Any customers that you couldnt make happy?
Im going to guess that in the 18 years or so I have been in business I have had maybe 400-600 customers. Looking back I have done a great job meeting there needs. When I leave a job site everything is done 110% And its done right.
That being said there is a few that I just couldn't make happy no matter what I did. I got a call yesterday with a person that was quite upset at me cause her roof was leaking. Apparently a shingle blew off awhile ago and this past rain storm started to let the water in. I give a standard 1 year warranty on all my work. I did this roof in 2001.
There is also 2 other people that didnt like the work that they got from years ago. One of them was a trailer roof who hired me to re-apply alum. roof coating. The job was for 300 dollars total. She then sued me for $3000 because of damages. On the contract I stated there was no warranty on this job. And I explained that too her prior the job starting and gave her other more permanent solutions.
The next one was a time thing. They wanted job done in 3 weeks which I did agree to. In week 2 my appendix blew up and I was out of work for a couple weeks. So the 3 week project took me 6 all together. They were so mad, and hate me to this day.
So 3 people in 18 years, not so bad I guess. But I live in small town and see these people from tie to time and every time i run into them i feel weird. Awkward, not knowing if i should smile and say high or what?
Do you have any past clients that do not like you? How do you deal with that?
That being said there is a few that I just couldn't make happy no matter what I did. I got a call yesterday with a person that was quite upset at me cause her roof was leaking. Apparently a shingle blew off awhile ago and this past rain storm started to let the water in. I give a standard 1 year warranty on all my work. I did this roof in 2001.
There is also 2 other people that didnt like the work that they got from years ago. One of them was a trailer roof who hired me to re-apply alum. roof coating. The job was for 300 dollars total. She then sued me for $3000 because of damages. On the contract I stated there was no warranty on this job. And I explained that too her prior the job starting and gave her other more permanent solutions.
The next one was a time thing. They wanted job done in 3 weeks which I did agree to. In week 2 my appendix blew up and I was out of work for a couple weeks. So the 3 week project took me 6 all together. They were so mad, and hate me to this day.
So 3 people in 18 years, not so bad I guess. But I live in small town and see these people from tie to time and every time i run into them i feel weird. Awkward, not knowing if i should smile and say high or what?
Do you have any past clients that do not like you? How do you deal with that?
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Some customers don't understand that you are human and things happen. I assume you have the standard we are not liable should delay be caused by act of war, mother nature ect.. clause, add health issues to it 
yes i do, not that anybody really pays attention to that though
Not bad at all. I'd seriously consider hiring a colleague, even at a loss, to finish if I was taken away for a health emergency. Most clients would probably decline if I offered this.
I have found the only time people want to pay attention to the contract is when it works in their favour not in yours.
I have had the health emergency happen before, luckily for me the customer was very understanding.
I have had the health emergency happen before, luckily for me the customer was very understanding.
I have one customer in particular that complains about everything and anything. I have lost count of the amount of times they call us in to do a job on a serious time crunch, then complain about everything and call us unprofessional. Yet, they keep picking up the phone and calling us for every job they need.
They're irritating to say the least, but they pay the bill on time every time and provide a good consistency of high dollar jobs.
They're irritating to say the least, but they pay the bill on time every time and provide a good consistency of high dollar jobs.
Only every one, he was terminally unhappy, I hope he dies painfully and rots in hell.
The rest of my clients I love.
The rest of my clients I love.
Yes... There are always some of those people that conveniently forget you advised them against what they wanted to do.... I think it's a human reaction that these people do not want to take responsibility for their own error.
Then there are the paid recalls that stand there and say, Goddamit, you told me about this, should have listened.
Happens to my wife in RE who has pointed out pros/cons on the property, and then are upset with her when it turns summer and a top floor bedroom is sweltering hot in August.
Not currently, but I've done alot of foreclosure work..... and the stresses of an individuals circumstances does not allow them to think clearly. I explain that I did not foreclose them, that I am affording them many things that the bank would not have done had they retaken the property..... takes some time before they realize it.
One turned an attorney on me who called and read the riot act... I listened, then told him my side of the story, and 15 minutes later the lady called profusely apologizing.
I've generally found if you can get an objective third party involved, it can solve alot of the problems and issues.
Then there are the paid recalls that stand there and say, Goddamit, you told me about this, should have listened.
Happens to my wife in RE who has pointed out pros/cons on the property, and then are upset with her when it turns summer and a top floor bedroom is sweltering hot in August.
Not currently, but I've done alot of foreclosure work..... and the stresses of an individuals circumstances does not allow them to think clearly. I explain that I did not foreclose them, that I am affording them many things that the bank would not have done had they retaken the property..... takes some time before they realize it.
One turned an attorney on me who called and read the riot act... I listened, then told him my side of the story, and 15 minutes later the lady called profusely apologizing.
I've generally found if you can get an objective third party involved, it can solve alot of the problems and issues.
I have over 150 customer reviews at homeadvisor and have earned a 4.70 rating out of a possible 5.
If homeadvisor called me tomorrow and offered to remove the one 1-star rating I got several months ago, I wouldn't let them. I was initially concerned, but then several good customers commented that they loved the way I responded in writing to her complaints.
Most times if you just let the kooky ones talk, the customers you want will see through them immediately and take your side. It's completely counterintuitive, but you want an occasional turd in the mix now and then. Anything else doesn't look credible.
If homeadvisor called me tomorrow and offered to remove the one 1-star rating I got several months ago, I wouldn't let them. I was initially concerned, but then several good customers commented that they loved the way I responded in writing to her complaints.
Most times if you just let the kooky ones talk, the customers you want will see through them immediately and take your side. It's completely counterintuitive, but you want an occasional turd in the mix now and then. Anything else doesn't look credible.
This is my review page from a supplier, it gets me tons of calls I'm not about to throw a turd in the mix. This can't be cheated, when I'm done with a job I fill out their warranty online and they get a rate your contractor card in the mail.
http://www.trex.com/find-a-contractor/details/?PRO=28063TP
http://www.trex.com/find-a-contractor/details/?PRO=28063TP
It sounds to me like the above clients are simply opportunists trying to get something for free. They're out there!
I've had a few that weren't happy, but it was only when I wouldn't throw in a few extras for free. (More opportunists)
I think Warner had the best analogy where he compared us to an auto mechanic. (While your under the hood checking the oil, you mind just doing a quick tune up?) something like that.:laughing:
Sounds like you have a great track record.:thumbsup:
I've had a few that weren't happy, but it was only when I wouldn't throw in a few extras for free. (More opportunists)
I think Warner had the best analogy where he compared us to an auto mechanic. (While your under the hood checking the oil, you mind just doing a quick tune up?) something like that.:laughing:
Sounds like you have a great track record.:thumbsup:
Outa thanks... But Kow .... you are dead on in my opinion.
Wow... You got alot of relatives/big family Huh?
At the last Oklahoma State Homebuilders Convention, we had a guy give a program on how to deal with clients....pretty interesting. Two ideas were ingrained completely: One was that you will have customers who you will remember as literally the Anti-Christ, and that you will be the Anti-Christ to some as well...and they will be on and the same.
My client that was my Anti-Christ was talking with me about building a new home, and the numbers at that time I used were roughly $70 a sq/ft. Now before you guys start yacking it up, I quote for everything under roof....and every added floor space. If the footprint is 5000 sq/ft and has 1000 feet of bonus space, that is 6000 feet and will probably hit 420k.
The client brought me a house plan that had 4260 sq/ft and about 3/4 of the way through the build, (cost plus contract, no total numbers listed), she was hostile and said I was dishonest. She said we were over budget.....I said no, we are actually under quite a bit....she said 2100 sq/ft should cost 147k....I said no, we would be actually under by maybe 25k and finish at 275k.....she was astounded....where did I get that idea...EVERYONE knows you price a home on living square feet....and my replay was priceless....."do you think God gives you a 3 car garage and 1000 feet of outdoor living spaces at no cost when you build a new home?"
So she gives me a bad rap every time.....but I have yet to lose a job based on her referrals...matter of fact, I tell each and every potential client that I do not call myself a home builder, I am a contractor, and every square foot of a home has a cost attached to it. In the long run, telling that tale and integrating expected total numbers into cost plus contracts has kept me out of contention since, and made people realize the idea of true cost of construction.
My client that was my Anti-Christ was talking with me about building a new home, and the numbers at that time I used were roughly $70 a sq/ft. Now before you guys start yacking it up, I quote for everything under roof....and every added floor space. If the footprint is 5000 sq/ft and has 1000 feet of bonus space, that is 6000 feet and will probably hit 420k.
The client brought me a house plan that had 4260 sq/ft and about 3/4 of the way through the build, (cost plus contract, no total numbers listed), she was hostile and said I was dishonest. She said we were over budget.....I said no, we are actually under quite a bit....she said 2100 sq/ft should cost 147k....I said no, we would be actually under by maybe 25k and finish at 275k.....she was astounded....where did I get that idea...EVERYONE knows you price a home on living square feet....and my replay was priceless....."do you think God gives you a 3 car garage and 1000 feet of outdoor living spaces at no cost when you build a new home?"
So she gives me a bad rap every time.....but I have yet to lose a job based on her referrals...matter of fact, I tell each and every potential client that I do not call myself a home builder, I am a contractor, and every square foot of a home has a cost attached to it. In the long run, telling that tale and integrating expected total numbers into cost plus contracts has kept me out of contention since, and made people realize the idea of true cost of construction.
I had one once till we got drunk.....
I have to turn in receipts at the end of the year, to receive marketing funds. Those reviews fall off each year so you would eventually run out of family. I've been in this program for 12 years since it started. Those reviews are real. I work very hard for them. :thumbsup:
MTN REMODEL LLC said:
You delete all the 4 star reviews?
I know that Cali.... just F'n with ya.........:laughing:
I would say most of my clients are pretty happy. I can recall two that were difficult to deal with. On was a guy who wanted windows and doors. He kept talking about saving a penny here and a nickle here on items that were only in the dozens so savings would be a dollar or 2. I told him generally I think in $50 increments and you talking about pennies to me on a small number of items means little to me. I am not going to scour the internet for hours to save you 4 cents on a hinge. You can do that.
Then he wanted me to make windows with a diamond pattern. And he wanted me to adjust all the styles and rails on each individual window so he could just by one size of glass. And then quibbled that they didn't look right because he wanted all of them to look the same. I told him I could make windows smaller and bigger to fix that and he said he wanted to fill the spaces he had for openings.
And then there was the lady who would supply me with drawings with all the dimensions. I would make her item and install it and she would tell me she didn't like it.
At one point she said "I may not know what I like, but I know what I don't like and I'm looking at it right now." Of course, she designed that too. But eventually I made things good for her and she said she was happy. If she was or wasn't I really don't know. She hired me a few years later and she was happy with what I did for her.
Then he wanted me to make windows with a diamond pattern. And he wanted me to adjust all the styles and rails on each individual window so he could just by one size of glass. And then quibbled that they didn't look right because he wanted all of them to look the same. I told him I could make windows smaller and bigger to fix that and he said he wanted to fill the spaces he had for openings.
And then there was the lady who would supply me with drawings with all the dimensions. I would make her item and install it and she would tell me she didn't like it.
At one point she said "I may not know what I like, but I know what I don't like and I'm looking at it right now." Of course, she designed that too. But eventually I made things good for her and she said she was happy. If she was or wasn't I really don't know. She hired me a few years later and she was happy with what I did for her.
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