# Uppity customers who don't understand



## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

That's actually quite common. Most national builders tell the homeowners they are not allowed on the property "due to insurance regulations" to prevent that exact situation.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

She sounds like a lady I worked for a few years ago. Real peach.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

I'd have paid to see the look on her face.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> A post here reminded me of a blast from the past.
> 
> Wiring a new development, the future owner entered the house while I was roughing it. The house was done, I was just stripping in the panel.
> 
> ...


Just think of the poor bastid who's married to her.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

99cents said:


> Just think of the poor bastid who's married to her.


Who is now divorced from her.....


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## Ty Wrapp (Aug 24, 2011)

When I built my house, I wanted to do my own phone and cable tv wiring. The builder said no homeowner is allowed to work on the house. I explained that this is what I do for a living. He said OK and refunded the price of the 2 jacks they include in the price off the house.

I also told him not to build a 4ft x 6ft deck off the back of the house because I would be tearing it off to build a 12ft x 20ft deck. He agreed and told me to go ahead and build the deck now so it would be under his permit.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Your foreman needs to schedule a meet/greet between for your AHJ to meet your developer and salesman Lawndude, with regards to what fines can be imposed on _twinkle t*t's_ daddy.....~CS~


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

In that scenario I blame the sales people. Maybe the customers were so difficult that no matter what was said they wouldn't be satisfied, don't know. Nothing out of the ordinary on this build between customer and and build.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Then i'm all about finding out _how bad_ they want it, after Mr Sales dude _let 'em down_.....~CS~


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## PlugsAndLights (Jan 19, 2016)

I know a guy who knows a guy who makes sure there's a couple issues 
he'll be able to fix quickly but will take anyone else forever to find. If he 
quits or gets fired, it's the customers problem. 
P&L


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

PlugsAndLights said:


> I know a guy who knows a guy who makes sure there's a couple issues
> he'll be able to fix quickly but will take anyone else forever to find. If he
> quits or gets fired, it's the customers problem.
> P&L


Reminds me of a mason that puts a piece of glass across the flue of chimneys he builds. Then when he is paid in full he breaks them out with a pipe.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Ty Wrapp said:


> When I built my house, I wanted to do my own phone and cable tv wiring. The builder said no homeowner is allowed to work on the house. I explained that this is what I do for a living. He said OK and refunded the price of the 2 jacks they include in the price off the house.
> 
> I also told him not to build a 4ft x 6ft deck off the back of the house because I would be tearing it off to build a 12ft x 20ft deck. He agreed and told me to go ahead and build the deck now so it would be under his permit.


Big difference between Kansas and New York I guess.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> Your foreman needs to schedule a meet/greet between for your AHJ to meet your developer and salesman Lawndude, with regards to what fines can be imposed on _twinkle t*t's_ daddy.....~CS~


That ship sailed 30 years ago ChickenDude.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

MikeFL said:


> That's actually quite common. Most national builders tell the homeowners they are not allowed on the property "due to insurance regulations" to prevent that exact situation.


More than once I have heard the story about a customer pulling that and the guy roughing the house said he would take care of everything for a grand in cash, never to be seen again.


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## PlugsAndLights (Jan 19, 2016)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Reminds me of a mason that puts a piece of glass across the flue of chimneys he builds. Then when he is paid in full he breaks them out with a pipe.


Now if only there was a way for an electrician to put in a glass plate......
P&L


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

PlugsAndLights said:


> Now if only there was a way for an electrician to put in a glass plate......
> P&L


Yeah man! That would be the sh!t!


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

PlugsAndLights said:


> Now if only there was a way for an electrician to put in a glass plate......
> P&L


We need to be able to control the smart meters like the POCO.. Turn it on/off for lack of payment!


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

I'm sure you could make a cheap electromagnet and put it in the wall near the breakers. Have a remote for it. No payment - ride by and press the button at 3am and get that panel rattling like the San Andreas Fault.


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## catsparky1 (Sep 24, 2013)

Way back when I did tract a future homeowner did the same thing and added fans to each room of of the half hot recpt . I backfed all switching . That poor poor soul had to pay me on the side to do his add ons at the tune of 65 per hr . In the 70s that was an ass raping .

You wanna screw me , but imma gonna screw you PAL .


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

catsparky1 said:


> Way back when I did tract a future homeowner did the same thing and added fans to each room of of the half hot recpt . I backfed all switching . That poor poor soul had to pay me on the side to do his add ons at the tune of 65 per hr . In the 70s that was an ass raping .
> 
> You wanna screw me , but imma gonna screw you PAL .


There was plenty of that going on and around in the 70s!


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

Yes, it's happened, but mine wouldn't be as well told. Before I ran my own show, I had a difficult time dealing with most homeowners like that. So, when ever they'd show up, I'd get the crew and go take a break in the van. 
Since then, I've found if you can turn their attitude around by showing them you want to work with them, but not take it in the a**, they can be some of your best customers(not friends). 
Didn't appear daddy did the BRAT many REAL favors growing up. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I have had a few customers like this. They define themselves through what they own and their houses have to be perfect.

I had one GC who handled it perfectly. He actually forbid the homeowner from being on site during construction hours. He met with her in the evening and our change orders followed.


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

99cents said:


> I have had a few customers like this. They define themselves through what they own and their houses have to be perfect.
> 
> 
> 
> I had one GC who handled it perfectly. He actually forbid the homeowner from being on site during construction hours. He met with her in the evening and our change orders followed.




If only all the GC had a set like that. Most around here don't know the word "change order", it's just a blank stare. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

350X said:


> If only all the GC had a set like that. Most around here don't know the word "change order", it's just a blank stare.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I worked for a small GC. He was so afraid of asking for change orders I wanted to strangle him.
Somehow he thought it was fraud or being dishonest. He would pay us out of his own pocket before even trying to discuss extra work with the owner. 
I was brought up to look for and capture things like unnecessary and even the usual necessary escalations, trade stacking, scope creep, relocations, additions and one contractor even charged for deletions. 
It was a normal part of the job to develop COs.
Needless to say that guy went broke trying to be nice to every one. The only thing nice was the free work he ave out and the screwing he took for it.


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

Suncoast Power said:


> I worked for a small GC. He was so afraid of asking for change orders I wanted to strangle him.
> 
> Somehow he thought it was fraud or being dishonest. He would pay us out of his own pocket before even trying to discuss extra work with the owner.
> 
> ...




So the saying goes, nice guys finish last. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Suncoast Power said:


> I worked for a small GC. He was so afraid of asking for change orders I wanted to strangle him.
> Somehow he thought it was fraud or being dishonest. He would pay us out of his own pocket before even trying to discuss extra work with the owner.
> I was brought up to look for and capture things like unnecessary and even the usual necessary escalations, trade stacking, scope creep, relocations, additions and one contractor even charged for deletions.
> It was a normal part of the job to develop COs.
> Needless to say that guy went broke trying to be nice to every one. The only thing nice was the free work he ave out and the screwing he took for it.


This is the kind of guy who has empty pockets when you send your final billing. A real GC loves change orders.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

I think that first sales team lost out on a bundle of cash.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

With government contracts the GC will underbid the job to land the contract because he knows he can rape them on change orders. Welcome to how your money is spent.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MikeFL said:


> With government contracts the GC will underbid the job to land the contract because he knows he can rape them on change orders. Welcome to how your money is spent.


It pays off very well. If their engineering department missed something or miscalculated, they need to pay!


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Good luck getting archy's and engineers to own up.....~CS~


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

99cents said:


> I have had a few customers like this. They define themselves through what they own and their houses have to be perfect.
> 
> I had one GC who handled it perfectly. He actually forbid the homeowner from being on site during construction hours. He met with her in the evening and our change orders followed.


I got the impression the hi hat relocations were discussed between the HO and the salespeople, but the changes never made it down to my foreman. Possibly the desire to move some of the outlet locations as well. That's why a salesperson came over to assess the situation. But all the add-ons performed by her father (or his father) were done because he was there. 

I do recall hi hats were extras and cost something around 250.00 per. That's easy to sell when you tell the customer the mortgage only goes up 20 bucks a month for a whole house full. But if I recall correctly, standard extras like outdoor floodlights cost a mint, as well as non-standard extras like more outlets and circuits in the garage. 

At any rate, that neighborhood is close to me and it's nice to drive through it and see that none of the houses have burned down... :thumbsup:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> Good luck getting archy's and engineers to own up.....~CS~


Let them handle it the way they will but they need to sign the change order.


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## dc-electric (Aug 1, 2013)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> A post here reminded me of a blast from the past.
> 
> Wiring a new development, the future owner entered the house while I was roughing it. The house was done, I was just stripping in the panel.
> 
> ...


 
Nice read... I can see it happening. I have some winners too.....


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Switched said:


> We need to be able to control the smart meters like the POCO.. Turn it on/off for lack of payment!


There's an app for your smart phone that can do that.

You have to troll the Dark Web to find it.

Smart Meters are WIDE OPEN to cyber attack.


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