job dissatisfaction
I understand the whole “nice guy” bit. I am sure I give way too much time to my customers for computer work. The problem is that sometimes I take the time to analyze viruses and document what they are doing. Does that add time to the job? Yes, and I rarely charge a customer for that extra 30-60 minutes I may take. On the other hand, because I have taken time to figure out how the damn virus stuff works I can get them cleaned off the system, performed a tune-up, removed crap software and defragged the disk in 60 to 90 minutes. And some people still grouch about it even though they got the bug by going to places on the internet they shouldn’t go to. Oh well, I guess it is the nature of how business gets done these days.
Yup you are too honest, maybe these women need a bigger estimate and then a smaller bill (like what you first worked out) lawyers maybe like to chip people?
Posted by Chris Edwards
03/06/2010 at 09:29 PM
It all comes out in the wash drew.Just make a note on her file to “correct” any future billing and estimates on HER work. She is obviously too busy to notice ,at least next time.
There are always good customers and bad customers in every profession. i.e. There are always a-holes out there and there is nothing you can do about it except try to avoid them.
I used to do computer work for just about anyone and I charged a very reasonable rate that was about quarter the cost of a “professional”. I was the guy who came to your home or business and fixed or upgraded your computer. I also provided training. Well I had my fair share of bad customers. Many of them cheap and not willing to pay me enough. At least some of them would feed me a good meal which was great because I was single and didn’t cook much!
But then, I started to get screwed over more then once. One guy bounced a big check on me and never followed up to complete payment and ignored me when I tried to contact him. About six months later he calls and I told him, you pay me what you owe me plus the cost of the overdraft fee from the bank and I will consider working for you again but cash only. He was unwilling to settle his mistake. Fool me once… I later found much better employment and I didn’t want to spend time playing around for peanuts.
Here’s a thought, with all the builders out of work, why not start up a handyman website and recruit out of work contractors and provide a way for them to advertise and network with each other. Then have customers come to the site to find a handyman to fix their problems. Keep the costs low like you do. Provide a public review process for both handymen and customers too! i.e. if the handyman has a bad experience have it posted just for the handymen to read and not the customers. But post customer reviews for the public. Handymen can pass off work to each other if travel is too great or if they are booked.
Sure they aren’t going to be making bank like they used to in commercial construction where they were paid enough to make it through the winter with no work. But hey, times have changed and you have to put food on the table.
Posted by MJS
03/07/2010 at 08:14 AM
About five years ago we remodeled our bathroom. Ripped everything out to the studs, cut the old bathtub in half (only way to get it out through the bathroom window). Each day they would reseat the toilet with a new wax seal. We spent a week taking shower/baths in the basement deep-sink.
But my wife, at the last possible minute, found a design in one of her magazines that she wanted incorporated into the new bathroom. This added another day’s work and about $700 to the total cost.
I was really upset about that extra $700 until I watched the craftsman painstakingly cutting each and every tile to match her design. I didn’t bitch to him about the cost. He was worth the money. I just told her, ‘never again’. (oh, did I mention that the tiles were sold ‘individually’? Yeah, designer tiles, sold by the piece.)
Mind you, I could have done it myself. But I would have had to rent a tile-cutter, and spent 10 times as long doing the job. I don’t have his training, experience, etc. And I couldn’t take time off from work. That was just to do her ‘revision’. The whole bathroom (and we only have one) would have been off-line for weeks if I tried to do it myself.
(caveat: I would have done so, if I were still single. Wives are damn expensive at times...)
A good craftsman is hard to find, Drew. Good craftsmen that are affordable are harder to find. You should subtly work that point into your conversations/sales pitch.
A friend of mine has a niche market where he helps small businesses with problems they have with their QuickBooks software (made by Intuit). Unlike many, he makes house calls right to the business and solves the problems on-site.
Occasionally, he’ll run into a client that wants to nickle and dime him, and the answer is the same: “That’s fine, you don’t want to pay the bill? Don’t. But don’t ever call me again.” It’s amazing how quickly the bill gets paid when they realize that one of the few true specialists in this area is about to walk out that door and not come back.
When I ran a bodyshop in Cornwall sometimes a customer would not pay, I told them it was worth the small loss now to get rid of a cheap asshole customer like them, then chucked them out, sometimes you have to let them go but take your pound of their self esteem.
Craftsmen are an endangered species, we need protection!!Posted by Chris Edwards
03/07/2010 at 05:09 PM
9 out 10 people are assholes. 8 out of ten are thieving assholes. 7 out of ten are lying,thieving assholes. 6 out of ten will slit your throat for a nickle. 5 out of ten will do it just for fun. It only gets worse from there. It used to be a mans,or woman’s,
word was their bond. Now it’s give me what I want, and screw you ha ha ha. Expect nothing. That way you’ll never be disappointed. I don’t know why that is. It’s more easy and much better to be honest, and pay what’s owed. It is for me anyway. I agree with AG Tiger. Tell them ok if that’s the way you want it, but never call me again.5 women, same office? You, Sir, are a lunch room conspiracy!
Posted by Elvula
03/09/2010 at 01:36 AM
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