how would you handle this gem of a customer?

[huggytree]

got a call at 5pm last night....brand new remodeler....needs me to do a bath finish for them the next day

this situation typically means they just fired their current plumber or their plumber quit them....its never good

i wrote up a quick bid and faxed it to them...they signed and returned within 10 minutes

we discussed the project maybe a total of 20 minutes......total i had maybe 35-40 minutes into the whole thing

i rearranged my whole schedule to fit her in and handle her emergency job!!!!!



11am today....she calls and says 'we found another plumber for $100 less, so he's going to do the job'....' but we will keep your name on file for the next emergency'

i wanted to say 'f-off' to her...i was her backup in case she couldnt find someone else last minute

i wasnt rude to her, but was just quick with her and said 'good bye'



i wonder if i should send her an invoice for my time? i have a signed contract for the work...am i owed something?

i am obviously not going to bother with them again.....its hard to understand how someone can be so self centered that they wouldnt see my side..she seemed like it was no big deal....and to her it wasnt

[nealrm]

Simple, next time she calls you are booked solid at that time. Let her know you will put her on a back up list.

[fayt]

I hate people who shop around for the best deal. I'd add to your bid contract that by signing this document, you will be charged a $35.00 estimate fee if you decide not to use our services. Something to that effect.

[Freelancier]

Next time, emergency jobs require 50% up front. That'll cure them.

[huggytree]

all good idea's!

what was so annoying was the lack of even saying 'im sorry'

i regret not explaining how i spent my time and rearranged my schedule for HER only to lose a SIGNED contract job 6 hours before i do it

i should have given her a piece of my mind and made her realize its not all about her



i will be honest with her if she calls again.....i dont want her business

[billbenson]

While I frequently think you take the hard ass approach to much, this is one that is completely unacceptable on her part. This is the one that would piss me off enough to take her to small claims court. You would probably loose, but maybe you can give her a bad reputation.

[Steve B]

I like the idea of adding a cancellation fee to your contract. You can decide to ignore it in most cases, but in a case like this you could push it all the way.

[huggytree]

While I frequently think you take the hard ass approach to much, this is one that is completely unacceptable on her part. This is the one that would piss me off enough to take her to small claims court. You would probably loose, but maybe you can give her a bad reputation.

hard ass approach always works and has shown ZERO negatives....my sales are up every year and this year may be 33%

if the job were for thousands i would do small claims as an option....but it was for $450

[dereksbicycles]

Tell her that you've customer and you'll have to rearrange to fit her in your plan. Hopefully she'll be impressed that you had a customer. To her she may think you're a lazy bum waiting for jobs. So yeah, tell her you've customers. Hopefully she'll be impressed that you had customers.

[Wozcreative]

Definitely explain to her that you are losing $ on this job and she should dish out some cash to compensate for this. You don't want her coming back anyway, what could you lose other than making her understand what she's done to your business schedule and time?


By the way the hard ass approach is best, you have a business model, follow it. I had an agency call me the other day about some future jobs, except they would pay once the jobs are done. I said no, my policy is 50% up front, and balance before delivery, that is how I did all my projects and is a kind of a contract to show that projects are commencing. The guy gave me a long winded answer saying how in his 12 years he hasn't heard of this sort of thing, he works with so many freelancers etc etc.. bla bla bla.. that's nice dear. I wouldn't be making a little over 75K my second year if no one has heard of deposits.

Stick to your guns!

[SliQsw]

definitely agree with the idea of putting a clause in the agreement about cancellation fee. What a pain in the ass!

[Harold Mansfield]

I don't schedule anything until I get a deposit. I know that's not always feasible in your business.

I agree with what others have said. This person has now shown themselves to be unreliable, unprofessional with no consideration for your time or that you dropped everything to accommodate them. The next time she calls, remember that and treat her accordingly.

I've had simular things happen where I've spent days talking to someone about their project, and everything seems like a go and they do the same thing..."I found someone cheaper". Not much you can do about it. I'm not going to stop giving other people the time and service just because of those few inconsiderate ones.

This exact situation is one of the reasons why I don't bid on projects through jobs and freelancer boards. Most times the people that post there are fishing for free information and want providers falling all over themselves to get the job. So they'll pick your brain, waste your time and then take what you've taught them to hire someone cheaper with the knowledge that you've given them.

One thing I've learned not just in this business, but in the service business, is that some people confuse good customer service with desperation, which makes them think that they can walk all over you. I usually send those people packing, unless I'm over charging them for their arrogance.

[ozetel]

A cancellation fee to your contract for all future jobs is a great idea.

I would not be excepting any further jobs from her!

Good luck with it all!

[billbenson]

In a way you are lucky Huggy. You have repeat customers so you don't end up wasting your time pitching / quoting new prospects that end up being a waste of time. I probably spend half my day pitching or explaining products to prospects. In many sales types of jobs you spend the majority of your time trying to get a few orders.

The analogy ends there because your time is the product. The same with Harold. Still, how much of your time is really spent with chicks like this that screw you in the end. With so much of your business being repeat and through known contractors, hopefully this is only a few hours a week of wasted time. But it's not really wasted time if a percentage of these prospects actually turn into customers.

Just a different way of looking at it.

[Joanne Perez]

When she calls you next time, tell her that you are fully booked and that you cannot accommodate her request...

[huggytree]

ive got my wasted time down to almost nothing

these customers are very rare....thats why i get so angry when they appear

the worst ones are the jobs where i ordered parts that i cant return or are charged restocking fee's when the homeowner cancels on me....this has happened a few times

[tallen]

Do you collect a deposit from the customer before ordering custom or non-returnable parts? I would.

[huggytree]

i trust my customers......and 99.999% deserve it

when someone asks me to rebuild a toilet i ask them for the model # and i order the parts....i cant ask for a deposit on a $20 part. plus it makes it look like i dont trust them....my customer relationships are more friendships and i treat them that way even when they are new customers....

most of my customers are high end people.....money doesnt matter all that much...they have plenty.........the issues i have are always with middle/lower middle class people.....they are rarely repeat customers and usually find me due to an emergency and im the only one who returns their phone call

if i could just ask them how much their annual income is or their net worth when they call me to qualify them then id never have issues

ive has TWO bad rich customers ever....out of thousands.....and they were the WORST of the WORST......rich customers = great customer