Not the kind of stunt I would pull with just any client, but I snuck into one of my client’s reception office (she’s an attorney) and added chair-rail, painted it purple, and painted the wall below blue, then sent her a bill the next day.
edited to add: I’ll try and get some pictures of it. It was plain, plain hospital white before.
“…craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit.” – P. Korn
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Replies
she'll love the bill your gonna send her< Is this your wife too?
Lou
Is this your wife too?
hahaha - that's funny. If this was my wife, this would be my house (where client lives) Client is an attorney in town, that I've done work for for years.View Image
"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Edited 12/25/2008 6:14 am by Huck
Its a riddle! No one else wants to take a guess? I snuck in to my client's law office, added chair rail molding, painted it and the wall below it, and one door. She didn't know. Totally surprised her. Next day I sent her a bill. Anyone wanna try? OK, I'll tell ya...later!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Some clues: She's a really good customer, has been for years. This is her (relatively) new office (moved in earlier this year). I was doing some other work there at the time I decided to sneak in and do this. I really was nervous about it. Figured worst case scenario she'd call and yell at me, and I'd be out the next day with a can of white paint, making it go away.View Image
"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Edited 12/25/2008 10:26 pm by Huck
before i read the answer...lemme guess...
she said "i don't know what to do with this.... why don't you surprise me ? "Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Nope. Its coming...
Clue: She did know I was putting carpet in, 'cause I told her. She said Hey! How can I be getting carpet I didn't even pick out? I said don't worry, you'll like it. Then I got a wild hair and did the rest.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Not trying to butter up the best divorce lawyer in town to keep a future ex wife from retaining her services are you?
OK, here it is. She called me up in October, said she wanted some cabinets changed around in her break room. And maybe some outlets and some computer cable added. No hurry, she said. Just get it done by the end of the year, and don't go over $5K. Turns out when she moved in, her contract said building owner would pay up to $5K for tenant improvements, if done by the end of the year.
It speaks to her character that she couldn't think of anything else she needed, so she wasn't going to use the money. I, on the other hand, could think of plenty of things she needed for $5k!
So in addition to modifying her breakroom cabinets, I moved a t-bar light fixture for better lighting, gave her some new shelves/cabinets in a couple of offices (she loved that - another surprise), new carpet in the waiting room, and then, after adding everything up, decided I could afford to surprise her with some molding and paint (I used stuff I had leftover from other jobs) too.
Since I've know her for years, I know she is very left-brained - smart, analytical, good with money, but has very little color or style sense. Her office was white everywhere, because she wasn't good at picking colors. I on the other hand am very right-brained - creative, artistic, etc. So (with the help of my wife, who has a good eye for these things also) I just decided to give her what I knew she needed but would never ask for: some color in the office!
I did it over the weekend (the carpet went in Fri. afternoon, after they all left). Then waited. No one called on Monday, so I called them. Her son (who is also her receptionist) said she loved it!
Cool. My bill for $5K is on her desk."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Well, I suppose that story is almost as good as mine. I just read your other thread about guy wanting the free tile and was about to come back in here and modify my answer to include the reason for the divorce being that after you caught him with the tile guy, you caught him with your wife trying renegotiate the contract.
well, if that isn't a vomitous picture in my mind (she'd rip him a new one, 'tho - hahaha)"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Yeah, well, maybe in these tough times I should go into soap opera writing instead of construction.
There it is... plain as the nose on yer face... or the picture on the wall.
Just in case... my reasoning... you artists got the eye.
Edited 12/25/2008 11:39 pm ET by RalphWicklund
This was another of my surprises to her (I put a crown-type molding on after the pic was taken). She loved it. This is her office.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I rebuilt these cabinets to accomodate the refrigerator and microwave, which were elsewhere in the same room, taking up needed filing space. Cut the drawers down, took the doors off, added shelves. The paint is still wet, that's why there's nothing on the shelves here. View Image
"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Edited 12/25/2008 11:52 pm by Huck
new shelves over the file cabinetsView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
So that's it, thanks for playing along. It was a fun job, $5K to spend, a lot of leeway on how I spent it, and 'til the end of the year to get it done.
She's that kind of client. I have keys to her house and her office. When she needs something she calls, says take care of it, and send me a bill. Never squawks, argues, etc., etc. A pleasure to work for. She is recently recovered from cancer, and her son came home from university to help her with the business.
Only bad spot was the college kid I hired to do some of the cabinet modifications - he performed poorly, and I had to re-do his work. He does beautiful work in shop class, but falls apart out in the real world. I've seen it before. Oh well, so it goes."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
That's a nice gig you have and a nice job. I have a very similar arrangement with the woman who bought my Victorian and had minimal luck finding anyone to maintain it until i agreed. Same thing as your deal: she's left-brained, can't visualize a thing, but never quibbles at all about paying. She recently called about her tub not draining and having to manually bail it for a couple days. We live 35 miles apart, so she thought i was home, but i happened in Lowe's when she called. I picked up a cheap snake, drove over to "our" house, and played hero a few minutes later. It's a great feeling, isn't it?
Hope you didn't charge HER $5k!
jt8
A year from now you may wish you had started today. -- Karen Lamb
Not for that one, but she's written checks for a whole lot more than that for porch posts and railings, gutters, lattice screening, gates, laminate, brick repairs, wiring, plumbing, carpet-laying, etc. She tried to get her sweetie to put a new deck on the balcony this past summer, thinking that was simple enough...i just smiled. I've already started the matching posts/railings and given her a ballpark idea of what the deck would cost her. And the balcony door needs some attention...i'm still in love with that house.
sheeze, what'd you do, sell her a lemon!?
;)
jt8
A year from now you may wish you had started today. -- Karen Lamb
But we're making lemonade! <G>
Sounds like she is paying for the sugar
:)
jt8
A year from now you may wish you had started today. -- Karen Lamb
this one went in her assistant's officeView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com