[AccessD] The Polyp Problem

Arthur Fuller artful at rogers.com
Mon Mar 28 11:09:02 CST 2005


The hardest thing to learn in the contracting business is how and when 
to fire a customer. Eventually we all learn how to fire an unproductive 
employee or subcontractor, and no matter how distasteful we find it, we 
plod on anyway. Learning to fire a customer is much more difficult, 
because we are tied up in the notion that customers = revenue.

Let me offer a lesson taught to me by a master painter (i.e. house 
painter with papers) that I once worked with. He said, "Let the stupid 
painters do the one-bedroom apartments." To expand upon his concise 
statement, "If you're busy painting the one-bedroom apartments, you'll 
never be available for the mansion-makeovers; and worse, your resume 
will make it look like you're unqualified for the mansion-makeovers."

He was so skilled that he didn't even bother to put painting clothes on. 
He NEVER spilt paint. He NEVER got any paint on himself. He could cut a 
window frame without tape. Thanks to him, I can do it too (but I never 
mention this to my friends, otherwise I'd be dragged into painting their 
houses on my weekends LOL).

Out of the story and back to the theme: as contractors, we MUST learn 
which customers create profitable experiences and which create headaches 
-- and then to act upon that information and fire the latter group. Let 
the stupid contractors have all the nightmares!

Arthur

Andy Lacey wrote:

>In any case they sound like all-too familiar sort of customer. At some point you have to decide on what YOU want to do next. Are they a customer worth having for the future? I doubt it but if yes, you'll probably have to grit your teeth and keep asking nicely for your money. If not then you are going to have to stop them doing what they're doing, i.e. taking advantage. At some point you just have to say that you are doing no more work and no more support until you have been paid. And having said it you have to stick to it. The first time they really need you, and you won't go, they will suddenly find it perfectly easy to raise a cheque. It's not hard. The only time it's actually hard is if they have no money - and if that's the case bail out. 
>



More information about the AccessD mailing list