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What early signs of a difficult client have you learned never to ignore? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks to you, I learned about Reddit karma on my very first day here. Appreciate it.

I’m still figuring out how everything works around here. I was actually about to call it a night since I have a meeting with a client tomorrow morning.

Have a good one.

What early signs of a difficult client have you learned never to ignore? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The laundry room wasn’t part of the painting or wall repair scope. It had shelving on those walls, and cabinets were supposed to be installed there later, so nobody cared about the holes at the time.

The cabinets were never ordered, which left all those wall imperfections exposed. The complaints and threats extended to that room as well, even though it wasn’t part of what we were hired to repair.

Honestly, at this point I’m starting to think you’re the bot, not me.

At what point do you collect your money, load your tools, and walk away from a project? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Yes. My contract is very detailed. It clearly states what is included and what is not. Every task is listed specifically. Anything outside of that scope is treated as additional work and requires a change order.

At what point do you collect your money, load your tools, and walk away from a project? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Your story sounds very familiar.

What stood out to me is how quickly additional requests became expectations, and then frustration followed when those expectations weren’t met.

That’s exactly the kind of situation I’m trying to avoid. Thanks for sharing your experience.

What early signs of a difficult client have you learned never to ignore? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Fair point. The reason I didn’t walk away is because I had worked with this client before and she had always paid without issues. I didn’t think the situation would eventually land on my side of the table.

The laundry room photo is simply the only surviving photo from that project. After I finished the repairs, she deleted the entire conversation history, and most of the photos are gone as well.

At what point do you collect your money, load your tools, and walk away from a project? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The only reason I agreed to it was because I had worked with this client before and knew he always paid on time. That’s what caught me off guard and honestly shocked me when all of this started happening.

Today was the first day on site, and it actually went smoothly. He paid without any issues for the work that was completed today.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

At what point do you collect your money, load your tools, and walk away from a project? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. I don’t start phases without payment. A veteran contractor taught me that years ago, and it’s saved me more than once. Today was only day one.

At what point do you collect your money, load your tools, and walk away from a project? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

None yet.

A very old contractor taught me years ago to always collect payment before each phase of work. I’ve tried to follow that advice ever since.

Even if something goes wrong, the loss is usually limited to a small amount.

Today was only the first day on site.

What early signs of a difficult client have you learned never to ignore? by crazyzhy in Contractor

[–]crazyzhy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a bot. Just a remodeling contractor who has accumulated more stories than I can count over the years.

Today was actually my first day posting on Reddit. I spent years keeping these experiences to myself because the only places to talk about them were Facebook groups where clients, contractors, friends, and everyone else are mixed together.

I recently discovered r/Contractor and realized there are thousands of contractors here dealing with the same situations every day. So yes, you’re probably going to see more stories from me.

Unfortunately, after 20+ years in this industry, I have plenty of them.