coping with impossible clients

[bricks]

Customers????

The less money they have= more likely to pay me,
The more money they have= less likely to pay me?

As for difficult customers- I try to weed out the PITA's before I do the job, I don't even quote it.

In fact I don't find myself quoting at all lately, the regulars or refferals just ring and say can you do it, when, see-ya then!

[Cliff Rogers]

I reckon that if it wasn't for the customers & the employees, I'd love my job.

[Ron Dunn]

Customers????
The less money they have= more likely to pay me,
The more money they have= less likely to pay me?

That is so true!

My woodworking is funded by my other hobby - I'm a Wedding DJ - and a general rule is, the more wealthy the client, the less fun I'll have, and the more trouble I'll have getting paid.

[bricks]

Too right , just a story for you guys,

Theres an older lady i do work for regularly- ( i think she just needs people around) Every time I go there she gives me $100, regardless of what it is I have done- we are talking some pretty basic stuff here. She won't ever accept less even if i get tough with her, she goes and hides it in my toolbox or whatever when im not looking.

So i've got a little book that goes in my glovebox now, it's got a running tally of everything shes paid me V's the expenses I've had.

I recently replaced her Hot Water service for $100, and a cold drink.

[Gaza]

I recently replaced her Hot Water service for $100, and a cold drink.

you busy tommorrow come over to my place and do mine, you are the first plumber that i have met that is a fair price.

[watson]

Bricks for Karma King!!
Luv it!

[rhancock]

My trade work is our top up money, as I study full time, look after the kids full time and work evenings, weekends and when the kids are asleep, so I charge what I think its worth to spend my time away from my children. Some customers don't want to pay, some do. Both are fine by me. But I will not undervalue my time with my kids.

[Cliff Rogers]

...I recently replaced her Hot Water service for $100, and a cold drink.

Good on ya.

[bricks]

Bricks for Karma King!!
Luv it!

Just need to clarify, I did get paid the right amount of money.

Just that It was in the "bank" so to say because Julie insists on paying me $100 every time.

Julie's breakdown of costs for labour is this

• $70 /hour to work
• Plus lunch
• Lunch at the pub costs $15
• Because the pubs made the plates smaller ( it's a conspiricy)
• Hardworking men have to have two lunches
• She can't buy me beer because "that's for after work"
• Cool Drinks (good manners) are free.

Total =$100.

Sounds logical to me?

But we are both happy with the arrangment

[astrid]

Your a sweetheart bricks,
I have my share of old darlings as well,
what goes around comes around.
astrid

[NCArcher]

I had a call out for a hot water service not working. An older lady was in quite a tizzy because she didn't have any hot water. We called in to her house to check it out on the way home from the job we were at. Myself and another tradesman. We had a look at the HWS and sure enough it was a gas one. (We are electricians) We explained that it ran on gas not electricity but we would have a look anyway. Pilot light was out. Relit it and away it went. I don't think she understood about the gas and electric but insisted on paying us for fixing it.
We protested in vain but she wouldn't let us leave without paying.
she produced a $2 coin and said "Now you share that with your friend."
I'm glad i didn't have to bill her for an hours labour and a replacement element. The shock might have done her in.

Bricks, I like Julie's accounting method. Works for me. Most of the older ladies we worked for insisted on feeding us tea and cake every 10 minutes.

[Cliff Rogers]

..she produced a $2 coin and said "Now you share that with your friend." .....

$2 was worth something 35 years ago.

[AlexS]

Hope you didn't spend it all in one shop, NCArcher.

[NCArcher]

I think it may have gone towards a down payment on a beer after work.
Although not strictly difficult clients we used to get called out to lots of jobs that we didn't charge for. Mostly older folk who couldn't work out how to use something. Usually stoves. I've lost count of the number of times i've had to reset the auto/man cooking buttons on St George ovens.

[astrid]

Had a good one a year or so back.

lady rang and said she had a split in one of her set of chairs and could i fix it please.

She had 12 indonisian mahogany chairs all split, filled with bog and falling to bits.

Well, I took one over to a friend of mine who has a big restoration shop to ask his advise.

His off sider took one look and fell over laughing.
after he recovered he called my mate out and he explained that she had bought two in a month back.
They had done what they could and when the woman came to pick them up she accused them of doing all the damage and refused to pay them.
he still has the chairs.
So I took photos of the two she gave me and gave them to my mate, then took my two back and told her they were unrepairabe.

When she turned up at my friends shop and demanded her chairs back, he showed her my photos.
she paid up.

funny thing was she rang two months later to ask me to fix her table.


Astrid