ForumsStarting a Business

Gberry,

sounds like you have a customer looing for a free ride, sometimes you just have to cut ties with people like that. if you know that in good faith you have made every attempt to satisfy their needs and they still are not happy then walk away knowing that you tried.

Brian Faulkner
469-402-1125
www.motherfund.com
bfaulkner@motherfund.com

Dealing with picky client.

Iwrite, it sounds like your kind of subject

LUCKIEST

When I sent the one person to do touch ups I knew that morelikely there were going to be some spots to take care of. One of the complains was a piece of blue tape left at the bottom of the toilet seat in the bathroom. I knew right there and then that we were in trouble. As I mentioned in my post, I am going there today with a professional painter of good reputation in the area to make sure that all the touch ups (+also to access the job+) are done and there are no more complaints, but just because there might not be complaints today, doesn't mean that he might not find anything else tomorrow. That's what I am really afraid of! Also that he might ruin the reputation that has cost me so much time to acquire.

gberry

Reputation does mean a lot these days. I have worked with a company who has been selling paint for over 40 years and have dealt with all sorts of complaints and issues like you have. In the end, if the customer cannot be satisfied there is nothing you can do. It sounds like you have tried more than most companies would to make this issue right.

Ask the customer when you are leaving if there is anything else you can do tonight so you both can move on and be happy. If there isn't anything thent hey shouldn't expect you to come out a third time.

By now your problem would have been solved. But from experience and what you describe I can say quite often a client is unhappy about something else and is nit picking for no reason.

I have go to pay more attention to the dates on these posts...but it would be nice to know how a lot of these situations turn out...

You can't please everybody, so all you can do is the best you can.

Here's how you cut to the chase in situations such as you describe:
Simply ask the customer "what do you want me to do" or "what is it that will
satisfy you?

The answer will tell you a lot. If the customer can't tell you exactly what is wrong, then you know you're just
dealing with someone who complains for the sake of complaining. If the answer is they want the work for free or an unreasonable discount, then you know you're dealing withi someone of questionable faith who's just looking for a free lunch, which you ignore. If you're really lucky, the customer will tell you exactly what the issue is, in which case it's usually a fairly straightforward task to correct the problem.

One last comment: Sometimes the best solution for you, even if it involves losing money on the sale, is
just bite the bullet and walk away. Two reasons: (1) wasting time on something you can't win at only costs you even more money in the form of the time you could have spend productively elsewhere; and (2) no matter how unreasonable, an unhappy customer can and will do damage to your reputation. Happy customers tell no one. Unhappy customers tell EVERYone.

AMSPCS
amspcs@juno.com
www.MerchantServices-help.com