coping with impossible clients

[astrid]

How do you cope with the client who;
keeps ringing with small requests like
" we put the cabinate on an open tread stair case and we can see the unfinished underside, can you come over and stain it?"
or
I am doing a renovation, can you hang on to it for about eight months
or
I just bought new carpets can you make it white but not painted (cedar)
or
Ive been told that 150 bucks is too much to restore and reglue a chair, can you do the other 4 cheaper (but the have to match the first 2 )

aghhhh
astrid

[munruben]

To be honest with you, some folks are just not worth working for. You can't please some people no matter what you do and the more you do, the more they expect from you.

[Greg Q]

The answer is to always charge for those extra requirements. Since the underside of a cabinet is not typically stained, that for me would be a travel and hourly charge. Say $150.

My wife has some difficult clients-I urge her to levy an ???????? charge for them until they go away. One of them is now paying 220% of the normal hourly rate but she won't go away. She's becoming a valued customer again!

It's difficult isn't it, balancing customer's needs against your own.

Best,

Greg

[Chris Parks]

Astrid, your question is why I now work for someone else instead of myself. I was in the car repair business, cars were great, the owners were the problem.

[silentC]

"We put the cabinate on an open tread stair case and we can see the unfinished underside, can you come over and stain it?" "Sure, bring it in and I'll do it for you. How's next month?" Thinks: "they'll never turn up."

I am doing a renovation, can you hang on to it for about eight months. "I can recommend a good storage company. My policy is that any goods not picked up within 6 weeks go on eBay."

I just bought new carpets can you make it white but not painted (cedar). "No."

I've been told that 150 bucks is too much to restore and reglue a chair, can you do the other 4 cheaper (but the have to match the first 2 ). "You are welcome to take the other 4 to the person who can do it cheaper."

Simple!

[bitingmidge]

I've been told that 150 bucks is too much to restore and reglue a chair, can you do the other 4 cheaper (but the have to match the first 2 ). [COLOR=DarkRed]"You are welcome to take the other 4 to the person who can do it cheaper."

Absolutely.

I met a hairdresser in the US a few years ago who became fleetingly famous for his marketing prowess.

He was the only shop in town, so got to charge a fair amount for the work.

One of those discount shops arrived and opened opposite him, with the whole shopfront painted with an 8 foot high sign which read $3.00 haircuts.

He decided not to compete on price, arguing that his customer base was loyal and wouldn't leave. After a few months he was starting to starve, so changed his shopfront, NOT his pricing.

The new sign, in three foot high letters across the whole shop said simply:

"We fix $3.00 haircuts." Of course after that he put the others out of business, but that had to be the ending didn't it, or there wouldn't have been a story in it??

I always remember that bloke when I get offers such as the one above!

Cheers,

P

[Waldo]

Ooh boy, this question comes at a good time when I had a blue with a client last night.

Client only wanted 1 concept, so I quote it and ask the client you sure you don't want two concepts, because if you only want one you only get one and one set of alterations, after that you start paying by the hour for additional alterations?

Yes I'm sure and my client can't afford more than that.

Okay.

So I start the work. Long story short - I look at various ideas and start developing my ideas. Time is ticking and the time allowed the concept is dwindling because I also have to allow for one set of alterations and final artwork yet. So I pull the plug on my idea and start another which I finish in time and I'm happy with it. My client who contracts to me for her clients doesn't like it, so effectively I say, "tough, humour me and show your client", then I say I can only work on it according to the hours I've quoted etc. which she well knows.

So then I get an email back this morning, the client now loves it.

Whatever the job or client if they're a pain add agro money to your quotes. And another lesson - never underquote to get a job. My client does and she always loses money for every job after that.

[Wood Butcher]

Interesting about underquoting etc.

A friend of mine does fibreglass repairs. He was approached by a truck hire compamy to quote on doing regular inspections/repairs to their fleet of cherry pickers with fobreglass baskets. He didn't really want the extra work so he quoted what he claims as an absolutely ridiculous amount of money for each one. Strangely enough he got the work. Reckons the trucks are his best money earners!

[astrid]

trouble is I' too trusting and friendly
most of my clients are pretty good but some of them take your good nature for a ride.
antique dealers are the worst.
I have a very famous client in Melb who dabbles in "tarting up" old stuff (work done by me of course) and reselling at auction. he winces at every quote even if i pull the chain and quote 25% of normal.
even then I have to chase him for the money, the trouble is that basically he's a top bloke and does a lot for kids in the community.
What is the psyche of these folk?

Astrid

[echnidna]

some people are just plain money hungry so you'll never please them

[astrid]

had one last week.
Opened up with " I hope your not one of those people who has no time"
i want yo to come and fix some furniture that the dog chewed and a 15 foot table on site.
I own that huge house on bay street youll know it. I said 'Thats nice"
I explained that I cant work on site and only do small items
well ,he went into the biggest rant re how he would pay and how many people he employed and how arrogant us retorers were for refusing to work at his place.
I trie to explain that it was a bit like asking a mechanic to fix the engine of his porche in the shed..

in the end I hung up and got the rudest message on home phone that my kids heard.
are these people psychotic or what?
astrid

[patty]

the phrase "more Hassle than its worth" comes to mind exactly sometimes you will never please people, I remeber working on a new house actually big ???? mansion that i could only ever dream of any way this owner was so particular about putting Powerpoints in the center of the wall and i mean exactly in the center of the wall to the nearest inch well any spark will tell ya it all depends on the frame really and if they work outthis guy wanted me to cut up some studs up out of treated pine take the noggins out the chippys had put in then re-noggin it and put the gpo in the center of the wall, I looked at the owner and asked him if he was for real and argues the fact that the powerepoint was only 100mm off from exactly where he wanted it and asked what benefit was gained , it only got worse if he had 3 powerpoints on the one wall it was half way between the one in the center either side, After the 2 our chat and the procrastination from the owner and "huge decision making" finally i started working well it took alot longer than usual but revenge was mine at the end of it after i gave the owner the bill for the extras

[OLDPHART]

Used to work with a builder mate,who took up with my next door neighbour after her separation from an idiot husband who always had those schemes,you know 'If I can get this going I'll make a million out of it'
We were doing a job for a mate of hers,tall laundry cupboard,set of french doors,and she wanted a custom vanity in her downstairs bathroom,anyhow time was getting short ,around xmas shutdown time,and we couldnt get the laminate she wanted for love nor money.
What a bitch, I nicknamed her Mrs Patek, turns out she was an only child of Indian parents ,the father had started a shipping company and she had inherited all his wealth,had 22 HOUSES throughout the world and renovating and selling them was her hobby.She used to sit on the computer all day playing the stock market.She would come down in the afternoon saying things like "Had a bad day today, only made $25000,market is down"
I think these sort of people apply the same sort of principles (or lack thereof )when dealing with tradespeople.
Didn't have a very happy marriage,husband was having an affair with his secretary behind her back,though she thought she was it and a bit on legs!
What a wanker

[Ianab]

well ,he went into the biggest rant re how he would pay and how many people he employed and how arrogant us retorers were for refusing to work at his place.

And you can just imagine if you had gone there and broken out the belt sander in his front room.. "Look at all this dust.. and the smell of that varnish"

Sometimes you just have to walk away.. or hang up...

Cheers

Ian

[Eli]

Sometimes you can't get paid enough to deal with some people. My radar's good now. If the spidey-sense is going off, I decide how much would make it worth it to deal with a PITA, and give them that price. If they bite, good for me, and shut up and do the work.

If it wasn't enough, and they still annoy me, remember for next time, and raise prices accordingly. I always did any old crap job until I decided life was too short.

When you start putting yourself where you want to be, the sun all of a sudden comes out from behind the clouds. If you shortchange yourself by being a nice guy to every one, you'll be behind the eight ball forever. If you charge enough to deal with nightmares, you can give the people who deserve it a break every so often. Your time is the only thing you don't ever get back.

The repeat nightmares are the worst, because you often have to keep raising the price, and then you're hooked into the horrible relationship you can't leave because of the steady river of gravy. But there's another layer under the surface of the river of gravy, and it's the same color, but smells worse.


PS-remember when you charge a premium price, it's only fair to fix your mistakes on your own time