who are curious. if im trimming or something they will see me coping or hanging a door, and they are curious as to the process, if their standing back watching im fine with it but if they crowd me while im on the saw ill do the helicopter spin with a piece of baseboard as opposed to flipping the saw

if the ho is there all the time watching for mistakes i take extended breaks and more frequently. just so i dont freak out at them. as im not known for being calm and collected:furious:

 

Most HO's take the day off, especially for a couple day project. Most want to be there just incase you have a ? and you haven't earned their trust yet.
whoever the salesman is, usually explains that they can't watch and get in the way. Most like to pop in and see the progress. Did work for a retired builder. He was watching me from the start, but after 20-30 min. He said, you seem to know what you're doing. And then just popped in every couple hours.

 

happens to be more than not with little stuff. this past winter, i started wearing ear buds all the time. i worked by my self a lot, so it was habit mostly, but i found when i kept having to stop, take them out and say, what?, they stopped hanging around so much. wasnt intentional, but it ended up working.