Obvious Potential Problems
I met today with a man who is buying a $1.3M condo that was built like a Spanish villa with many, many wood French doors with wood screens and wood casement windows with wood eyebrows.
The woman, about his age, introduced herself as “the realtor.”
The Purpose of the meeting was for me to show him and explain the work I proposed to do (all repairs) to correct the rot in the brick molding, jambs, parts of the French doors & windows, rotted 3×6 exposed beams and some other stuff. total was about $4500.
He noticed some other items that were obvious – maybe totaling another $1500 or so and asked why I didn’t include them in my SCA. I replied that I was told my Ms. Turner, the realtor who called me and faxed me a copy of the insp. rpt. to only include the items listed on the home inspection report. Obviously he wanted everything included and “the realtor” started arguing with him saying “She (the existing owner, an actress) wouldn’t pay for it.” to which he replied “Then the deal is killed.” Personally I’m sure they will work it out.
While “the realtor” was outside leaning on a railing, I motioned him to come inside. I then apologized to him about the situation and what the realtor who initially contacted me told me to do, and that I knew there were other items but I could not include them. I said I didn’t want “the realtor” to hear me. He said “She’s my wife.”
WHAT? Before and after the above mini conversation, she still acted not as his wife, but as a combatant. When I asked who hired the home inspector, since he missed so many items, his wife said: “Well, I just recommended him.”
She also “recommended” to “him” a guy to paint the cabinets. He was going to paint them with a brush instead of a sprayer. WHAT? again.
Later he asked me if I could pressure was and seal his porch floors – about 400 sq. ft. of Mexican tile, rework a couple of Kit. cabinets to accommodate a larger oven and microwave, and paint all of the dark oak stained cabinets pure white. I said I could do it all. He also wanted a 12′ w x 9’h library type bookcase, which I could handle.
I just called him and told him I just got two more jobs that would tie me up for about 4 months so I could only take care of the repairs and porch floor tile. I decided to go with my gut feeling and walk away from what would be a tenuous situation.
What a screw ball his wife must be.
The point of this post is to beg you newbies here to always – ALWAYS – go with your initial gut feeling while being on a sales call, even if you’re desperate for the job. No one every lost any sleep or any money on a job he did not take.
Replies
Sounds like one of those situations when I probably did not want to be there in the first place, now I really can't wait to get the heck out of there, and I'm gonna drive all the way home shaking my head in disbelief!!
And a few more times the next day.
Eric
I Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
"What a screw ball his wife must be."
and HIM!
remember ... they're a matched set.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
I'd say that's definitely one of the benifits of being self-employed - Being able to turn down work you know is going to be a headache.
I don't have that luxury - I'm stuck with whatever the boss sends me.
.
One other point you didn't make - Using discretion when talking to customers.
Like if you'd pulled that guy aside and said: "Let's dump this cranky witch and get down to business". Then when he told you that was his Wife he probably would have been pretty ticked off. That could kill a deal on a job you WANTED.
Gotta be careful what you say to them customers...
Reminds me of some dialog from the movie "Glengarry Glennross", where the office manager butts in on two salesmen conning their mark. He makes a comment that totally screws everything up and the deal falls through. After some language that's salty even by NYC standards, the salesman admonishes the guy with the advice:"If you don't know the shot, keep your mouth shut!"In a third party situation like the one you faced, it's best to let the customer scope the project unless you're specifically asked for advice, or see some hazard to life and limb.
TJK
I love that movie.
Coffee is for closers! LOL
I think you made the right call. In these situations I think back to a conversation I had with another local contractor, he was saying how the wife gave him directions one day and the husband countered them the next. I said to him at the time "be careful because they may not be on the same team but you are on neither team". DanT
"be careful because they may not be on the same team but you are on neither team".Excellent comment, Dan, we should all remember when in one of those marital situations. I talked to the original realtor yesterday about that incident. She told me the wife is an "ex-wife", not "She's my wife" as the husband said to me. So I'm just doing the inspection report items and the additional items he got the seller to pay for, about another $1500 to $2000.
I've walked away from a few jobs because my gut told me dont get invoved. No regrets. When you do you have to make up your mind not to second guess yourself.
Sonny,
I guess Im not understanding the bad part?
Cant you just do the original work in a separate contract, and go back for other things? It sounds to me like the guy respected you and wanted to add some things that would make his life easier.
He probably went through the ex wife to 'get a good price', but she really represents the actress. The fact that she is the ex wife its necessary for you to know in a business deal. -but I guess you have to go with the gut.
-zen
Zen, I get suspicious of a woman who introduces herself as "the relator" instead of "Peter's wife and I'm acting as the co-realtor of Cheryl who has it listed." Then he introduces her as his wife when she's actually his ex-wife.In my personal and business life, I never play games with people. I call a spade a spade, nor will I get into the game of politics. That philosophy has served me well. It's a matter of "potentials". I minimize the potential for aggravation, and don't need the job. It's also part of qualifying people. He did call me today and apologize for the confusion, did not expand further and wanted me to do the other work he wanted done. I decided to give him a ball park price on the other work, but wait until I do the inspection work and during that process make a determination of our relationship as it develops (his, the ex-wife, and me), then decide if I'll actually give him an SCA to sign or not. I've begun to be very selective with whom I'll work .On another note, the seller is giving him a "credit" for the inspection report repairs so I'll have him sign a contract for that, since he will be paying me. Closing is on March 29 and I don't intend to start until the 30th since any contract he signs is moot since until closing, he's not the legal owner.Life is so simple and people complicate the hell out of it. After two heart attacks, two TIAs, one stroke, and having had a defibrillator installed last March, I am currently having a ball and don't need any more grief in my life. There's a lot to be said for when we lived in caves and all we had to be concerned with was food, a fire, and some one to snuggle up with.Like the TV show - As The World Turns, so too go these two projects.
ahh, you worked it out how I would have, the trial run with the inspection work is a good method.
Just for future reference, there are tons of 'Listing Agents' that never sell a house. They usually have been in an area a long time and know everybody. Other selling agents who are better at it, or dont have the 'name' may sell a house for the lister, and they both get a percentage of the total comish.
Well I hope it turns out well, he may become a regular.
-zen
You're right, Zen, about these realtors. I've worked with them for decades. I'm in a different situation than most remodelers.Semiretired. Great following. All jobs come from repeats or referrals that want only me. Some referrals from son Tom, who, along with his brother, bought my remodeling company and took it over on Jan, '99. He's in the same situation. Many of his projects have been in our high end local Home & Condo magazines. Florida state Remodeler of the Year award, and current Florida State Remodelers Council Chairperson.So our problems is not obtaining job. It's selecting the one's we want, and referring those we don't to other peers, or not.You now know why you've perhaps read me post that the #1 priority to any remodeler is to brand himself positively ASAP. It worked for me in Chicago, where I'm from, Michigan where I lived for 13 years, and here in Naples, FL since '91.Those realtors also know not to call Tom unless they have a "live one". He too charges for Proposals as well as for design work, which he does himself on his CAD program. However, many of his projects come from interior designers who request him for their projects. Even someone like WCI - Westinghouse Communities, Inc. use Tom for their model build outs.Again, "Branding".And he may become a regular because his association hired me to change their many exposed decorative rough sawn cedar beams and railing assemblies that are decaying. Think I'll sell them a PBMP - Preventative Building Maintenance Program.
Nice post Sonny.Thats the Sonny I dig and remember from back in the old days <G> . I opened it and saw no links.way cool bro....keep posting these kinda posts.its what helps more than that PO crap we all post cause they never ever ever change a thang.Not ever!
Be well my brother...and speaking of being well...how are you????
a...
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..