When to say No to customers !
When to say No to customers:
Problem: Clients who expect you to do jobs above and beyond original scope of work.
When your starting out, you treat every moment you earn a client’s trust with great appreciation. Often times, the emotional rush leads to the delusion that we ‘owe’ something to the customer as a thank you for them choosing you for their project. But like every savvy consumer, (whether its someone shopping in the clearance section of Macy’s, or using coupons for takeout) clients sometimes expect too much. Then we are scratching our heads wondering how we are going to quote them for this ‘extra’ work, that was originally not planned. In this day nothing is free; conversely, charging a premium for ‘adding an awning’ or ‘replacing just the fascia trim around my garage’ could make the customer upset. Depending on how niche the request is, this makes managing the situation even trickier. In the past, I’ve taken on this ‘extra’ work and gotten burned. I charged far too little for my time (cause I was scared to say ‘No’), and what was only supposed to be ‘a little awning above client’s window’ turned out to be a whole day’s work that I never quoted enough labor for.
Solution #1: Recognizing this is key. Even more important is being brave enough to say ‘no’ when this comes up. Its not worth the stress, anxiety and even if you manage to quote and complete the work, the extra money just isn’t worth it.
Solution #2: include the ‘extra’ work as part of add-on for a larger roof/siding/gutter replacement. Preferably the work coincides with the work your already doing (ie. fascia and soffit with gutter/roof replacement, awning with window replacement, etc.) that way part of the work will be handled while your already tackling the main project.
Of course, if you are a true beginner, this type of stuff could be a gateway to ‘get your foot in the door’ which may make homeowner choose you as opposed to a larger competitor. But be cautious, as pretty soon you’ll find that there is a fine line between saying ‘Yes’ to every niche job and being taken advantage of.
