[tiger]

I took on a job that i new in the pitt of my stomach was a bad idea last summer. the client lived in another state and wanted retaing walls put in. the client was all but throwing deposit money at me could not get it to me fast enough with me trying to tell them to wait untill i had an opening in my schedule. Finally had a spot open up and she sends half the money and tells me to start and uses our creative sense to do project, knowing better i went over the intended work and was verbally aproved, my first mistake not getting it in writing. i know this was stuppid but i could never get a hold of the client when i need to. we completed the job less some final cleanup issues, which i would have done except that she had not specified the finished surface on the project so it was pointless to do finished cleanup. anyway i don,t hear anything for months then i get a email saying that they are unhappy with some of the work and have problems. The first thing that i think of is why this customer did not conact me while work is in progress, she had contacted her other builders nothing was said. so when i meet with her this last time she says she was unhappy with everything and that our work had caused other drainage issues, again nothing mentioned untill months later. offered to fix problem anyway they wanted or to remove work altogether at no charge . they were still unhappy and basiclly stated that they expect our company to pick up the tab on damages she had never disclosed. sorry to carry on just needed to vent to someone. i would just as soon return thier money and walk away with a loss. what do you do with this type customer?

[familyguy]

just what you said. get it in writing. i have done verbal work with folks before.

here is the WORST one i did.

2 years into my company, i had an opportunity for winter work. cutting down trees on a clients neighbors land (in a brush barrier zone between the 2 neighbors) to open up a waterview for my client. she said she had permission and was paying by the hour,so, i agreed. at the very end of the job my client asks me to hide the trail into the brushy area.

that was the exact moment i started to get signatures on everything.

[tiger]

what makes it so bad to me is that i strive to make my clients happy. However theis client does not care enough to let us try to make it right , they just want to be closed minded . i have been doing these jobs for almost 10 years and have never had such difficult people and it makes you want to just close up shop and quite

[Barry]

Tiger, by any chance are you a member of the BBB?? If so, they can mediate the situation with you and your customer. Thankfully, we have only had to use this option once. It, however, in my opinion, saved some of our reputation by finding we were doing everything we could do to please the customer. Finding that the customer was being overly demanding, and difficult. It sounds like you have the willingness to do the right thing.

If you are not a member.......now is the time to become one. It lets your customers know your reputation means enough to you that you would let a non-biased third party judge your actions. If your not, your out on this one......other than taking it to court, it's your word against theirs...........DO NOT LET IT GET TO YOU!! We have ALL been there!!!!