I had to take a home owner to court. I worked and owned a drywall co for 40 yrs and this home owner was redoing his 4 bay garage. We came in did the work and it looked great but I could never get the owner on the phone after we were done. I went back and he had put no trespassing signs all around so I left. I waited a couple week's and he still dodged my call's. I called the rock mason and insulation co and he had not paid them either so I took him to court. He hired this high priced attorney and I represented my self. The lawyer and I had to share pictures and information then sit before the judge before the jury trial.started That lawyer set all smug in his fancy suit and I just played off the situation like I had no idea what I was doing. [ I hoped I did any way ] Right before we left the judge's chambers when he asked if there was any more evidence I said I'd like to see a copy of his building permit and i'd like to add this building code book as evidence. That lawyer jumped up and went out to see his client. He had never gotten a remodeling permit and I had about a dozen photo's that showed violations but the best part was I used there own photo's against them They settled before we went in front of the judge that day. I got paid and then some .As I was leaving his chamber's the judge said I think you should have been a lawyer and well done. I did the Judge's home the next summer and he still remembered the case and had told alot of people how I won the case. If you tell the truth you don't have to try and remember a lie !
I built a house for a guy like that. Constantly changing and complaining about absolutely everything. I had change orders for everything that they changed with the amount it was going to increase the final cost. They were just squeezing me for a $15,000 discount. Then I told them what a mechanics lien was and that I was going to file for an injunction in addition to the mechanics lien to prevent occupation and prevent future advances on the construction loan. They weren't prepared for me to stand up for myself and I think they talked to an attorney that day and were surprised at what would happen. They paid me two days later and said they hoped there weren't any hard feelings. A year later they called me to tell me that they had black mold in a basement wall that they finished. I went over immediately and found out it was from a leak from a water filter that the nitwit installed himself under the kitchen sink. I took pictures and told them to pound sand. I honestly would have helped them if they hadn't been such weasels. Luckily they never called me again. I flat out dodged a bullet.
That is why you spell out everything in the contract and document EVERYTHING. I'm a programmer for a company that makes banking websites and worked on a conversion for a financial institution where our "brilliant" salespeople told them that we would convert their current website and then make any changes they wanted for a fixed bid. They were constantly changing requirements and our management got mad at _us_ for being behind on the project. Every time we had a meeting where they started to dress us down for budget I'd cut them off and quote the contract. They eventually just left us alone to get the job done. You really can't fix stupid sometimes.
A family member of mine was a car salesman for a time and told me the penny pinchers that you bend over backwards to get discounts for are always a PITA, and the people who overpay were always very happy. Now later in life I'm finding that to be true, generally speaking.
how the fuck do people get shit so wrong in the dumbest places... he was given every opportunity and you even go around there just to save your own ass and probably would've been happy to fix anything if it was your fault (fat chance) and you go there all to find out that it's just a plain ol' dumbass that is just suffering in life.
Not concrete related- I do cabinetry. Went to meet a couple and their GC to do a cabinet bid. They had no plan, in was a gut and redo on the fly kinda job, but the walls were framed so we had a pretty good idea what was what. Started talking with them about end points , some other various deails, and the wife kept interupting , about stain colors and this that and the other thing . I was polite and explained that we would discuss all that when we had a layout done, and the major things settled. I told her I would get her drawings and then we would discuss wood species and colors, and hardware etc at that point. A few minutes later she was back at it with avengance saying how she couldnt believe I didnt bring samples of all the wood colors and hardware blah blah blah. Polite again, I said we would get the layout all finalized and then I would meet with her to iron all that out, we had plenty of time for that. Im with the GC and hubby and were marking some things, Im making little sketches and notes and the three of us were making good progress and she came back with something to the effect of " where did you find this guy" . At that point , I grabbed my notebook , handed the print (walls were the only thing on it) back to the GC and said- Thats it- Im done." and walked out the door. The GC came out after me and he was as pissed as I was but it didnt change the fact I wasnt coming back and he understood. Sometimes you just gotta walk away
@@lauren4078She’s an adult Lauren. It’s not a man’s responsibility to ‘Control his woman’. It’s not the 1900s anymore. It’s better people are allowed to be honest then you know what you’re dealing with. She was her authentic self and that’s that.
Ran service in boat repair for nearly 40 years. After a positive review of a job with a customer onboard his boat - he tells me he’s gotta take a piss and he’d meet me in my office to settle up. I get a couple beers from the fridge in the shop and wait in my office. 30 min later I go looking and discover he’s taken the boat from the marina. Never again did I ever give up control until I was paid.
I run my own car audio & accessories shop so I deal with boats, utvs you name it & I've dealt with customers like that!!! I always do half down & hold the keys or keep vehicle in the bay till invoice is paid!!
@@chrispohl7185 We design houses and got burned sending out plans to clients before they paid the final invoice. As soon and they had what they needed they would just ghost us till we sent collections or put a lean on the now under construction house. Zero idea how someone can do that and think they are in the right. Now you won't get a that drawing till you pay the final invoice, I don't care what deadlines or timetables that screws up for you.
Had a lady start yelling at me on the phone about things we were finding as we were progressing through a project. (As most contractors doing renovation know, there are some things you simply cannot know until you start peeling back the layers.) I told her I wasn't sure about some things and would need to go take a look at it with my business partner who had more experience with some of these issues, but that most of it would be trivial. I'm young, so she must have thought I just worked at the store and she decides to start telling me that I need to start looking new job because I don't know what I'm doing and she's going to let "my boss" know. I've done this for 15 years, I'm just clean shaven. I also own the company. Told her that was fine, she could do that if she wanted, and to pass the phone back to my installers. Told them to take everything back to their trucks and come back to the shop. Told the lady I had a check ready for her, full refund, and that she could find someone else. She called me the next week apologizing and begging me to come back, that she would pay me extra for the time wasted, because everyone else was backlogged 6 months or more. Told her she had lost her spot and wouldn't be able to take more work because I'm booked for the year, but that my other clients were glad I was able to move them up. People like that aren't worth the effort. They are just looking for a reason to be mad so you can give them a break on the price.
What I would give, to see the look on her face, when you told her to kick rocks after she crawled back to you! Good riddance. Too many businesses cater to "customers" that pull drama to leverage in a price discussion mid-way/after completion... They will cost you money in the long run. They should never be afraid to fire a customer!
I’ve installed hoists and here is a trick. After you are done and concrete has cured, turn on the floor heat. Then take a tank sprayer and mist the floor. The lines will telegraph thru and show you exactly where the lines are. Works slick
I went to business school and they REALLY hate the idea of losing a customer. But then you go out to the real world, get some experience, work with customers, and realize that THERE ARE MANY CRAZY PEOPLE OUT THERE and that denying service is a necessity some times. It saves you issues and it's better business. Your peace of mind is priceless.
Amen. I started sleeping better at night when I learned how to say "no" to customers. If you can't make a profit, there's no point to doing the work. That's the whole point to being in business.
As a home owner, I've faced vice versa situations multiple times. A great job must always be appreciated ! It is so hard to find honest and skillful people nowadays.
I’m a GC and all I can say is Amen brother. I work in a pretty wealthy and high end area and honestly, most of the people I meet are really great and respect who I am and what I do. But some people don’t seem to get that I’m not a servant, that I won’t go hungry if I don’t work for them. Like real “yes sir no sir” crap. I’m a damn professional with decades of experience who is evaluating you even more than you’re evaluating me. Also, a tip for newer guys: when someone says “I’ve worked with a few contractors and have had some problems so I’m looking for someone’s really good” that might be your opportunity to show them how great you are. Or it might be a clue that’s they’re problematic clients and that you should say “thanks but no thanks.” In my experience the latter is more likely.
Ha! This is funny...in the sense that that statement is true for ALOT of professionals. I'm a hairdresser. 28yrs behind my chair, corrective color professional. Some just think "ok well just go get thst color & put it on"! NOPE...it doesn't work that way. We DO have to formulate with wjat our starting canvas is & it's current condition. Believe it or not...doing a corrective color IS Science. You can't JUST PUT a color on top of a previous color & it turn out like you want it to. Anyway...our red flag line from those kind of clients is "well I went to beauty school & I can't find any colorist that knows how to do it right" or ANY line they may throw at us claiming that the stylist messed up. FIRST OF ALL the client is the one who damages the hair most of the time with excessively high heat from irons & then expects US to just "wave our magic wand" to have runway beautiful hair in 2hrs or less. He'll im.just honest with them...if they expect me to give their already fried up hair that kind of gorgeous expectation in one appointment they are being UNREALISTIC. I ALSO will tell then if they are to sit in my chair the hair won't even HOLD the color they want if it's not healthy first so in my chair we WILL DO protein & moisture treatments FIRST to get the hair healthy & WHEN the hair is healthy we will proceed with THE JOURNEY toward their goal. Like i said...a JOURNEY, not a single appt done in 2hrs or less. I also tell them the products they need for home treatments as well. Well they usually will say "oh ill get that at WalMart" 🙄 IT IS NOT THE SAME! WE DO kniw our ingredients!!! But oh well do as you wish BUT it's not our fault when you DONT USE products with the same ingredients as what we are recommending. Then they want to fuss at us when their hair still doesn't hold the color, or feel any healthier when they want the color done before a wk of treatments first. SORRY! NOT MY PROBLEM!!! DEFINITELY NOT the type of clients to be in my chair. They will cost ME more money than they will be wanting to pay. And ain't NO WAY I'm gonna be paying fir them to have the hair they want when they aren't going to do the treatment plan I give them. Bc when all the hard wirk of formulating that color to their previous color & porosity issues doesn't last 3 shampoos for them, especially when they refuse to use the proper shampoos we recommend, they want it redone fir FREE!!! HELL NO!!! We don't recommend JUST TO MAKE A EXTRA BUCK...we sell certain products that fit the purpose for their desired results & proper longevity. I REFUSE to carry on with those kind of clients the same. We are professionals, I didn't work my ass off with continued education for 28yrs (bc chemisrty is always changing) just to recommend drug store quality products. If I owned a Mercedes-Benz I wouldn't be putting low grade gas ,oil or Chevrolet brake pads & expect it to run like a Mercedes-Benz! Not that I know nothing about cars...but you Get the Jist of what my point is!!! Ppl will push you for anything they can have a reason to not pay...but im.smarted than they think...bc I KNOW how to do my job...they CAN tell me what they want...but they CANNOT tell me how to DO my job!!! And IF they don't want to do the treatments necessary, they can go elsewhere. It usually ALWAYS happens that they'll call saying they went to so & so & their hair is more messed up or color washed out AS IF I NEVER educated them during consultation already. That's when I tell them...I TOLD YA THAT WOULD HAPPEN. Those are the clients that seem to have SELECTIVE HEARING!!! Then they EXPECT ME told "help me out" for a discount! Sorry it doesn't wirk that way!!! These are my corrective color prices & they are NOT negotiable! Would been cheaper if you had just followed my recommendations when we first consulted on your initial goal plan. Sorry...that's business. I won't be the one paying fir ppl to have their hair done when they refuse to listen to what I KNOW how to do!!! Ppl kill me with that mess!!! Sorrynfor the long rant!!!
I can second the clue and red flags when someone has problems with their prior whatever. I used to do accounting and looking back, every time a new client mentioned problems with a prior accountant I eventually realized that these were problem clients. People who wouldn't follow advice even though they were paying me for opinions, people who would create a lot of drama, people who were late or didn't pay their bills. I remember one client "fired" me and I felt so freakin amazing afterwards. I had been working up how to fire them. lol. I understand that yes, some customers will have legitimate problems but a lot of times they are making the problems themselves.
Seeing how everyone in this thread is talking about the trouble they had with clients, that would be a red flag telling people to avoid you... IF your logic was valid. Narcissism and badmouthing doesn't invoke trust on either side.
As a retired general contractor, I would have loved to have you doing my work, You actually made sure that the slump was proper, most people would have added to much water to make it easier and ruined the concrete, the slump was perfect for a crack free slab, The customer will probably learn how good they had it when they work with the next concrete contractor, GREAT JOB GUY'S.
Question Mr. GC. I just had a concrete slab/porch poured. The crew complained that the product was extremely wet. It was left with a texture, i fall frequently and they didn't want me to fall. However, there are no cuts in my slab. I don't know what the cut's do but are they necessary? 16' x 24' x 4". I live in coastal Georgia.
@@donnamurphy5698 as concrete dries approximately 28 days it shrinks, the wetter the concrete the more it shrinks, the saw cuts are called control joints, the concrete cracks at that point to control the shrinkage, you should have a couple saw cuts in your slab of this size. Not too late to do it.
@@donnamurphy5698 one more thing, if you spray water on your slab and keep it wet for awhile over the next few weeks especially if it gets a lot of sunlight, that will slow the drying process and help the shrinkage.
A very wise man told me once "I've never lost money on a job I did not take". Ungrateful customers are the worst. Who needs the drama. Cheers from Tokyo!
Worst of all is some concrete dude who doesn't do the job he was hired to do. Just cut the damn concrete pads at the lift, makes perfect sense to do that .. we just have a dumb contractor here.
It's really rich when you fire these customers, and they come back to you insisting that you do the job. If you want a lot of these creeps, go to work in the Fairfield Co. CT area. Loaded with them.
I don't do concrete, but I'm a mechanic. Learned a long time ago to spot jobs I didn't really want to take on, and to quote those jobs astronomically high.
@@someotherdude priceless. The PSYCHOTIC woman I fired followed me all the way to my truck saying " I didn't tell you to leave ".... I replied that's right, you're fired, do not contact me
I thought this same thing, but in his defense, the guy was being difficult to work with, and they didn't pay when they said they would, so he didn't feel like putting in 110 percent because they obviously didn't. From his story, he was decently calm with them, and tried to work with their decision making, both of my uncles do concrete work, one of them has done it his whole life, if you were to give him a hard time like that, he's the kind of guy that won't be so nice, most of those concrete guys aren't pushovers either... Weak men don't do concrete.
That was my initial thought, why not just put a normal cut line around those holes? Why does it have to cure separately? That seems like a complete lack of understanding
Nice job on the floor. But, the line cutting was an aesthetic concern, that's why the concrete guy didn't put them in? Is there a reason not to cut the lines other than appearance? Clearly the mason takes great pride in his work, there's definitely skill and artistry to it. I suppose the owner wanted lines cut to remark the posts because that would be a permanent indication of where the thicker concrete was. So, it's a practical concern, I guess. Making a big deal about a cigarette seems kind of absurd. Anyway, interesting video.
Came here to say the same, just hand trowel in some lines when it's setting up. I just don't get it. Customer seemed shitty, but this seems an odd hill to die on
A customer claiming they will have more work for me is a big red flag. They usually tell you that to motivate you and get more out of you on the current job. It almost never pans out
I knew a guy who lettered/painted trucks with business names, etc. People would always say “give me a good price I’ve got a whole bunch of trucks to paint.” His answer was always the same. Nine trucks painted full price and the 10th one is free. He would never see the guys again.
You talk nonsense buddy. As a customer I say that so that they do a good job not to get more out of them. Do a good job and I’ve got more for you. Simple.
It’s unfortunate skilled trade people are not respected. The customer probably thinks your hungry for money and will bend over backwards for them and cut them a break on labor cost.
They didn’t pay you at the agreed upon time, without explanation! When I was a kid, and had a paper route. I was shocked that adults would stiff a 11 year old kid for 2$. That’s when I learned there are users in the world, who go through life expecting other’s to cater to their needs. I’ve spent the rest of my life avoiding “users”.
Had the same experience as a paperboy in the late 80’s. I even had a customer who was an employee of the paper tell me she got her subscription for free…I let it go for almost the entire time I delivered papers (18 months) because I didn’t know any better (I was 13). It wasn’t until the person who collected the money from me at the end of each month asked why I was giving her an extra $4 out of my pocket when she collected. I mentioned the address and the person’s name. She said that wasn’t true at all. A week later I was asked by the paper owner if I could come to his office. My dad took me. I was a little scared because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. The lady was there with the owner and she was pissed. The owner asked me how long I had been paying for her paper. I told him it had been about 15 months. He looked at her and asked if this was true. She glared at me and said yes. He told her to go back to her office. Once she was gone, he apologized for her actions, pulled out his checkbook, and wrote me a check to cover her cost. He then wrote me another check for $25 for my grievances. My dad and I shook his hand and we left. I found out later that week that she had been fired and charged with embezzlement for stealing office supplies too. I stopped delivering papers about two months later.
@@GhostDrummer thank you for sharing that story. I always felt I was stupid, because I had similar customers who said they had annual subscriptions when they did not. I also got swindled, and only at the end of my delivery days did I figure it and and stopped delivering to them. They had the nerve to phone and complain. I learned a great deal about how some people operate. Some people will steal if given the opportunity. I’ve imparted some of what I learned to my three sons. I tried to turn them into people who do not steal, and trust others to do the same. What I was surprised at was years later when I worked for IBM, at an ultra secure facility. Somebody was stealing from the offices. Everybody was blaming the cleaning staff, and maintenance workers . I was a senior in the company and impressed upon management that if someone will steal the coffee money, and donation box, and desk contents then I don’t want to work here if we can’t fix this. Two full time regular employees were caught and fired. The were career people making decent money and a big future. Another example that some people will steal if given an opportunity, many will not. Some people are weird.
OMG that brings back so many memories from my early 80s paperboy days! Woman older than my Mom raises her voice at me "You KNOW I don't have money till after the first!" Ummm no I DON'T know that, lady- I just throw papers every day rain or shine and collect once a month. Then the ones who never answered when I came collecting then acted like I was out to bankrupt them when I finally caught up with them for 3 months payment that was like $6. Now as a grownup I'm still dealing with the same kind of whiner even after retiring from serving the public for 40 years. Family that has more money than God want to buy my 2 acre parcel and pay me $8000 but claim to the assessor that it was $2000 "Because I don't want the taxes to be a burden on my family for all time..." Let him try, the assessor will see right through his BS.
@@ARoyalLyon yup ! I like being in a position today where I can be be generous with people I deem to be worthy, and the others ? Well I will haggle all day to squeeze an extra dollar out of the greedy ones. An then I’ll give the dollar to the Salvation Army or TIP $10 to the young person serving me a coffee at 6:30 AM. I know some really wealthy people, and they love to hold onto money, for what I don’t know. And I always remember my paper carrier days.
There's always two perspectives within disputes: 1, as the professional, you know what YOU'RE DOING. 2, as the customer, they know what THEY WANT. So in any dispute, when it doesn't matter to you professionally, you can do it THEIR WAY and let them take all the consequences for THEIR decisions. When it DOES MATTER to your quality of work, ya tell them that's what get for their money that YOU stand by.
@@MidwestFarmToys it's easy to say the contractor should walk away if he doesn't like working with people like that. but that's hard to do when the change requests start after contracts are signed and work commenced.
Unfortunately and im talking from experience, I wont say most, but A LOT of contractors are beyond lazy, cut corners, take WAY longer than they should, milk unknowing clients dry by the time job is done.. I had a project that was supposed to take 3 months (I gave them another month out of "good will") take a total of 9 MONTHS!!!! Of course that changed pricing, quotes, material cost..TOTAL NIGHTMARE. I feel if ur top accomodating and too nice, a lot of these guys take advantage.
Ive done concrete and masonry work and i have to say you guys did an excellent job. Walking away from the customers future work was a wise move. Youll never be short on work but you can avoid future headaches.
@@bondobuilt386 Bingo. It's like potential customers that try to squeeze you on quotes. My simple answer is always "I can go broke, sitting on the couch." Word of mouth is everything and it works both ways. I can think of at least 5 instances where a potential customer has said something along the lines of "I'll be telling everyone I know about you!" and I have replied with "GOOD! Please do! I have plenty of happy, paying customers. I don't need your work and I don't need the kind of clientele who would associate with you. " Having been in small business for over 15 years, I can smell them coming a mile away. (And I'm sure you can too) I do a good job for a fair price, and I have zero tolerance for people who make veiled threats. No honest contractor deserves the stress for merely trying to provide a good service.
@@jimmyb1451 "I can go broke sitting on the couch". Thats great! 🙂 My line for the "I can get so&so to do it blah$blah$ cheaper" crowd is you better call them before they realize what that job is really worth.🤣
But why don’t you chair your mesh up? You may aswell have left it out - looks good apart from that, I would have just marked the walls where the centre of the footings are then flicked it out after that too 🤙
As soon as the customer starts telling you how to do your job and do something that you know will look like shit, it's time to hit the road because they are the first to bitch. Doing it right the first time is the only way. Great job by this contractor for not letting them screwup the job
This customer doesn't have a tape measure and a pad of paper? He can't simply measure the center of each pad off of two walls and write it down and then refer to his notes later? That would be how a normal person would do it instead of jerk around the concrete contractor for no reason. Some customers deserve to be fired.
I did that exact thing when I had the subfloor put in my basement, so I'd know exactly where the floor drain was. As it turns out I needed to. Pre-planning is a good thing. 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail', as they say.
this is how ive always seen it done when installing stuff in to a slab with hydronic heating marked reference points and distances with a grid of free drawn on the foor and your good to go
My dad was an old school plaster by trade , he could make from scratch ceiling bosses , roses , cornice , molding the lot , he worked purely by word of mouth and recommendation and had a fixed hourly rate that basically covered everything he’d need for the job . The number of times he’d give his quote and the customer would complain it’s too high and he’d simply reply “not a problem I’m sure you can get someone else to do it for less” THEN a few wks/mths later he’d get a phone call asking can he come back as the one they’d gone with had botched it and he’d re-quote for a lot more this time than last , they’d complain about the price rise and he’d reply “well I’ve gotta remove and correct all this mess 1st !” Moral of the story ? When you want a job done by someone who has a reputation for honest work don’t argue with them , quality and experience isn’t cheap and they know what there talking about you don’t ! 🤦♂️
I started pouring concrete in 1972. I eventually became a flatwork foreman which meant that I took most of the crap from the owners/builders. People are amazing. They will have a $100,000 dollar car or top of the line pick up and try to beat the working guy out of whatever they can. I always hated the ones that worked one summer when they were in high school on a concrete crew and thought they were experts. It looks like you have a good crew working with you. Great job on the pole barn. I'm way too old to do it any more but when I watch a pour I get to missing it. Good luck to you and the crew.
A rich guy told me how to handle arrogant rich people... just keep in mind that there is always someone who has more money than the clown you're dealing with. If you have to, tell them that point blank. They will either respect you or ask you to leave
Hey I did concrete for 3 summers. I figure in a couple years I’m going to start looking for concrete crews to bother. My dad used to call them “sidewalk supervisors” “Are you gonna jitterbug the concrete, sonny?”
Lmao thats literally what this country is built on. Rolling all the shit down hill to the actual people doing the hard work. And as the flesh fall from their bloody hands they turn around in their suits and say your still poor because you dont work hard enough! We need more! Do more! You now have no hands. Just stubs and they still want more.
@@Lilmiket1000 There were some radio hosts, and they were very annoying. I wanted to agree with them on most subjects but I could not because of the way they presented themselves. Yes, I knew they were entertainers and commercial sellers first and references of knowledge second. Their classic attitude was work more. Sounds good on paper and does work in real life but only a fraction of the time. You could work all you want for 25 hours a day, 8 days a week....and if the work is not smart, or you have prior obligations ...You aren't going anywhere. I think your comment was very good. Glad you posted.
A few years ago I met a lady that asked me to do some interior painting for her. My father had been a professional painter so I knew how to do a good job. I taped everything off in the two rooms and had it all done before she got home from work. I only asked her for $10/hour and she gladly paid it and threw in an extra $100. We sat down to chat for a bit and she asked me if I would tear out her stone floor and install a tile she had found. I told her I was not comfortable doing that. I had done things to my own place but I did not feel like it was appropriate for me to do that big of a job on someone else's property. She lived in a wealthy neighborhood anyway. After I talked her out of getting me to do it she found someone else. It was two dudes and they gave her an estimate of $16,000. She gave them $8000 on the first day and they went and bought the materials and tore out her old floor as well. They never came back and even kept the materials they had purchased. When I heard about it I almost wished I had went ahead and tried to do it for her anyway.
Despite the customer being a pain you guys did a phenomenal job. Awesome to watch the skill you guys put into your work. I was in a motorcycle wreck a few years back but used to do construction.... I miss it but I get to live vicariously through you tube videos like this. Thanks for the content.
Yeah, I feel your frustration. I lost my arm in a bike wreck and that ended my 25 year career as a bricklayer. Although, even after the crash I kept on laying brick and block - a garden for my in-laws and a garden for ourselves - various curved walls and flights of steps, just nothing over about a yard high.
I can totally relate to both of you guys. A quadriplegic after car accident about 30 years ago. Prior to that, I did all sorts of plumbing heating electrical and construction, but my favorite was working on my muscle cars in the 1980s. I stayed somewhat involved in it after my accident through engineering consulting with wheelchair access, building code consulting, and a lot of outdoor recreation, trails, etc. But like you said, I get to live vicariously through these videos.
As a third-generation plumber I have seen a lot of customers. Some you bend-over backwards for and they still won't be happy,. Some pitch a fit to get the price lowered after you've finished. And some like my grandpa used to say; "Son, for some people this world isn't ever going to be right" . If you know what to look for you can spot these miserable people right off the bat.
Yes. Key words at the estimate raise red flags. Use your gut. Work with women as the project manager. Never work with pusillanimous men who let the wife take control, and take pictures and videos of everything before and after.
Beautiful job. I would have been super happy with how this job went and how organized and prepared the crew was. Cement is hard work and waits for no man once its poured. Enjoyed the video ! Good job 👍
We have magic juice where I am that loosens the Crete right up so it doesn’t set to fast and even after setting for at least the first hour or two- even after that final finish it’s a some great stuff
Sometimes it’s really like that! I know former military people that have done COMBAT tours that refuse to deal with insufferable people and end up leaving. It’s so crazy how miserable some people are!
@Spartan-Of-Truth I wound up having to go back to this lady's house 2 weeks later. She was like a whole different person. As if, nothing happened and we were long lost friends... just a strange experience.
@@robertmeier6821 Exactly! I define those types as narcissistic. They refuse to be held accountable for their off-putting behavior. If I rub somebody the wrong way, I make it known.
“I don’t care what it looks like.” “Well, you got the wrong guy to pour your concrete.” Now THAT is a damn good mindset to have as a contractor. I wish everyone was like that.
Actually.....as an artist, even I can't ask someone to just take what I want to give because I know its better...it may be true, but they are paying and if you can't "convince" them to do it well then unless it is significantly more money or unsafe, it's their project....not yours. You took the job, take responsibility and finish it...like here...and choose better next time. Thats the lesson here. Find good people to work with and stay with them but everybody in the arts has to take one on the chin. It's nothing new and these guys have seen it before. In the end they can be proud of the finished work and work on how to avoid it in the future...ie NOT a conversation but a written document describing the work.
@@nedanother9382 ....sorry bud but you're wrong...some people love to mess you around, nit pick, change their minds and hold back payment just because they can....then they become expert's in your lifelong career after watching a few videos on YT.
@@nojnoj3069 very true, I don't disagree. But we, you and me and these guys know those people are out there. Thats why you document as much as you can to protect yourself...but ultimately these people (you know ...assholes) are part of the equation. These guys handled it well. Sorry if that didn't come across.
@@nojnoj3069 yeah I remember a guy picking apart every little part of our insulation, it was good insulation work but he would find the smallest little things for example a small cut in the paper he got really mad about, people like that only hinder your job we were there babysitting him for an entire day, he did all that then asked for a discount for all the trouble HE went through, glad he got none of it though, if you want to be that picky you’re gonna damn well pay me for it.
🙄🙄 just cut the mfer lines 🤷🏿♂️ especially if they aren't asking a deal. Just cut the lines or box out the area for them, I'm customer and I'll pay extra just cut the lines 😂 whats the mfer issues 😂 Both you and the customers seem like headaches to deal with , nothing but ego 🙄 the customers seem bogus af and you're passive aggressive
I use to work at a place that vehicle wraps. Several times I told the owner she should pass on a job and she never listened. One of them she screwed so bad it cost many thousands to fix on a job she quoted a few hundred
@@johnkilty5091"have game"? That sounds a little manipulative, tho you probably didn't mean it that way. (Competent, Proficient, Honest, Proffesional, Fair) all would've been accurate words to convey your point, but most people will know what you mean ✌️
I was in the construction business back in the 70’s and if a customer wanted something done out of the ordinary short of creating a structural issue we would do just about anything that they wanted, but informing them they would also need to pay extra for the change. As for the pads being cut like the homeowner wanted, personally I would have cut them however he/she wanted, his/her responsibility. My 2 cents. Oh, and you guys did a great job pouring and finishing the slab, I’d hire you in a heart beat.
I agree Preston. From what I can see I think these guys did an excellent job. However, I would have made the cuts also. I try to find a way to give the check writers what they're looking for if it doesn't create a hazard.
I agree too, though I'm not in the industry, but I think its only fair to lean towards what the customer wants, as long as they are paying for it, unless of course that it was not in their interest to do so, safety wise.
What's that saying.. 'the customer is always right'? If the customer wants ugly diagonal grooves cut in his brand new floor, make ugly diagonal grooves. What's the big deal? It's not your floor. They're paying you to do a job. Suck it up, man.
I would do the job the way I believed was the correct way to do it. Bondo did say he believed cutting lines could possibly cause cracks around the lift pad in the future because of the difference in thickness of concrete. If that happened the customer would probably blame him and sue him for repairs. I wouldn't want to take the chance of having to deal with a PITA customer again. The customer is not always right.
Yup. "if they pay, they say" meaning that if they are paying you DO IT, you're not there to do it how you would like it. The obvious exceptions are if it would cause a safety issue or cause you legal trouble.
Personally I'm eternally grateful when I come across an honest, hardworking, skilled worker in any field. It's so easy for a customer to get fleeced by bad actors.
I also am that way, double check their sources/past work and then let the man work ... any shortcomings from what I was told/from Bid I then always give them a chance to make right. Never have had a problem and usually give extra cash and/or alcohol as a bonus
It's super tough to tell which contractors are honest or not. Appearance means nothing and the sleaziest ones are great at blending in and disguising themselves. One thing I noticed in my years in construction/manual labor is generally, the bad ones are always looking for excuses to blame everyone else for everything. The smallest mistake or miscommunication they take as an opportunity to leverage into exploitation. I saw it time and time again, they get the slightest window of wiggle room and they turn into a slippery snake where they start screwing over everyone. The customers and their employees. They'll ignore you until you say the three magic words "small claims court". Then they'll quickly change their tune. Snakes.
After 43 years in the commercial, industrial and residential construction. Industry starting out digging foundations and utility trenches (with a shovel) and retiring as a project manager I hope now I can honestly say I've seen it all. Your patience is amazing.
Brother- I know how that feels. I was a security systems contractor for MANY years and I worked in Hollywood with the rich and famous folks. Most were decent. Some were total A-holes. I was comfortable and successful enough to where I didn't have to kiss ass for these clowns. If they were rude, I picked up my tools and left. I had an attorney who made sure I was covered.
Name your aholes and I'll name mine. As a professional Chauffeur the aholes I met included Gene Simmons (but not Paul Stanley, a real gentleman), Jerry Springer, Scottie Pippen, Dr. Buss (Owner of the Lakers), and Dan Gilbert (Owner of the Cavaliers) and some middle aged blonde actress who got mad because I didn't recognize her from some TV kids show like Malcolm in the Middle or something similar.
@@nostradamus7648 Nice! Awesome of you to share the names, I'm so sick of the public putting these Hollywood sickos on some type of pedestal... It's a big club and we ain't in it!!
@@nostradamus7648 Actually, you named yours first so deals off! Yes, I agree, the more money the bigger the A-Hole...most of the time, but not all. Some rich people remember their roots and treat you well. It's the A-Holes that come from money and have no idea what it takes to make it on your own. Mommy and daddy are always there for them bailing them out time after time. They do this because their children are an embarrassment to them and they don't want others to find out what a crappy job they did with them.
I did a job for a guy who, when I'd finished said he couldn't pay me the full amount and he'd pay me $20 a week. When i asked why he couldn't pay me the full amount of $1200, his reply stunned me. Get this, he said "because i wouldnt be able to afford going 10 pin bowling if i pay you the full amount". Yeah, that was his reply, word for word.
Retired from 36 years as a GC no one could ever figure out why I would fire a customer, but this is exactly it when everything is adversarial it's not good for anybody involved, life is just too short, and I commend you for firing the customer! Cheers
honest question how many of those firings where because you just didnt like their idea on a project and you didnt want to do it so it led to altercations and annoyances.. i can see you firing someone for been rude by nature, but getting upset because youre not doing what theyre asking you. is baffling to lose a customer over.
@@youtubevideos3963 thats what I don't get from all these comments. they don't see that the customer was giving them orders and they say no then turn around and cry about a rude customer. just do what they want and its not like they both would benefit from it. the customer gets what they want and you charge allot more for those details than what your are charging for your sq.ft price
@@youtubevideos3963 I'm not a concrete guy, but I'm in another trade that deals with a large mix of customers. I originally would follow customer wishes well, but they would not understand the entire situation, and then the result would not be what they wanted, or I would damage something as a result. The same customers would then complain about the results, saying it was my fault. I then quickly have moved on to explaining to a customer how things work now, but I'm losing my patience now to where I don't fully explain things anymore. I was kind of rambling there, but essentially, Customers all have a desired outcome. Some think they know how to produce said outcome with their ideas when they are actually idiots. Your job as a tradesman is to distinguish the idiots and let the idiot tradesmen handle them, because 1 idiot customer can ruin your reputation faster than 10 good customers can build it up.
@@kneehats2311 Contrary to the old sales saying, the customer is not always right. The customer may be giving orders but a worker with a conscience is going to guide them from their years of experience on the job. Now if he had no conscience and was just looking at the money then of course he’s just going to follow orders, even though he knows it might not be in the best interests of the customer. But this guy wants to give this customer their best work so he says, it’s not a good idea. A better saying for this situation is “Experience leads”.
I have never regretted walking at the very first sign a customer gives me trouble. When I was younger, I learned the hard way that you should never get in so far that you can’t quite when you need too.
We had one customer that “re-negotiated” final payment after the job was done. Called back a year later for us to do more work, and told us, “hope there’s no hard feelings”. Told him to find someone else.
Nice work, poured mud for over 40 years, one thing I learned was to trust my gut when it came to customers😁. I love how he told you he didn't know about concrete but wanted to tell you how to do it, you are doing fine
I've been in the trades most of my life and have family that's far older that I can rely on for issues like this. I think you did a great job, carried yourself like a true professional and your quality of work speaks for itself. The sad part is the customers ignorance cost them an experienced crew that obviously does great work. I'd like to see the quality of work they get next and the price. I had to start driving a semi for a living because I'm not half as good at dealing with ignorant people. Little did I know it's everywhere! I still try to do jobs for a very few select people and I miss it but driving is far easier than dealing with homeowners on a day to day basis. Good luck in the future and I'd be more than happy to have your work in my yard. I'd love for you to see the stamped concrete and driveway I had done about 5 years ago. Spalling everywhere and it's already dropping off bad in a few places. I gotta deal but I would've gladly paid more for better work. I never asked for a penny off the job that's the problem. Not everyone cares about their work and you and your crew obviously do. Have a good one 👍
@@bondobuilt386 I've had one in my life I had to leave before the job was finished and a few ill never work for again. It happens, but your work is very good and you should be proud of yourself and your crew.
As a GC, I would have asked the owner why he needed the lines cut. Maybe someone told him it would prevent the rest of the floor from cracking after prolonged use of the lift. Seems like that could have been resolved with some more discussion. If it had cost more, it sounds like he would have paid it. As for the cigarette butt issue, I personally don't let employees smoke on the job. If you allow it, you should have a small bucket of sand for the butts. It sounds dumb, but a homeowner would see that as a sign of organization and respect. Additional parking requirements should be ironed out before the job starts. Don't mean to sound critical, but after being in business for over 45 years, I just want to pass on my "Lessons Learned" over the years. BTW: Nice floor!
I'm a smoker and have been doing landscape construction (patios walls, stairs) for 28 years. I knock the head off of my smoke and I come home with a pocket full of butts. It sounds gross but I WILL NOT litter on a job. In fact, I pick up butts off the ground when I see them, because I don't want to be blamed.
I’ve gone through this routine as a carpenter/mechanic a few times. It is simply impractical to keep working with this type because you’ll lose your ass. Good looking pour and great way to manage clients. I feel sorry for the rest of the trades coming in though. These customers usually pass their discontent on to the next crew. They stay very defensive and look for trouble, oftentimes to beat you down a few bucks.
@@bondobuilt386, yes it is. Maybe this particular client will calm down once their shop is finished. I’ve found that some of these people get extremely stressed while they are going through the process of investing in a project like this. But once it’s complete and they are enjoying the new space they return to their sane and rational selves. Don’t be surprised if you get a call from these folks to thank you for doing the job the way you did. That happens sometimes and it has always made me feel great to shake hands and make peace, maybe even some new solid friends. But I’d love to see their shop once the lift is installed. I bet anything that whoever installs it will know exactly where and how to do it flawlessly, without damaging the the precious tubing…😂😂😂!
Dude. This story is RIVETING! I mean that totally sincerely. I can’t put my finger on why, but I’m telling you, I was captivated from beginning to end. And then to read your comment re: court?!?! Never have I seen a better coda. NEVER! Bravo. Well told and well played all around. Good show.
@@bondobuilt386 5 Million !!! ... It's because all contractors have to deal with these losers. What you did was shine a light on it for the rest of us.
Excellent work combined with WAY more patience than I would've had with this malcontent customer. Upset over a cig butt before you'd even cleaned up the job site is just a juvenile mind spoiling for a fight. Sounds like the way you dealt with them was exemplary and professional. You definitely made the right choice to cut this customer loose and say no to further work. The grief would've never ended with them.
Exactly. The owner was trying to nitpick and bully to show dominance to lowball on the price, it seemed. Best to shut that shit down immediately and let them know they are out of line and don't understand a worksite.
I attended a meeting of Air BNB'ers and short term rental owners in Joshua tree and there was a panel about how to get work for free or cheap. One of the things they said to do is look for cig butts and litter. They also said to listen for ANYTHING they can consider offensive and use that against workers and builders.
Great job and appreciate the story of your journey with owners. After 30+ yrs home improvements one in particular still stands out as the most ridiculously difficult client! 15or so yrs back was doing stripped to studs remodel, complete with relocation of bathroom and kitchen. Much like your story, from the beginning it was as though the Wife was searching for situations to be upset. At about 80% completion, the Wife wanted to purchase faucets, trip waste, toilets, etc and ask for detailed plumbing list. I was skeptical, this had not worked out numerous times already. A few items were very specific for connecting her airbath, and last of electrical details. I wrote down exactly what was required and sent her on her way. Upon return she dumped out plumbing and electrical supplies and nothing, not one thing she purchased was correct. I questioned her purchases and her exact words were "I got what you had written". I ask for list, she produced list, then I went through the list and asked where these items were? Her next words clinched the decision I had been contemplating for over a week. She said "you are a liar because I got what you listed". I was dumbfounded haha. I submitted final invoice at days end, rcvd full payment then ask her to loose my phone number because obviously our trust had been broken and I would not be back. 18months later she called needing info because her house was under contract. I politely told her to pound sand. To be fair, it was a huge learning curve, she erased much of my naivete which served me well later.
I'm a Union Ironworker and we get People who think they can just make changes to a structural steel building. Not happening. You guys did a great job and it looks great.
It be called a "change order" in any trade. Referred a woman I know to a plumber friend. She kept making changes on the job and he would let her know he would have to charge. Not a problem she replies. Very pretty young lady. I guess she thought she could twitch that tail and get anything done.,
@@RobertGee-oi9wwOr she has enough money to get what she wants. I’m a Commercial Diver I do whatever the customer asks me to do so long as it isn’t illegal. It’s their money anything that happens as a result of the changes is their responsibility the requests are documented.
I've been doing steel structures since 1998, and I agree, some people don't need to make decisions. I 💩 you not- "Can we move that column, I want a window there, it won't look right if it's offset."🤔
I've been a bathroom remodeling contractor here in So Cal for 26 years. I can determine within minutes on my first visit with the client as to whether or not they're gonna be good people to work for. I'm always blown away how some of these potential clients tell me how to remodel bathrooms based on a Google search they did. Yes its very nice to be able to pick and choose who I do work for .
"Should be an easy job for you guys. Two days, tops. Definitely won't cost more than five thousand." "We're pretty easy going." "Park wherever. We don't care."
If the “pads” are not tied to the rest of the floor then thats a lift I would never use. Unless he is using a 2 post for motorcycles and atv’s only (you know he’s not). The “strength” of the mud means zero if the slab isn’t a monolithic structure when lifting a 3600lbs car or (you know he’s going to do this) his loaded F250 with full diesel tanks in the bed or lift his tractors. I have installed above and in ground lifts and finished the mud that goes with it for commercial auto shops. Either do it right the first time or don’t do it at all. You did a solid by cutting him off. You didn’t drop a customer, you let go of a bag of problems. 👍🏼
I was in new construction for 22 years. It seemed like about 1 in 10 people are insane. Most people are super happy with a good job. On the other hand there were those folks that weren't going to be happy no matter what you did. Often the husband and wife were both crazy in those situations. Crazy finds crazy. It really sucks dealing with people who make everything a no win situation.
@@endemion06463 You don't get it. I said job well done. If there were problems they were fixed. As an example we had a couple that insisted on putting in snow white carpet. We told them over and over it was going to show dirt. The contractor put in the carpet. Everyone coming in and out put on surgical shoe covers. Guess what the carpet showed everything. These idiots screamed at the contractor who repeatedly tried to talk them out of their bad decision. I worked with some solid honest contractors. I live in a place where a bad reputation travels fast. You do good work or you don't last long. The concrete contractor in this video was 100% right. His clients were unreasonable. One of his clients ideas made the floor less structurally sound in terms of how stable the lift would be. Ask anyone who works in retail and they'll tell you there are a lot of unreasonable people out there. If you dealt with the general public you might understand .
@@coldwarkid6611 I think you didn't get what I was saying. What I was saying that if there are 1 in 10 "insane people" maybe that reflects how many bad contractors there are. As in 1 in 10 have bad experiences that make them "insane" dealing with the next one. Your snow example where they didn't listen, clearly a matter of trust right? So what happened in their past not to trust the contractor?
100%. Sometimes you have to fire a customer because work is the lowest rung on the pole of what matters. Don't feel bad if you take enjoyment in firing some because I gotta be honest, feels like you're doing God's work sometimes when you realize their problems aren't yours anymore!
@@bondobuilt386 I feel well rested just watching it.. We'd do this with two people, one spreading the concrete, the other one with a 3m/like 10ft? aluminium straight edge smoothing it and making sure it's the right height with a rotary laser.. Unless it's cold it's way too hectic and squatting with the straight edge is horrible for your legs and back...
You guys went above and beyond for these customers...and your work looks amazing..I already know your job is tough enough without customers barking down your throat for petty stuff...
@@americarocks1776 I think your YT moniker explains exactly your taste. I’m a finisher,an nothing is worse than a customer who is standing over your shoulder nitpicking every little thing. Look don’t say anything till we “the contractors” do our final walk through an say to the customer services rendered please pay your bill. That is the time to air your grievances. If you see a discrepancy an it is a legit one then I have no problem addressing it. But do not hold payments,not when this is someone’s livelihood. You have absolutely no idea the domino effect that has on a company. Especially if it’s a small time company just starting out or just a general contractor doing it on his own. Bottom line is you get exactly what you pay for. An accredited contractor,or a Craigslist jack of all trades bargain basement character. Experience is not cheap,an neither are the tools.
The plumb bob would have been the perfect solution. Overall, this is an exceptional job. Your level of conscientiousness is exemplary. I wish you were close to SE Georgia where I live. It's tough to find a good concrete guy here. Parking in the grass? That is the LEAST of the concerns. The last pour I did (14 x 22 slab with footers), the concrete truck drove down my driveway (breaking a section of it) and turned around in my neighbor's yard driving across a stamped sidewalk on the way. Forms were nailed into an existing sidewalk and not repaired. The contractor promised to come back and repair the sidewalk he broke. That was over a year ago. Never returned to strip the forms from the steps I wanted. I poured a 14 x 16 slap for a shed I built in 2008 and I Georgia buggied the concrete in. I asked the contractor, "Why would you drive a concrete truck down a four inch driveway? He had no answer. Good concrete guys are worth their weight in gold. This is a good vide. Thank you!
"parking in the Grass" ........ *RIGHT* !? ..... _Cigarette butt? .... I can understand "cleanup concerns" But ? obviously those customers were just a teeny bit oversensitive. This guy did a great job. so did his crew, it was a nice little project & I fail to see the "problem" with the pads too. IF that 'Customer' was some kind of mechanic (or whatever) HOW could all this be such a big deal?
@@AutomationDnD As a home owner I cant imagine finding people that do good work, how and when they say they will and then blowing up the relationship because I saw some garbage in my lawn. Its a construction zone, there is gonna be some mess. Crazy people are gonna crazy.
@@steveappleton4183 Yup I actually run a Cleaning Biz now.... I do have to (and know "How" to handle my customers). AND I do manage to keep nearly 100% of them happy too (I do "Good Work") & a "Good Guy" often makes it look easy (when it is not) but as I've mentioned elsewhere, ...... I've also - Tried ... construction. I just am not sufficiently motivated enough to run it correctly (as a business). I'm totally empathetic to Construction Pro's. It is SO challenging to be a good/great Construction guy or Home-technician of some type. You're right, "Crazy Just Happens" & that too is part of Any Biz. .... but a Good Guy definitely appreciates a "Good Customer" too.
@@AutomationDnD complaining about a single cigarette butt and parking on the grass would be someone my mom would do with a contractor. She also would be telling then, the experts she hired, how to do their job when she knows zero about concrete.
What exactly would've been the problem with cutting out those squares around the lift? "Hey so you want me to cut those out? I think that'll look really bad and interfere with the pad's strength..." "I just want it like that." "Okay then."
Because the customer doesn't know crap most of the time when it comes to concrete. They will tell you that "just want it like that". Then when they see how retarded it looks they blame his company for their unhappiness. Happens all the time. He is running a business and wants his projects to look neat since his name is attached to it.
@@AnUnapologeticApologist hes a contractor, not an artist. If the customer wants it ugly, then let them have it ugly. Customer probably wanted to make sure the markings wouldn't disappear and for it to be clearly visible. I'd be pissed if I was them too. These contractors are annoying.
This is exactly what I was thinking the whole time. If the customer wants the stupid lines cut out, then warn them it'll look stupid, but if they insist, well then that's on them after that.
@@AnUnapologeticApologist Agreed. I'm just saying in either case, clear and BOLD communication makes everything clearer and more effectively keeps the morons in their place. Got a strong impression from the video that our guy was wishy-washy and vague in his objections to making the cuts.
Doing un needed steps during a big slab pour, is just one more thing that can cause a problem. Once the 1st truck gets there the clock starts and won't stop until it is topped off. It is a waste of time.
I used to work in a boat shop in the midwest and for the most part my customers were really great, but we had a guy who was refered to our shop by a couple of his buddys , when i first met him i just had a feeling this was going to be a bad deal and when he brought the boat in i knew i was in trouble but i had no say so in what was going to be done , we worked out a list that was close to two pages long of stuff he wanted done , it included work on the trailer wiring new wheel bearings, new jack ,lights, a new trolling motor , carpet installed , rewire all running lights, new bilge and livewell pumps, new depth finders front and back , new fuse block , reroute the filler for the fuel tank to make it easier to fuel while on the water, onboat battery charger ,fuel filter system, tuneup on his 150 hp merc and water pump install we gave him a estimate over over $1,600.00 for all the parts no estimate on the labor because i worked part time at the time (had another job that furnished my families insurance at the time) guy agreed to the parts price and knew he was getting a deal because our shop rate for labor was $50 per hour while all the surrounding shops was 3 times that much . I knocked out all of this in one week 60 hrs total , the only thing i didn't replace on the trailer was the paint ( new bunks ,wiring, lights, jack and hitch ) got his phone number so if i had any questions .....this boat was never built for most of the stuff done to it and a lot of custom work to get stuff to fit properly especially the batteries and wiring for the trolling motor because he went from a 12 volt system to a 36 volt system for this huge ass trolling motor ,me and my the shop owner met and figured a way of getting it all in the space i had to work with along with the onboard charger , guy shows up on friday afternoon and we wen through his list and all the work done and were doing fine right up until we got to the batteries and charger mount , the guy just absolutely exploded about the charger mount started throwing f- bombs at me ...called me and ignorant MF and cussed me out for about 3 min. i finally told him to shutup and id go get the owner down here to hash things out because if he uttered one more cuss word at me it was gonna be a really bad day for him really quick, went and got the boss and left them to hash it out while i went back to work on another boat, after about 20 minutes they both came out the guy stuck his hand out to apologize while my boss was telling me he was going to start storing his boat like his buddies did during the winters, i looked at my boss and told him that if that was the case he could hire another mechanic and then asked if the guy had paid his bill yet, he replied yes and that the guy had given me a $50 tip for getting his boat done so quick. I told him to give him the 50 back and then looked at the guy and told him to hook up and get off the property ....i explained to him that my day job was at a maximum security facility for the criminally insane and i spent from 8-16 hrs a day being cussed out and assaulted 5-6 days a week and that i damm sure wasn't taking that crap from the people whose stuff i worked on so hit the road .
@@pewmcgrew5226 you sound like an angry homeowner. Can’t afford the contractors, then don’t hire them. Simple really. Get your “buddy that can do it cheaper” derp
As a landscape contractor for new constructions I had my share of ugly situations. If upon meeting the customer I got the feeling they were going to be a problem somewhere down the line I either backed myself out of the job or priced it so high nobody in their right mind would sign on the dotted line. Even then there were still a number of horror stories over my 30 years of work.
@@immikeurnot I usually only use this advanced technique if the customer is going to be problematic. As a plumber many of my jobs are of the "oh hell no" variety 😆
You guys did them a great job. Great lay down, nice finish job, and didn’t even make a mess with splatter on the walls. It sounds like the guy was just looking for things to be mad about. I’ve been in and around concrete most of my life. I’d hire you any day of the week.
A good customer recommended me to an acquaintance. Had to meet at night due to their work schedule. Showed up and was told to remove my shoes, had fancy persian rugs on the floor. Most of the work was in the cellar with no external access. So that meant removing your boots every time you enter the house, put them back on in the cellar and back off when you come upstairs. Even with that bull I gave her a decent quote. She said I was trying to take advantage of her and she would get somebody else. I told her if she could find somebody else to work cheaper make sure you get their license number and be sure to pull a permit. She escorted me out the door. One month later she called and said she realized my bid was good. Right, I am too busy, just go a big job and am scheduled up for at least four months. I talked to a bunch of guys at the supply house, she must have called 10 electricians, nobody was willing to put up with her bull. Don't know if she ever got it done, but I wasn't going to play that game.
@@TwilightxKnight13 People base too much on hours worked. I seen electrical, plumbers etc go in and do a job for 5minutes but I still pay them 200 or whatever it was. You are buying years of experiences, knowledge and tools. Now sure.. Some people are not honest and will turn a knob or something and make it out like it was some big thing but that is life. Aholes everywhere.
@@herbpeterson3503 A guy who does my floors told me once he had an older lady so picky that he did her job for free.. He just did not want to deal with her anymore. He refinished her floors and she would get on her hands and knees checking every little imperfection and complain about it. She put blue tape everywhere. At first he went back and buffed the spots out. Odd.. But ok not a big deal. Then he came back and more blue tape. Then she did it again... And then again. He just had enough of her and said you don't have to pay me. There was a painting company there that charged her 5 times over what they normally would charge because they really did not want the job (She has a history with local companies) and she agreed to it. He said the painters look depressed.. haha I wonder what happened to them. Wonder if they ever got out of that house
How did he EXACTLY do the right thing. The customer wanted what they wanted he made the choice NOT to deliver, whether or not he felt it didn't need to be done that's not his choice. Do what you're told.
When I was a furniture mover we called home owners like that "Engineers" There are only a few things the home owner has to do on a full pack and move. 1- remove anything they don't want pack (or place it on the master bed) 2- Take pictures off the walls (we pack them but don't pull them down 3- take any prescription meds they might need during the move out of the house (so they didn't get packed) and just a few other things. . . .The "Engineers" stayed up all night writing 8 pages of directions on how to pack and load there things (almost all of it wrong). . but didn't get done any of the short list of things we actually needed done. The one exception was a Master Sergeant's Wife. . . .they had moved so many times, if they told you how to do something. . . . you took notice!!
@@johnfarmakis8518 You realize it the driver that pays most of the damage claims out of his pocket, not the company. . . .right? Our claims people caught a Military guy making a claim for a broken leg on a dresser (back middle leg) wanted $300 and he would get it fixed himself. . . .except he had claimed the same leg on the same dresser on his last 3 moves. So 3 drivers (almost 4) had paid like $240 EACH out of their own pocket for the same broken leg. We Drivers think Home owners are "Sketchy" too
@@joemc111 yep, because if you left it behind your boss would get a claim that you lost Great great grandma's $500 bowl. Packers pack trash all the time, it's because some mover at some point paid a claim because they left what they thought was garbage behind and the home owner made a claim on it. The system is set up so the Driver pays a price for every mistake his/her Crew makes. That said I was a Mover for like 15 years, worked all across the country hired Lumpers & packers of every description and out of Hundreds of them, maybe 5-6 were bad workers. Most of the rest I am really proud to have known. Some I would call and use every time I was in there city, some I would know for a day and never see again. Nearly all gave a hard days work for the wage I paid them.
Ron, Having had my own business and dealing with people like this, I finally just told them, there are a certain kind of customer, who's business you can do with out . They are one of those. When you are good, good people send you good customers. Congratulations on a fine job.
@@michaelgerard2371 Nah. They just bitch about the low quality of the people in the industry, and how we're all out to screw them. Then again, they do that anyway. But still, they never get the hint, because these kind of people are pathological so they are never the problem... even when the evidence otherwise is smacking them in the face.
Mate 👏👏 you handled this brilliantly. I’m a plumber and have installed underfloor heating systems in the uk many times. I was really fascinated by the tools you used to finish the pour ( baring in mind it’s not my game and I’m usually gone when this takes place). What does seem to be universal is difficult clients 🤦♂️. You just know that when they begin to complain about small issues that are completely unrelated to the actual work taking place they’re messers and will make it difficult for you to get your final stage payment. That said, you have a great crew working with you and the finished work was excellent. Thank you for posting this video. Kind regards, Les 👍.
Maybe the customer was concerned about cracking. If you support a joist with a post, you typically cut a 2' square area from the existing floor to pour a small pad to mount the post. Cracking doesn't persist beyond this small pad. Your pour and concrete work is awesome! I was most concerned about the PEX tubing. If the only gripe I have with a contractor is a cigarette butt, I'd call it a successful job!
The customer Shouldnt have been in such a hurry, and did some more homework.... If he was concerned about cracking then the holes should have had rebar cages in them and had forms along its boarders before even starting... Now he can cut the floor himself with a skillsaw and mason blade, or rent a real commercial cutter that requires water hookup and do it that way. Since there is no rebar in the hole he could set down a half inch steel plate the size of lines drawn anchor it and then mount lift on that, there wont be any cracking due to shifting of lift operation.
to be honest part of being professional is leaving the place how you found it. I can see how leaving a homeowner to clean up after him, can piss them off, or disrespecting/damaging the property by parking on the grass when there is a 1/2 mile driveway! I don't agree on stiffing the dude out of his money; he said he got paid some, although not how much. I suspect he did not walk away from much, but he also did not finish the job!!!! I wouldn't hire him
@@jomangeee9180 Hi, I don't understand what was not finished, Another very important part of being a professional is to not let the customer Turn the appearance of all your expertise and skill into a Hack job!! This customer likely watched some RUclips video on lift post installation and was suddenly an expert...I have installed several twin, and four post lifts, and it is already risky letting the customer guide the project... Quite simply, all lift manufacturers provide the proper structural requirements for lift installation, and this customer should have provided the lift documentation to the contractor for guidance.. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! BE SAFE! DO
@@cindysullivan4265 in that case jobs might need a contract, specs, agreement and a signature. There must be a software for these things, there is for everything else. Happy holidays to you too
Well, then the customer should have been crystal clear about the specs needed in advance and allowed for the right amount of time and money to install to those specs. First, all two post lifts require at continuous (single) slab. This is so don’t get uneven settlement of individually poured pads. Second, it’s typically no more than 10” thick but supposed to have rebar. Digging those pits was ridiculous. Asking for separate pours was dangerous. Not using rebar was clueless. Thinking separate cut lines would stop cracking on a 2 ft deep pour is stupid. Bottom line, the customer didn’t have a clue and didn’t bother to get the installation instructions from the lift manufacturer (alway provide slab engineering requirements). That said, the customer did ask for cut lines. What’s the big deal about just doing them?
I'm not even in construction, but what a charming customer! Glad you stood your ground! My dad always taught me to treat any trades person with respect, agree the work and pay on completion.
Maybe I missed the part of where this became complicated on this video but how can you not remember or know how to mark where those pads are supposed to be before pouring concrete? Take the measurements write them down pictures whatever you gotta do. I'm missing something I think.
You guys did a great job as always. I sure as hell wouldn't want cut lines in my concrete that aren't needed. As others have said, the other contractors on the job must have taken a bunch of crap too. If the owner wanted cuts at the pads, he could take a saw and cut it. The other thing he should have done is figure out how to mark his pads his way. I would have done it just in case my concrete guy forgot to do it. I feel sorry for the lift guys when the install the lift. They'll probably do it right by the book and it will be wrong. I have done jobs where the customer wanted it their way and I said I'm not going against code or anything else. Handrails on decks and stairs are the big one.
My team and I had a phrase we used prior to my retirement - Peopling Is Hard ! Some folks can't even tie their own shoes, let alone think responsibly. Don't let it bother you - there are more jobs out there for the super work you and your crew did, Absolutely beautiful job. A 50 yard pour that looks this great is your trademark! Keep up the great work! Take care. Papa
@@mmm-mmm The balance of finding good craftsmanship at a reasonable price and care about the customer's needs and feelings is really tough. When I did contract work I knew building customer relations was the key to more work through the door. The little things count. This summer my adjacent neighbor had some landscaping work done that affected both his yard and mine. My gardens are well established, he was finishing his yard. The contractor he hired was a jerk. "I don't do ANYTHING for free" was something I heard him say, literally! When I asked that he re-adjust the sprinkler for the grass area to not hit my garden area, he literally came unglued. "The Wind Blows the Water"! He yelled, I calmly answered back "Look at my flag pole, the wind is blowing the other way. Good customer service - good quality work - adding to the good of the community - and fair price. Working folks who follow those simple attitudes build successful businesses. Excellence is not a skill, it's an attitude.
Looks like you did a fantastic job. I commend you for your patience. It's not always easy. Some people just need to learn to respect 'skilled trades'. I was building a log home for a couple a few years ago and most everything was going good until the last week. They had decided I had been paid enough already and that I should install all the windows & doors for free. I told them I needed to be paid in full plus the price of installing windows & doors up front. Then I reminded them that I had just built a 'log house' and I still owned a few chain saws. Somehow they agreed to my terms. I've been banging nails for 50 years now and have only run into a handful of nasty clients. I find that the majority of people are grateful for the knowledge we have acquired over the years.
About cigarette butts. I also dislike it if builders onsite leave empty tins, pieces of paper, cigarette butts lying around and telling me it will be cleaned up afterwards. Why not just discard it in a bin immediately.
I agree. As a contractor myself I never leave any trash around a job site. The trash goes in my pocket in my tool bags or directly into a trash box or bag or something. I can understand needing to temporarily discard something on the ground if the work requires you to be quick but as soon as time allows the trash needs to be picked up It should always look like you could walk away at any minute and it would be fine.
1. I can’t stand smokers, and I’ve been pissed as this being left before. But I will say to the idea of “why not discard immediately?” When you are doing back breaking hot work and you have to limit your breaks, no you aren’t trying to be super tidy at that moment. It’s not like some nicely dressed office worker that stepped out for a minute. Again I hate smoking and I get pissed when that stuff gets left,, but have some grace and make it clear that cleanup is the last part. ESP butts and bottles
You really know what to expect from the Home Owners that don’t even offer hard working people a cold drink or a coffee. We always look after our hard working contractors here. Customer’s probably never done an honest day work in their lives. Parking on the grass and cigarette butt being their main issue, unbelievable. You guys put your backs and hearts in that wonderful job. I know many people that would appreciate you. Keep up the great work.
aint that he truth, a simple gesture like having a cold drink available does wonders for morale and a relationship. We had crews tearing up our street for gas and water lines for close to 10 days, I always had a cooler out there for the guys full of a 4.99 case of water, small price to pay for a job well done, they even cut 4 ft. of curbing out for my driveway.
Just had a team come repaint our church and it was the first thing I offered them when they showed up. Was surprised that it was the first time anyone had offered coffee, tea, or water to the team. I offered a few more times throughout the project as it took a week. Always felt it was just common courtesy to offer at least something to drink if someone is visiting your house or any place of business. Just because someone is doing work for you doesn’t mean they’re still not a guest. Appears people just no longer have manners.
Half way through your video, I just knew you'd have trouble getting full payment. From my own experiences, happened more than once. I threatened to pull all the storm water pipes out of the ground after I'd been waiting two months. Great work mate, best wishes.
He got Paid before he was done. That's why he left with a pist off customer. Who cares what you want! You do the job the customer wants. Even if it is a waste of concrete. This video was just to justify a shit job!
Probably stuck around longer and did more for them than I would’ve. Some people just have to be difficult. If they know how to do it then they don’t need to hire you. They need to realize they aren’t paying for just the work being performed but the years of experienced help. Turned out nice 👍🏼
@@RichardMiller-tq6ut so you would have gone against all your years of experience, cost yourself lots more work, it was going to look botched and been ok with it because that’s what they wanted? It is concrete. It’s going to be there for decades, basically with his name on it
@@AllstarVentures how much more work is it to make a few short cuts when you already have the saw out? The contractor specifically said he refused to do it because he didn't think it would make it "look" nice. But it isn't his floor is it? A contractor worth his salt specifies the work done in the contract before signing. If you aren't willing to do the work the customer wants you tell them before taking the job. I doubt the customer would have hired them again regardless. I know I wouldn't
Setting up a string line profile is exactly the way you would do it mate, good idea there. It’s exactly how you would set up for anything inside a home where there was a thickening in the slab to hold something heavy! Just a couple pencil marks on the formwork running along the edge and you can project those lines out accurately without stuff being in the way while you pour! Nice job on the pour! Well within your rights to abandon these frustrating clients!
Wish you were closer to southern Indiana really enjoy your videos. I'd happy to hire you if you were near me lol. Appreciate your commitment to doing good work in as cost effective of a method that you can.
As a contractor for many years, I learned that a person that doesn’t know the value of physical labor is gonna cheat you or just make the job miserable. A working man will chase you down to pay you and be thankful. Also, if the customer starts off giving you a hard time, you’re better off to pass the job.
Yeah except it's totally moronic. What part of the ceiling are you plumbing from? You have 4 existing walls before you pour. Take a tape measure and mark down the dimensions from existing walls. Easy peasy. If the home owner wanted you to pour them separate, you tell them it will cost x dollars. You don't just refuse to do it. It's their money.
What a bunch of righteous pricks. I just had my parents house insulated to the max and the crew told me I was the best customer they've ever had. I hate people like that
Great job man. I find it interesting to see how the concrete gets done and its smoothed out etc, it's an art. Don't worry about that grumpy guy, he's probably never happy with anything.
Some people just can’t be satisfied. I am a very detailed oriented person with construction and repair experience. I think you and your guys did an exceptionally great job. Looks great!
I agree that it's nice to be able to choose your customers. I plan to build and supervise the construction of my second residence. May I ask what you would recommend a homeowner ask a concrete contractor when looking for one to pour a residential crawl space foundation? I enjoyed your video. It's always nice to hear things from the contractor's side. I recall a building superintendent seemed a little annoyed by a home buyer's concern with a small hairline crack in driveway. He said to the customer, "two things about concrete. People won't steal it, and it cracks."
As a builder and building inspector, having a contract in place is essential with progress payments through the process. This protect the client and contractor alike. If any variations are to be made, an amended scope of works is to be signed by both parties outlining addition costs and timeframes.
And stop everything and put it in writing immediately. A GREAT point and am surprised more people did not mention this. Don't follow this advice and it will inevitably bite you in the butt!
Another story, I worked for my brothers construction company part time. We built a house for a man who was a machinist by trade. And felt everything should be perfect, just like in his shop. The house was 90 feet long and around 35 to 40 feet deep. He checked the foundation pour for square, and it was off by 3/8 of an inch. Which in the real world is great. Not to him.....my brother convinced him it was a house, made with wood, and the tolerances between his shop and the house is pretty well not going to be the same. He excepted the difference and finally left us alone. But the electrician....he was brutal to that guy. We were on lunch one day and witnessed the owner and electrician yelling at each other. The electrician had stubbed out the conduit for the lights on either side of the garage door and the conduit was out about three or four inches, and the customer was yelling they should be flush, and was told they would be when he was done. Customer kept yelling. The guy walked to his truck, got out a sledge....wacked the conduit on both sides, it went through the drywall inside....but it was level outside not. The electrician said there ya go, it's level....don't call me to finish this job I quit!!! We never saw him again.
I saw something similar when my neighbor who was a tool maker tried to hire someone to build a front porch and tie into his existing roof. He fired several people and did it himself. It's frustrating because those guys get paid to be accurate to fractions of thousands of an inch and are great with math and geometry whereas construction guys are usually people who didn't finish highschool, have criminal records and can't get hired at McDonalds. Most get paid to get the work done and make it look good from the outside, not for precision. That's partly why the construction industry has such a bad reputation for doing shoddy work. Anyway my neighbor finished the porch project himself and it turned out beautifully. Everything was square and still looks great 30 years later.
@@theupscriber65 the same is happening with my father. He has saved us from many construction bs and has helped crews giving guides and once realised there was a mechanic problem at the windows and he decontrsucted everything on his own. Each time: a professional constractor should sign a contract details such materials, tools, timeframe too. People think that building a house is easy. It is not. Both clients & constructors should know what they are doing but every false goes on constructors since they are those presenting themselves as professionals.
Gee, your brother's company mist have trained the concrete contractor I hired to do a simple rectangle foundation. Luckily, I took a lunch break and came home to check on the progress. The foreman said they were about done setting the forms, and the crew had JUST measured the diagonal for square and reported is was 3/4 inch out. Foreman said "good enough", I said NFW. There was a 20lb sledge laying on the ground, and I told him, all it would take to get square was one or two hits with that sledge. They hit it once, measured again, now within 1/16 inch. I was the one who was going to be building the structure on this foundation, so why would I want to start at a disadvantage when 10 seconds more effort achieved near perfection. LAZY and UNCARING people disgust me, and they shouldn't be in a service provider / customer type occupation or business.
The plywood for the wheelbarrows is a great idea, the guys know exactly where to dump, I taped plastic bottles to the wheelbarrow and the contractor thought I was being over cautious. And like everyone else has said allready, these people would allways be upset about something, it is what they do for a hobby, create drama just so they can be the center of attention.
I was setting a granite monument in a cemetery and the lady customer was there watching. I set the base and had it perfectly level but the lady insisted that it wasn’t. I tried to show her how the level works and she still didn’t like it. I told her that if I had to reset the base that the whole monument would be way off and could eventually fall over. She was still insisting it was off. I told her if I had to set the base Not level that I would not warrant the monument from falling over or the top stone from sliding and that she would have to sign an amended contract agreeing to those terms. Well, that got her attention and that monument is still level to this day. Customers are not always right and sometimes we have to save them from themselves especially when our names and reputation are on the line.
Lol just cut the damn boxes like the owners asked…. Its not a safety issue like your “monument”… This guy was just too lazy to do what owners asked. If this huge shop is a “small project” for him, he is a rich stockup business owner who doesnt like extra work for same $$$$
I was in the kitchen renovations business. Which meant that I would spend some time with the customer figuring everything out before we even got to a contract. This gave me an opportunity to suss out who they were and how they acted. If I smelt that they were going to be a problem I would add twenty percent on to my final calculation. I figured it as an extra fee for dealing with the bs. If I encountered problems in the design process that fee became 40 percent to ensure that I wouldn't have to deal with them. Worked for me. I was always busy without them.
I have a tax for rudeness. Sometimes I go to price a job, and when I'm introduced to the wife, they can't be bothered to say hello, or even lift their eyes up from their magazine, they don't even get a quote.
i dont know if i heard it right or not but there are not any plugs allowed with in 18 inches of a finished garage floor because of fuel settles there and can cause ignition
As a customer and a DIYer....I see both sides. If the customer really wants the cuts... make the cuts but.... make sure you have it in writing that he forced you to do that!!!! I had floor drains put in my shop floor and had part of the floor slope to them and the concrete guy kept asking if I wanted that much slope. Yes I did. Well... now I realize I should have dialed it back to about half that steepness but...my fault and I have to live with it
Agreed. Detailed SOW in concise legal langauge is best for a contractor or consultant ensuring payment and work is done to agreed contract spec. On the other side of the coin contractors and consultant services that generate detailed proposals will also charge top dollar for the services. Unfortunately, there is a growing percentage of customers/clients that understand this and then take full advantage of contractors and consultants that lack the detailed SOW agreement. Contractors more than consultants don't understand that a detailed SOW in an agreement is a cost control 1st and 2nd is good customer service ensuring both parties understand what work is being performed.
It’s more that the customer was demanding it. You can’t cater to these peoples ungrounded fears like that as a contractor. It’s just silliness. They can hire someone else in future. You have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. He drew it there. They will inch further and further into their delusional fear based ideas. We all have them somewhere but you just can’t keep going down that road. Sooner or later they need to accept that you know what you’re doing. If he wants to get line marking paint on it cos he’s terrified of of a pipe getting hit that’s up to him. But he would be better just going to therapy about his fears and trust issues.
or better yet, if you have a structural reason, like the one he uses to defends himself in the comments, explain it to the customer and say that you won’t compromise the integrity of the slab, and give examples of what could happen. maybe he did it, maybe he didn’t, but the reason he gave in the video was that it would look bad
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I had to take a home owner to court. I worked and owned a drywall co for 40 yrs and this home owner was redoing his 4 bay garage. We came in did the work and it looked great but I could never get the owner on the phone after we were done. I went back and he had put no trespassing signs all around so I left. I waited a couple week's and he still dodged my call's. I called the rock mason and insulation co and he had not paid them either so I took him to court. He hired this high priced attorney and I represented my self. The lawyer and I had to share pictures and information then sit before the judge before the jury trial.started That lawyer set all smug in his fancy suit and I just played off the situation like I had no idea what I was doing. [ I hoped I did any way ] Right before we left the judge's chambers when he asked if there was any more evidence I said I'd like to see a copy of his building permit and i'd like to add this building code book as evidence. That lawyer jumped up and went out to see his client. He had never gotten a remodeling permit and I had about a dozen photo's that showed violations but the best part was I used there own photo's against them They settled before we went in front of the judge that day. I got paid and then some .As I was leaving his chamber's the judge said I think you should have been a lawyer and well done. I did the Judge's home the next summer and he still remembered the case and had told alot of people how I won the case. If you tell the truth you don't have to try and remember a lie !
Great story thanks for sharing. 😊
Amen to that last sentence. That's the biggest reason lies don't work...the liar can't remember all of their own lies!
Amazing story
The courtroom is where you make your case, not the judges chambers. Hire a lawyer, you had no clue what was going on.
Man I love stories of good people winning and triumphing over dirtbags like that!! Great job man!!!!
I built a house for a guy like that. Constantly changing and complaining about absolutely everything. I had change orders for everything that they changed with the amount it was going to increase the final cost. They were just squeezing me for a $15,000 discount. Then I told them what a mechanics lien was and that I was going to file for an injunction in addition to the mechanics lien to prevent occupation and prevent future advances on the construction loan. They weren't prepared for me to stand up for myself and I think they talked to an attorney that day and were surprised at what would happen. They paid me two days later and said they hoped there weren't any hard feelings. A year later they called me to tell me that they had black mold in a basement wall that they finished. I went over immediately and found out it was from a leak from a water filter that the nitwit installed himself under the kitchen sink. I took pictures and told them to pound sand. I honestly would have helped them if they hadn't been such weasels. Luckily they never called me again. I flat out dodged a bullet.
I've had a dozen clients exactly like that it's good to hear I'm not the only one.
That is why you spell out everything in the contract and document EVERYTHING. I'm a programmer for a company that makes banking websites and worked on a conversion for a financial institution where our "brilliant" salespeople told them that we would convert their current website and then make any changes they wanted for a fixed bid. They were constantly changing requirements and our management got mad at _us_ for being behind on the project. Every time we had a meeting where they started to dress us down for budget I'd cut them off and quote the contract. They eventually just left us alone to get the job done. You really can't fix stupid sometimes.
A family member of mine was a car salesman for a time and told me the penny pinchers that you bend over backwards to get discounts for are always a PITA, and the people who overpay were always very happy. Now later in life I'm finding that to be true, generally speaking.
HA HA HA, You are soo right! There are people out there that look for any opportunity to screw the little guy.
how the fuck do people get shit so wrong in the dumbest places... he was given every opportunity and you even go around there just to save your own ass and probably would've been happy to fix anything if it was your fault (fat chance) and you go there all to find out that it's just a plain ol' dumbass that is just suffering in life.
Not concrete related- I do cabinetry. Went to meet a couple and their GC to do a cabinet bid. They had no plan, in was a gut and redo on the fly kinda job, but the walls were framed so we had a pretty good idea what was what. Started talking with them about end points , some other various deails, and the wife kept interupting , about stain colors and this that and the other thing . I was polite and explained that we would discuss all that when we had a layout done, and the major things settled. I told her I would get her drawings and then we would discuss wood species and colors, and hardware etc at that point. A few minutes later she was back at it with avengance saying how she couldnt believe I didnt bring samples of all the wood colors and hardware blah blah blah. Polite again, I said we would get the layout all finalized and then I would meet with her to iron all that out, we had plenty of time for that. Im with the GC and hubby and were marking some things, Im making little sketches and notes and the three of us were making good progress and she came back with something to the effect of " where did you find this guy" . At that point , I grabbed my notebook , handed the print (walls were the only thing on it) back to the GC and said- Thats it- Im done." and walked out the door. The GC came out after me and he was as pissed as I was but it didnt change the fact I wasnt coming back and he understood. Sometimes you just gotta walk away
Can you imagine having that woman as a wife? Was hubby embarrassed? Like.. control your wife, man.
@@lauren4078 😂
His wife wears the pants. Smh
@PowerOf One me, too! Get divorced, fast!
@@lauren4078She’s an adult Lauren. It’s not a man’s responsibility to ‘Control his woman’. It’s not the 1900s anymore.
It’s better people are allowed to be honest then you know what you’re dealing with. She was her authentic self and that’s that.
Ran service in boat repair for nearly 40 years. After a positive review of a job with a customer onboard his boat - he tells me he’s gotta take a piss and he’d meet me in my office to settle up. I get a couple beers from the fridge in the shop and wait in my office. 30 min later I go looking and discover he’s taken the boat from the marina. Never again did I ever give up control until I was paid.
I run my own car audio & accessories shop so I deal with boats, utvs you name it & I've dealt with customers like that!!! I always do half down & hold the keys or keep vehicle in the bay till invoice is paid!!
@@chrispohl7185 We design houses and got burned sending out plans to clients before they paid the final invoice. As soon and they had what they needed they would just ghost us till we sent collections or put a lean on the now under construction house. Zero idea how someone can do that and think they are in the right. Now you won't get a that drawing till you pay the final invoice, I don't care what deadlines or timetables that screws up for you.
Had a lady start yelling at me on the phone about things we were finding as we were progressing through a project. (As most contractors doing renovation know, there are some things you simply cannot know until you start peeling back the layers.) I told her I wasn't sure about some things and would need to go take a look at it with my business partner who had more experience with some of these issues, but that most of it would be trivial.
I'm young, so she must have thought I just worked at the store and she decides to start telling me that I need to start looking new job because I don't know what I'm doing and she's going to let "my boss" know. I've done this for 15 years, I'm just clean shaven. I also own the company. Told her that was fine, she could do that if she wanted, and to pass the phone back to my installers. Told them to take everything back to their trucks and come back to the shop. Told the lady I had a check ready for her, full refund, and that she could find someone else.
She called me the next week apologizing and begging me to come back, that she would pay me extra for the time wasted, because everyone else was backlogged 6 months or more. Told her she had lost her spot and wouldn't be able to take more work because I'm booked for the year, but that my other clients were glad I was able to move them up.
People like that aren't worth the effort. They are just looking for a reason to be mad so you can give them a break on the price.
Contractors get hosed by ignorant people every day if they let the ignorant people abuse them!
What I would give, to see the look on her face, when you told her to kick rocks after she crawled back to you! Good riddance.
Too many businesses cater to "customers" that pull drama to leverage in a price discussion mid-way/after completion... They will cost you money in the long run. They should never be afraid to fire a customer!
god damn that must have been satisfying!... good on you.
Parasites
@@Fanta.... Why do you have to use God's name in vain, bro? Exodus 20:7 👌✌
I’ve installed hoists and here is a trick. After you are done and concrete has cured, turn on the floor heat. Then take a tank sprayer and mist the floor. The lines will telegraph thru and show you exactly where the lines are. Works slick
You should give ongoing advice. Great way to mark radiant heat lines.
What a great idea!
That's both " using your head " and " working smarter, not harder ".
@@ToddBizCoach An infrared gun is quicker....
You're a genius! Great low-tech advice! Thanks!
I went to business school and they REALLY hate the idea of losing a customer. But then you go out to the real world, get some experience, work with customers, and realize that THERE ARE MANY CRAZY PEOPLE OUT THERE and that denying service is a necessity some times. It saves you issues and it's better business. Your peace of mind is priceless.
Amen. I started sleeping better at night when I learned how to say "no" to customers. If you can't make a profit, there's no point to doing the work. That's the whole point to being in business.
Lol. Doesn’t it depend on the definition of a customer. Someone who resent pay is not a customer. That’s a con artist. Don’t work for them.
@@aldergate-ca Right. If you don't pay you're not a customer anymore.
Some of the best feelings come from saying “no, I don’t want to work with you!”
thats why business school is stupid
As a home owner, I've faced vice versa situations multiple times. A great job must always be appreciated ! It is so hard to find honest and skillful people nowadays.
I’m a GC and all I can say is Amen brother. I work in a pretty wealthy and high end area and honestly, most of the people I meet are really great and respect who I am and what I do. But some people don’t seem to get that I’m not a servant, that I won’t go hungry if I don’t work for them. Like real “yes sir no sir” crap. I’m a damn professional with decades of experience who is evaluating you even more than you’re evaluating me.
Also, a tip for newer guys: when someone says “I’ve worked with a few contractors and have had some problems so I’m looking for someone’s really good” that might be your opportunity to show them how great you are. Or it might be a clue that’s they’re problematic clients and that you should say “thanks but no thanks.” In my experience the latter is more likely.
Ha! This is funny...in the sense that that statement is true for ALOT of professionals. I'm a hairdresser. 28yrs behind my chair, corrective color professional. Some just think "ok well just go get thst color & put it on"! NOPE...it doesn't work that way. We DO have to formulate with wjat our starting canvas is & it's current condition. Believe it or not...doing a corrective color IS Science. You can't JUST PUT a color on top of a previous color & it turn out like you want it to. Anyway...our red flag line from those kind of clients is "well I went to beauty school & I can't find any colorist that knows how to do it right" or ANY line they may throw at us claiming that the stylist messed up. FIRST OF ALL the client is the one who damages the hair most of the time with excessively high heat from irons & then expects US to just "wave our magic wand" to have runway beautiful hair in 2hrs or less. He'll im.just honest with them...if they expect me to give their already fried up hair that kind of gorgeous expectation in one appointment they are being UNREALISTIC. I ALSO will tell then if they are to sit in my chair the hair won't even HOLD the color they want if it's not healthy first so in my chair we WILL DO protein & moisture treatments FIRST to get the hair healthy & WHEN the hair is healthy we will proceed with THE JOURNEY toward their goal. Like i said...a JOURNEY, not a single appt done in 2hrs or less. I also tell them the products they need for home treatments as well. Well they usually will say "oh ill get that at WalMart" 🙄 IT IS NOT THE SAME! WE DO kniw our ingredients!!! But oh well do as you wish BUT it's not our fault when you DONT USE products with the same ingredients as what we are recommending. Then they want to fuss at us when their hair still doesn't hold the color, or feel any healthier when they want the color done before a wk of treatments first. SORRY! NOT MY PROBLEM!!! DEFINITELY NOT the type of clients to be in my chair. They will cost ME more money than they will be wanting to pay. And ain't NO WAY I'm gonna be paying fir them to have the hair they want when they aren't going to do the treatment plan I give them. Bc when all the hard wirk of formulating that color to their previous color & porosity issues doesn't last 3 shampoos for them, especially when they refuse to use the proper shampoos we recommend, they want it redone fir FREE!!! HELL NO!!! We don't recommend JUST TO MAKE A EXTRA BUCK...we sell certain products that fit the purpose for their desired results & proper longevity. I REFUSE to carry on with those kind of clients the same. We are professionals, I didn't work my ass off with continued education for 28yrs (bc chemisrty is always changing) just to recommend drug store quality products. If I owned a Mercedes-Benz I wouldn't be putting low grade gas ,oil or Chevrolet brake pads & expect it to run like a Mercedes-Benz! Not that I know nothing about cars...but you Get the Jist of what my point is!!! Ppl will push you for anything they can have a reason to not pay...but im.smarted than they think...bc I KNOW how to do my job...they CAN tell me what they want...but they CANNOT tell me how to DO my job!!! And IF they don't want to do the treatments necessary, they can go elsewhere. It usually ALWAYS happens that they'll call saying they went to so & so & their hair is more messed up or color washed out AS IF I NEVER educated them during consultation already. That's when I tell them...I TOLD YA THAT WOULD HAPPEN. Those are the clients that seem to have SELECTIVE HEARING!!! Then they EXPECT ME told "help me out" for a discount! Sorry it doesn't wirk that way!!! These are my corrective color prices & they are NOT negotiable! Would been cheaper if you had just followed my recommendations when we first consulted on your initial goal plan. Sorry...that's business. I won't be the one paying fir ppl to have their hair done when they refuse to listen to what I KNOW how to do!!! Ppl kill me with that mess!!! Sorrynfor the long rant!!!
@@Lishailaumus You've been holding this in for a while, haven't you? 😏
I can second the clue and red flags when someone has problems with their prior whatever. I used to do accounting and looking back, every time a new client mentioned problems with a prior accountant I eventually realized that these were problem clients. People who wouldn't follow advice even though they were paying me for opinions, people who would create a lot of drama, people who were late or didn't pay their bills. I remember one client "fired" me and I felt so freakin amazing afterwards. I had been working up how to fire them. lol. I understand that yes, some customers will have legitimate problems but a lot of times they are making the problems themselves.
Seeing how everyone in this thread is talking about the trouble they had with clients, that would be a red flag telling people to avoid you... IF your logic was valid.
Narcissism and badmouthing doesn't invoke trust on either side.
Wealthy areas are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get as a contractor 😂
As a retired general contractor, I would have loved to have you doing my work, You actually made sure that the slump was proper, most people would have added to much water to make it easier and ruined the concrete, the slump was perfect for a crack free slab, The customer will probably learn how good they had it when they work with the next concrete contractor, GREAT JOB GUY'S.
Question Mr. GC. I just had a concrete slab/porch poured. The crew complained that the product was extremely wet. It was left with a texture, i fall frequently and they didn't want me to fall. However, there are no cuts in my slab. I don't know what the cut's do but are they necessary? 16' x 24' x 4". I live in coastal Georgia.
@@donnamurphy5698 as concrete dries approximately 28 days it shrinks, the wetter the concrete the more it shrinks, the saw cuts are called control joints, the concrete cracks at that point to control the shrinkage, you should have a couple saw cuts in your slab of this size. Not too late to do it.
@@russelltatro2835 how many cuts should there be? Thank you so much for answering.
@@donnamurphy5698 a slab that size, 2 control joints should do the job.
@@donnamurphy5698 one more thing, if you spray water on your slab and keep it wet for awhile over the next few weeks especially if it gets a lot of sunlight, that will slow the drying process and help the shrinkage.
A very wise man told me once "I've never lost money on a job I did not take".
Ungrateful customers are the worst.
Who needs the drama.
Cheers from Tokyo!
Worst of all is some concrete dude who doesn't do the job he was hired to do. Just cut the damn concrete pads at the lift, makes perfect sense to do that .. we just have a dumb contractor here.
@@KrustyKlown Really why dont you tell him, give a call
It's really rich when you fire these customers, and they come back to you insisting that you do the job. If you want a lot of these creeps, go to work in the Fairfield Co. CT area. Loaded with them.
I don't do concrete, but I'm a mechanic. Learned a long time ago to spot jobs I didn't really want to take on, and to quote those jobs astronomically high.
@@someotherdude priceless. The PSYCHOTIC woman I fired followed me all the way to my truck saying " I didn't tell you to leave ".... I replied that's right, you're fired, do not contact me
Just cut the darn lines for the guy! Concrete guy wins battle of the wills.
yeah, this is a bit weird really eh ? .....if the guy wants lines cut in his floor then that's up to him
I thought this same thing, but in his defense, the guy was being difficult to work with, and they didn't pay when they said they would, so he didn't feel like putting in 110 percent because they obviously didn't. From his story, he was decently calm with them, and tried to work with their decision making, both of my uncles do concrete work, one of them has done it his whole life, if you were to give him a hard time like that, he's the kind of guy that won't be so nice, most of those concrete guys aren't pushovers either... Weak men don't do concrete.
That was my initial thought, why not just put a normal cut line around those holes? Why does it have to cure separately? That seems like a complete lack of understanding
Nice job on the floor. But, the line cutting was an aesthetic concern, that's why the concrete guy didn't put them in? Is there a reason not to cut the lines other than appearance? Clearly the mason takes great pride in his work, there's definitely skill and artistry to it. I suppose the owner wanted lines cut to remark the posts because that would be a permanent indication of where the thicker concrete was. So, it's a practical concern, I guess. Making a big deal about a cigarette seems kind of absurd. Anyway, interesting video.
Came here to say the same, just hand trowel in some lines when it's setting up. I just don't get it. Customer seemed shitty, but this seems an odd hill to die on
To locate in floor heat lines. Use a heat camera and shoot the floor as the lines start to heat up, they stand out perfectly.
A customer claiming they will have more work for me is a big red flag. They usually tell you that to motivate you and get more out of you on the current job. It almost never pans out
Always! When a new "prospective" customer throws that out in conversation, I already know.
Bingo.
I knew a guy who lettered/painted trucks with business names, etc. People would always say “give me a good price I’ve got a whole bunch of trucks to paint.” His answer was always the same. Nine trucks painted full price and the 10th one is free. He would never see the guys again.
You talk nonsense buddy. As a customer I say that so that they do a good job not to get more out of them. Do a good job and I’ve got more for you. Simple.
It’s unfortunate skilled trade people are not respected. The customer probably thinks your hungry for money and will bend over backwards for them and cut them a break on labor cost.
They didn’t pay you at the agreed upon time, without explanation! When I was a kid, and had a paper route. I was shocked that adults would stiff a 11 year old kid for 2$. That’s when I learned there are users in the world, who go through life expecting other’s to cater to their needs. I’ve spent the rest of my life avoiding “users”.
Had the same experience as a paperboy in the late 80’s. I even had a customer who was an employee of the paper tell me she got her subscription for free…I let it go for almost the entire time I delivered papers (18 months) because I didn’t know any better (I was 13).
It wasn’t until the person who collected the money from me at the end of each month asked why I was giving her an extra $4 out of my pocket when she collected. I mentioned the address and the person’s name. She said that wasn’t true at all.
A week later I was asked by the paper owner if I could come to his office. My dad took me. I was a little scared because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. The lady was there with the owner and she was pissed. The owner asked me how long I had been paying for her paper. I told him it had been about 15 months.
He looked at her and asked if this was true. She glared at me and said yes. He told her to go back to her office. Once she was gone, he apologized for her actions, pulled out his checkbook, and wrote me a check to cover her cost. He then wrote me another check for $25 for my grievances. My dad and I shook his hand and we left.
I found out later that week that she had been fired and charged with embezzlement for stealing office supplies too. I stopped delivering papers about two months later.
@@GhostDrummer thank you for sharing that story. I always felt I was stupid, because I had similar customers who said they had annual subscriptions when they did not. I also got swindled, and only at the end of my delivery days did I figure it and and stopped delivering to them.
They had the nerve to phone and complain. I learned a great deal about how some people operate. Some people will steal if given the opportunity.
I’ve imparted some of what I learned to my three sons. I tried to turn them into people who do not steal, and trust others to do the same.
What I was surprised at was years later when I worked for IBM, at an ultra secure facility. Somebody was stealing from the offices.
Everybody was blaming the cleaning staff, and maintenance workers . I was a senior in the company and impressed upon management that if someone will steal the coffee money, and donation box, and desk contents then I don’t want to work here if we can’t fix this.
Two full time regular employees were caught and fired. The were career people making decent money and a big future.
Another example that some people will steal if given an opportunity, many will not. Some people are weird.
OMG that brings back so many memories from my early 80s paperboy days! Woman older than my Mom raises her voice at me "You KNOW I don't have money till after the first!" Ummm no I DON'T know that, lady- I just throw papers every day rain or shine and collect once a month. Then the ones who never answered when I came collecting then acted like I was out to bankrupt them when I finally caught up with them for 3 months payment that was like $6. Now as a grownup I'm still dealing with the same kind of whiner even after retiring from serving the public for 40 years. Family that has more money than God want to buy my 2 acre parcel and pay me $8000 but claim to the assessor that it was $2000 "Because I don't want the taxes to be a burden on my family for all time..." Let him try, the assessor will see right through his BS.
@@ARoyalLyon yup ! I like being in a position today where I can be be generous with people I deem to be worthy, and the others ? Well I will haggle all day to squeeze an extra dollar out of the greedy ones. An then I’ll give the dollar to the Salvation Army or TIP $10 to the young person serving me a coffee at 6:30 AM.
I know some really wealthy people, and they love to hold onto money, for what I don’t know. And I always remember my paper carrier days.
You're lucky you learnt that at 11. You had some good teachers
There's always two perspectives within disputes:
1, as the professional, you know what YOU'RE DOING.
2, as the customer, they know what THEY WANT.
So in any dispute, when it doesn't matter to you professionally, you can do it THEIR WAY and let them take all the consequences for THEIR decisions. When it DOES MATTER to your quality of work, ya tell them that's what get for their money that YOU stand by.
I love it when they start the conversation with “I’m not a concrete guy” and then proceed to tell you how to do the job.
@@MidwestFarmToys it's easy to say the contractor should walk away if he doesn't like working with people like that. but that's hard to do when the change requests start after contracts are signed and work commenced.
At that point you pretty much know it's just going to get worse.
He didn't tell them how to do it. He told them how he wanted it done, but it didn't work out.
Their called "couch concrete pourer's"
Unfortunately and im talking from experience, I wont say most, but A LOT of contractors are beyond lazy, cut corners, take WAY longer than they should, milk unknowing clients dry by the time job is done..
I had a project that was supposed to take 3 months (I gave them another month out of "good will") take a total of 9 MONTHS!!!! Of course that changed pricing, quotes, material cost..TOTAL NIGHTMARE.
I feel if ur top accomodating and too nice, a lot of these guys take advantage.
Ive done concrete and masonry work and i have to say you guys did an excellent job. Walking away from the customers future work was a wise move. Youll never be short on work but you can avoid future headaches.
FYI: This kind of things happen in every market. Stay away from it is always the best.
No head games...NEXT!
Thank you. We have so much work why deal with it? I agree.
@@bondobuilt386 Bingo.
It's like potential customers that try to squeeze you on quotes. My simple answer is always "I can go broke, sitting on the couch."
Word of mouth is everything and it works both ways. I can think of at least 5 instances where a potential customer has said something along the lines of "I'll be telling everyone I know about you!" and I have replied with "GOOD! Please do! I have plenty of happy, paying customers. I don't need your work and I don't need the kind of clientele who would associate with you. "
Having been in small business for over 15 years, I can smell them coming a mile away. (And I'm sure you can too)
I do a good job for a fair price, and I have zero tolerance for people who make veiled threats. No honest contractor deserves the stress for merely trying to provide a good service.
@@jimmyb1451 "I can go broke sitting on the couch". Thats great! 🙂
My line for the "I can get so&so to do it blah$blah$ cheaper" crowd is you better call them before they realize what that job is really worth.🤣
"You got the wrong guy if you don't care what it looks like". Love, it holding yourself and your work to high standards 💯
Thanks bud. 😀
Awesome response!!
@@randyl4609 👊🖐
But why don’t you chair your mesh up? You may aswell have left it out - looks good apart from that, I would have just marked the walls where the centre of the footings are then flicked it out after that too 🤙
As soon as the customer starts telling you how to do your job and do something that you know will look like shit, it's time to hit the road because they are the first to bitch. Doing it right the first time is the only way. Great job by this contractor for not letting them screwup the job
Heating floor This is heaven for mechanic. . 🤩
This customer doesn't have a tape measure and a pad of paper? He can't simply measure the center of each pad off of two walls and write it down and then refer to his notes later? That would be how a normal person would do it instead of jerk around the concrete contractor for no reason. Some customers deserve to be fired.
I did that exact thing when I had the subfloor put in my basement, so I'd know exactly where the floor drain was. As it turns out I needed to. Pre-planning is a good thing. 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail', as they say.
this is how ive always seen it done when installing stuff in to a slab with hydronic heating marked reference points and distances with a grid of free drawn on the foor and your good to go
@@GOGOSLIFE Good point
I had them marked pretty good I thought. But yes a tape measure and paper.
That's what I was thinking; measurements and some photos, done and dusted.
My dad was an old school plaster by trade , he could make from scratch ceiling bosses , roses , cornice , molding the lot , he worked purely by word of mouth and recommendation and had a fixed hourly rate that basically covered everything he’d need for the job . The number of times he’d give his quote and the customer would complain it’s too high and he’d simply reply “not a problem I’m sure you can get someone else to do it for less” THEN a few wks/mths later he’d get a phone call asking can he come back as the one they’d gone with had botched it and he’d re-quote for a lot more this time than last , they’d complain about the price rise and he’d reply “well I’ve gotta remove and correct all this mess 1st !”
Moral of the story ? When you want a job done by someone who has a reputation for honest work don’t argue with them , quality and experience isn’t cheap and they know what there talking about you don’t ! 🤦♂️
Such an underrated comment. It deserves more likes than 10!
@@brentgambrell Its got 50 now.
good tradesman arent cheap and cheap tradesman arent good!
WELL SAID
@@jameslewis5643 I agree.
I started pouring concrete in 1972. I eventually became a flatwork foreman which meant that I took most of the crap from the owners/builders. People are amazing. They will have a $100,000 dollar car or top of the line pick up and try to beat the working guy out of whatever they can. I always hated the ones that worked one summer when they were in high school on a concrete crew and thought they were experts. It looks like you have a good crew working with you. Great job on the pole barn. I'm way too old to do it any more but when I watch a pour I get to missing it. Good luck to you and the crew.
Cool post Big Ol'
A rich guy told me how to handle arrogant rich people... just keep in mind that there is always someone who has more money than the clown you're dealing with. If you have to, tell them that point blank. They will either respect you or ask you to leave
Hey I did concrete for 3 summers.
I figure in a couple years I’m going to start looking for concrete crews to bother. My dad used to call them “sidewalk supervisors”
“Are you gonna jitterbug the concrete, sonny?”
Lmao thats literally what this country is built on. Rolling all the shit down hill to the actual people doing the hard work. And as the flesh fall from their bloody hands they turn around in their suits and say your still poor because you dont work hard enough! We need more! Do more! You now have no hands. Just stubs and they still want more.
@@Lilmiket1000 There were some radio hosts, and they were very annoying. I wanted to agree with them on most subjects but I could not because of the way they presented themselves. Yes, I knew they were entertainers and commercial sellers first and references of knowledge second.
Their classic attitude was work more. Sounds good on paper and does work in real life but only a fraction of the time.
You could work all you want for 25 hours a day, 8 days a week....and if the work is not smart, or you have prior obligations ...You aren't going anywhere.
I think your comment was very good. Glad you posted.
A few years ago I met a lady that asked me to do some interior painting for her. My father had been a professional painter so I knew how to do a good job. I taped everything off in the two rooms and had it all done before she got home from work. I only asked her for $10/hour and she gladly paid it and threw in an extra $100.
We sat down to chat for a bit and she asked me if I would tear out her stone floor and install a tile she had found. I told her I was not comfortable doing that. I had done things to my own place but I did not feel like it was appropriate for me to do that big of a job on someone else's property. She lived in a wealthy neighborhood anyway.
After I talked her out of getting me to do it she found someone else. It was two dudes and they gave her an estimate of $16,000. She gave them $8000 on the first day and they went and bought the materials and tore out her old floor as well.
They never came back and even kept the materials they had purchased. When I heard about it I almost wished I had went ahead and tried to do it for her anyway.
Yup
Long as it looked good you’d been ok
Despite the customer being a pain you guys did a phenomenal job. Awesome to watch the skill you guys put into your work. I was in a motorcycle wreck a few years back but used to do construction.... I miss it but I get to live vicariously through you tube videos like this. Thanks for the content.
Yeah, I feel your frustration. I lost my arm in a bike wreck and that ended my 25 year career as a bricklayer. Although, even after the crash I kept on laying brick and block - a garden for my in-laws and a garden for ourselves - various curved walls and flights of steps, just nothing over about a yard high.
@@RossRebbeck Do the "need a hand jokes" ever get out of hand?
@@marcomoreno6748 I say medium, right and brown, okay? 😎
I can totally relate to both of you guys. A quadriplegic after car accident about 30 years ago. Prior to that, I did all sorts of plumbing heating electrical and construction, but my favorite was working on my muscle cars in the 1980s. I stayed somewhat involved in it after my accident through engineering consulting with wheelchair access, building code consulting, and a lot of outdoor recreation, trails, etc. But like you said, I get to live vicariously through these videos.
As a third-generation plumber I have seen a lot of customers. Some you bend-over backwards for and they still won't be happy,. Some pitch a fit to get the price lowered after you've finished. And some like my grandpa used to say; "Son, for some people this world isn't ever going to be right" .
If you know what to look for you can spot these miserable people right off the bat.
Yes. Key words at the estimate raise red flags. Use your gut. Work with women as the project manager. Never work with pusillanimous men who let the wife take control, and take pictures and videos of everything before and after.
Yeah Jarhead, look for a D for Democrat in front of their name.
I often find people being too nice or overly polite end up being assholes.
All trades should ban together , unionize whatnot. Get a decent wage. Get respect. Get a life!
@@billcallahan9303 Exactly. That's been my consistent experience.
Beautiful job. I would have been super happy with how this job went and how organized and prepared the crew was. Cement is hard work and waits for no man once its poured. Enjoyed the video ! Good job 👍
Thank you so much 😊
We have magic juice where I am that loosens the Crete right up so it doesn’t set to fast and even after setting for at least the first hour or two- even after that final finish it’s a some great stuff
@@calebfaucett4844 magic juice means nothing. Be specific
@@kismetcorp He is probably referring to : SureCrete's slow concrete cure liquid retarder.
Looked on the level to me
I once told a lady I'd rather do another tour in Iraq than deal with her for another 5 minutes.
Sometimes it’s really like that! I know former military people that have done COMBAT tours that refuse to deal with insufferable people and end up leaving. It’s so crazy how miserable some people are!
@Spartan-Of-Truth I wound up having to go back to this lady's house 2 weeks later. She was like a whole different person. As if, nothing happened and we were long lost friends... just a strange experience.
@@robertmeier6821 Exactly! I define those types as narcissistic. They refuse to be held accountable for their off-putting behavior. If I rub somebody the wrong way, I make it known.
I love that. And thanks for your service.
“I don’t care what it looks like.” “Well, you got the wrong guy to pour your concrete.” Now THAT is a damn good mindset to have as a contractor. I wish everyone was like that.
Actually.....as an artist, even I can't ask someone to just take what I want to give because I know its better...it may be true, but they are paying and if you can't "convince" them to do it well then unless it is significantly more money or unsafe, it's their project....not yours. You took the job, take responsibility and finish it...like here...and choose better next time. Thats the lesson here. Find good people to work with and stay with them but everybody in the arts has to take one on the chin. It's nothing new and these guys have seen it before. In the end they can be proud of the finished work and work on how to avoid it in the future...ie NOT a conversation but a written document describing the work.
@@nedanother9382 ....sorry bud but you're wrong...some people love to mess you around, nit pick, change their minds and hold back payment just because they can....then they become expert's in your lifelong career after watching a few videos on YT.
@@nojnoj3069 very true, I don't disagree. But we, you and me and these guys know those people are out there. Thats why you document as much as you can to protect yourself...but ultimately these people (you know ...assholes) are part of the equation. These guys handled it well. Sorry if that didn't come across.
@@nojnoj3069 yeah I remember a guy picking apart every little part of our insulation, it was good insulation work but he would find the smallest little things for example a small cut in the paper he got really mad about, people like that only hinder your job we were there babysitting him for an entire day, he did all that then asked for a discount for all the trouble HE went through, glad he got none of it though, if you want to be that picky you’re gonna damn well pay me for it.
🙄🙄 just cut the mfer lines 🤷🏿♂️ especially if they aren't asking a deal. Just cut the lines or box out the area for them, I'm customer and I'll pay extra just cut the lines 😂 whats the mfer issues 😂
Both you and the customers seem like headaches to deal with , nothing but ego 🙄 the customers seem bogus af and you're passive aggressive
Was a flooring contractor 40 years.An old guy told me once,some of your best jobs are the ones you Don't do.
Choosing customers is a wonderful luxury. If you have game, you can pick who hires you.
Really? Over cigarette butts, parking, and where to put a line? What a bunch of snowflake Karens construction have become these days.
I use to work at a place that vehicle wraps. Several times I told the owner she should pass on a job and she never listened. One of them she screwed so bad it cost many thousands to fix on a job she quoted a few hundred
@@johnkilty5091"have game"? That sounds a little manipulative, tho you probably didn't mean it that way. (Competent, Proficient, Honest, Proffesional, Fair) all would've been accurate words to convey your point, but most people will know what you mean ✌️
Great saying!
I was in the construction business back in the 70’s and if a customer wanted something done out of the ordinary short of creating a structural issue we would do just about anything that they wanted, but informing them they would also need to pay extra for the change. As for the pads being cut like the homeowner wanted, personally I would have cut them however he/she wanted, his/her responsibility. My 2 cents. Oh, and you guys did a great job pouring and finishing the slab, I’d hire you in a heart beat.
I agree Preston. From what I can see I think these guys did an excellent job. However, I would have made the cuts also. I try to find a way to give the check writers what they're looking for if it doesn't create a hazard.
I agree too, though I'm not in the industry, but I think its only fair to lean towards what the customer wants, as long as they are paying for it, unless of course that it was not in their interest to do so, safety wise.
What's that saying.. 'the customer is always right'? If the customer wants ugly diagonal grooves cut in his brand new floor, make ugly diagonal grooves. What's the big deal? It's not your floor. They're paying you to do a job. Suck it up, man.
I would do the job the way I believed was the correct way to do it. Bondo did say he believed cutting lines could possibly cause cracks around the lift pad in the future because of the difference in thickness of concrete. If that happened the customer would probably blame him and sue him for repairs. I wouldn't want to take the chance of having to deal with a PITA customer again. The customer is not always right.
Yup. "if they pay, they say" meaning that if they are paying you DO IT, you're not there to do it how you would like it. The obvious exceptions are if it would cause a safety issue or cause you legal trouble.
Excellent job, enjoyed watching that, I would have been extremely proud of that pour!
Personally I'm eternally grateful when I come across an honest, hardworking, skilled worker in any field. It's so easy for a customer to get fleeced by bad actors.
I also am that way, double check their sources/past work and then let the man work ... any shortcomings from what I was told/from Bid I then always give them a chance to make right. Never have had a problem and usually give extra cash and/or alcohol as a bonus
It's super tough to tell which contractors are honest or not. Appearance means nothing and the sleaziest ones are great at blending in and disguising themselves. One thing I noticed in my years in construction/manual labor is generally, the bad ones are always looking for excuses to blame everyone else for everything.
The smallest mistake or miscommunication they take as an opportunity to leverage into exploitation. I saw it time and time again, they get the slightest window of wiggle room and they turn into a slippery snake where they start screwing over everyone. The customers and their employees. They'll ignore you until you say the three magic words "small claims court". Then they'll quickly change their tune. Snakes.
After 43 years in the commercial, industrial and residential construction. Industry starting out digging foundations and utility trenches (with a shovel) and retiring as a project manager I hope now I can honestly say I've seen it all. Your patience is amazing.
Brother- I know how that feels. I was a security systems contractor for MANY years and I worked in Hollywood with the rich and famous folks. Most were decent. Some were total A-holes. I was comfortable and successful enough to where I didn't have to kiss ass for these clowns. If they were rude, I picked up my tools and left. I had an attorney who made sure I was covered.
Name your aholes and I'll name mine.
As a professional Chauffeur the aholes I met included Gene Simmons (but not Paul Stanley, a real gentleman), Jerry Springer, Scottie Pippen, Dr. Buss (Owner of the Lakers), and Dan Gilbert (Owner of the Cavaliers) and some middle aged blonde actress who got mad because I didn't recognize her from some TV kids show like Malcolm in the Middle or something similar.
@@nostradamus7648 Nice! Awesome of you to share the names, I'm so sick of the public putting these Hollywood sickos on some type of pedestal... It's a big club and we ain't in it!!
@@nostradamus7648 Nice! Thanks for the info!!
@@nostradamus7648 Actually, you named yours first so deals off! Yes, I agree, the more money the bigger the A-Hole...most of the time, but not all. Some rich people remember their roots and treat you well. It's the A-Holes that come from money and have no idea what it takes to make it on your own. Mommy and daddy are always there for them bailing them out time after time. They do this because their children are an embarrassment to them and they don't want others to find out what a crappy job they did with them.
@@nostradamus7648 it would be Gene Simmons.
I did a job for a guy who, when I'd finished said he couldn't pay me the full amount and he'd pay me $20 a week. When i asked why he couldn't pay me the full amount of $1200, his reply stunned me. Get this, he said "because i wouldnt be able to afford going 10 pin bowling if i pay you the full amount". Yeah, that was his reply, word for word.
😳😳😳
Man how did you even respond to that 😂
Retired from 36 years as a GC no one could ever figure out why I would fire a customer, but this is exactly it when everything is adversarial it's not good for anybody involved, life is just too short, and I commend you for firing the customer! Cheers
honest question how many of those firings where because you just didnt like their idea on a project and you didnt want to do it so it led to altercations and annoyances.. i can see you firing someone for been rude by nature, but getting upset because youre not doing what theyre asking you. is baffling to lose a customer over.
@@youtubevideos3963 thats what I don't get from all these comments. they don't see that the customer was giving them orders and they say no then turn around and cry about a rude customer. just do what they want and its not like they both would benefit from it. the customer gets what they want and you charge allot more for those details than what your are charging for your sq.ft price
Thanks we're on the same page for sure 😊
@@youtubevideos3963 I'm not a concrete guy, but I'm in another trade that deals with a large mix of customers. I originally would follow customer wishes well, but they would not understand the entire situation, and then the result would not be what they wanted, or I would damage something as a result. The same customers would then complain about the results, saying it was my fault. I then quickly have moved on to explaining to a customer how things work now, but I'm losing my patience now to where I don't fully explain things anymore.
I was kind of rambling there, but essentially, Customers all have a desired outcome. Some think they know how to produce said outcome with their ideas when they are actually idiots. Your job as a tradesman is to distinguish the idiots and let the idiot tradesmen handle them, because 1 idiot customer can ruin your reputation faster than 10 good customers can build it up.
@@kneehats2311 Contrary to the old sales saying, the customer is not always right. The customer may be giving orders but a worker with a conscience is going to guide them from their years of experience on the job. Now if he had no conscience and was just looking at the money then of course he’s just going to follow orders, even though he knows it might not be in the best interests of the customer. But this guy wants to give this customer their best work so he says, it’s not a good idea. A better saying for this situation is “Experience leads”.
I have never regretted walking at the very first sign a customer gives me trouble. When I was younger, I learned the hard way that you should never get in so far that you can’t quite when you need too.
Awesome example and I do not regret my decision to walk away.
cant quite what?
So true. You should always be able to quite when you need two.
LOL. I know I should have “quite”, when I should have quit. I didn’t think about spell checking that one. Ha ha
@@dean3726 just poking fun. But yeah totally agreed man it's best to not get in too deep
We had one customer that “re-negotiated” final payment after the job was done. Called back a year later for us to do more work, and told us, “hope there’s no hard feelings”. Told him to find someone else.
I love it when that happens to these kinds of customers!!!
😂
Jam your feelings up yer arsehole and find a different sucker..... who do these people think they are changing the terms after its done...
They would've done it a second time guaranteed
Nice work, poured mud for over 40 years, one thing I learned was to trust my gut when it came to customers😁. I love how he told you he didn't know about concrete but wanted to tell you how to do it, you are doing fine
I've been in the trades most of my life and have family that's far older that I can rely on for issues like this. I think you did a great job, carried yourself like a true professional and your quality of work speaks for itself. The sad part is the customers ignorance cost them an experienced crew that obviously does great work. I'd like to see the quality of work they get next and the price. I had to start driving a semi for a living because I'm not half as good at dealing with ignorant people. Little did I know it's everywhere! I still try to do jobs for a very few select people and I miss it but driving is far easier than dealing with homeowners on a day to day basis. Good luck in the future and I'd be more than happy to have your work in my yard. I'd love for you to see the stamped concrete and driveway I had done about 5 years ago. Spalling everywhere and it's already dropping off bad in a few places. I gotta deal but I would've gladly paid more for better work. I never asked for a penny off the job that's the problem. Not everyone cares about their work and you and your crew obviously do. Have a good one 👍
Robert thank you for the kind comments my friend.
@@bondobuilt386 I've had one in my life I had to leave before the job was finished and a few ill never work for again. It happens, but your work is very good and you should be proud of yourself and your crew.
@@bondobuilt386 You have done a great setup 👍👍👍👍
As a GC, I would have asked the owner why he needed the lines cut. Maybe someone told him it would prevent the rest of the floor from cracking after prolonged use of the lift. Seems like that could have been resolved with some more discussion. If it had cost more, it sounds like he would have paid it.
As for the cigarette butt issue, I personally don't let employees smoke on the job. If you allow it, you should have a small bucket of sand for the butts. It sounds dumb, but a homeowner would see that as a sign of organization and respect.
Additional parking requirements should be ironed out before the job starts.
Don't mean to sound critical, but after being in business for over 45 years, I just want to pass on my "Lessons Learned" over the years.
BTW: Nice floor!
thanks
I'm a smoker and have been doing landscape construction (patios walls, stairs) for 28 years. I knock the head off of my smoke and I come home with a pocket full of butts. It sounds gross but I WILL NOT litter on a job. In fact, I pick up butts off the ground when I see them, because I don't want to be blamed.
Aww... him got a heart for his comment from poor little Bondo how sweet
@@noneya8197 There now you got one too. lmao
It sounds like both sides had clear ideas but communication was an issue.
I’ve gone through this routine as a carpenter/mechanic a few times. It is simply impractical to keep working with this type because you’ll lose your ass. Good looking pour and great way to manage clients. I feel sorry for the rest of the trades coming in though. These customers usually pass their discontent on to the next crew. They stay very defensive and look for trouble, oftentimes to beat you down a few bucks.
Crazy that people gotta be like that.
@@bondobuilt386, yes it is. Maybe this particular client will calm down once their shop is finished. I’ve found that some of these people get extremely stressed while they are going through the process of investing in a project like this. But once it’s complete and they are enjoying the new space they return to their sane and rational selves. Don’t be surprised if you get a call from these folks to thank you for doing the job the way you did. That happens sometimes and it has always made me feel great to shake hands and make peace, maybe even some new solid friends. But I’d love to see their shop once the lift is installed. I bet anything that whoever installs it will know exactly where and how to do it flawlessly, without damaging the the precious tubing…😂😂😂!
@@78consecratedcardsofart78 GOOD attitude!
@@78consecratedcardsofart78 thanks for that comment and I agree totally 😊
There are people who feel it’s their duty, to make everything harder.
Dude. This story is RIVETING! I mean that totally sincerely. I can’t put my finger on why, but I’m telling you, I was captivated from beginning to end. And then to read your comment re: court?!?! Never have I seen a better coda. NEVER! Bravo. Well told and well played all around. Good show.
@@havilahbrewster8267 thank you. People love the video. It’s got over 5 million views. 😳
@@bondobuilt386 5 Million !!! ... It's because all contractors have to deal with these losers.
What you did was shine a light on it for the rest of us.
Excellent work combined with WAY more patience than I would've had with this malcontent customer. Upset over a cig butt before you'd even cleaned up the job site is just a juvenile mind spoiling for a fight. Sounds like the way you dealt with them was exemplary and professional. You definitely made the right choice to cut this customer loose and say no to further work. The grief would've never ended with them.
thanks and yes I think I made the correct decision with these people.
@@bondobuilt386 I wonder how they reacted when you told them you will not work for them anymore
Exactly. The owner was trying to nitpick and bully to show dominance to lowball on the price, it seemed. Best to shut that shit down immediately and let them know they are out of line and don't understand a worksite.
I attended a meeting of Air BNB'ers and short term rental owners in Joshua tree and there was a panel about how to get work for free or cheap. One of the things they said to do is look for cig butts and litter. They also said to listen for ANYTHING they can consider offensive and use that against workers and builders.
@@tonyfourpaws4511 Sounds like a meeting of leeches and scumbags.
Great job and appreciate the story of your journey with owners.
After 30+ yrs home improvements one in particular still stands out as the most ridiculously difficult client!
15or so yrs back was doing stripped to studs remodel, complete with relocation of bathroom and kitchen.
Much like your story, from the beginning it was as though the Wife was searching for situations to be upset.
At about 80% completion, the Wife wanted to purchase faucets, trip waste, toilets, etc and ask for detailed plumbing list. I was skeptical, this had not worked out numerous times already.
A few items were very specific for connecting her airbath, and last of electrical details.
I wrote down exactly what was required and sent her on her way.
Upon return she dumped out plumbing and electrical supplies and nothing, not one thing she purchased was correct.
I questioned her purchases and her exact words were "I got what you had written".
I ask for list, she produced list, then I went through the list and asked where these items were?
Her next words clinched the decision I had been contemplating for over a week.
She said "you are a liar because I got what you listed".
I was dumbfounded haha.
I submitted final invoice at days end, rcvd full payment then ask her to loose my phone number because obviously our trust had been broken and I would not be back.
18months later she called needing info because her house was under contract.
I politely told her to pound sand.
To be fair, it was a huge learning curve, she erased much of my naivete which served me well later.
@@Twitchy-Idjit you cared enough to comment. Congrats on making yourself look stupid.
@@Twitchy-Idjit I care
@@Twitchy-Idjit Ride...I bet none wants to work for you either
@@Twitchy-Idjit just GFY
@@Twitchy-Idjit oh look another pointless person making pointless comments but cares enough to comment lol🤦♂️
I'm a Union Ironworker and we get People who think they can just make changes to a structural steel building. Not happening. You guys did a great job and it looks great.
Thanks same thing most of the time with a concrete floor.
It be called a "change order" in any trade. Referred a woman I know to a plumber friend. She kept making changes on the job and he would let her know he would have to charge. Not a problem she replies. Very pretty young lady. I guess she thought she could twitch that tail and get anything done.,
@@RobertGee-oi9wwOr she has enough money to get what she wants.
I’m a Commercial Diver I do whatever the customer asks me to do so long as it isn’t illegal. It’s their money anything that happens as a result of the changes is their responsibility the requests are documented.
I've been doing steel structures since 1998, and I agree, some people don't need to make decisions. I 💩 you not- "Can we move that column, I want a window there, it won't look right if it's offset."🤔
You seem very knowledgeable and i think it looks great. There's always that " one " customer . Keep up the great work team..🇺🇲🙏
I've been a bathroom remodeling contractor here in So Cal for 26 years. I can determine within minutes on my first visit with the client as to whether or not they're gonna be good people to work for. I'm always blown away how some of these potential clients tell me how to remodel bathrooms based on a Google search they did. Yes its very nice to be able to pick and choose who I do work for .
"Should be an easy job for you guys. Two days, tops. Definitely won't cost more than five thousand."
"We're pretty easy going."
"Park wherever. We don't care."
@@shovelmastaflash I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it was an Indian guy who told you how easy the job was gonna be
You're absolutely correct about that.
Curious, why do people call it so cal?
@@dustinbone4942SOUTHERN California
I was impressed with the simple idea of laying down plywood to indicate where the next wheelbarrow load of concrete should be placed..
Thank you. It protects the tubing as well
I was trained to give the wheelbarrow a twist at the end of dumping as it makes it easier for the rakers to level it out.
If the “pads” are not tied to the rest of the floor then thats a lift I would never use. Unless he is using a 2 post for motorcycles and atv’s only (you know he’s not). The “strength” of the mud means zero if the slab isn’t a monolithic structure when lifting a 3600lbs car or (you know he’s going to do this) his loaded F250 with full diesel tanks in the bed or lift his tractors. I have installed above and in ground lifts and finished the mud that goes with it for commercial auto shops. Either do it right the first time or don’t do it at all.
You did a solid by cutting him off. You didn’t drop a customer, you let go of a bag of problems. 👍🏼
This is actually the #1 comment. 🤜🔥🤛
did U see the lift posts are sitting on insulation?
@@andyharpist2938 lol i did, what the fuck was that!
@@schlomoshekelstein908 too right!
for heavy duty lifts... it should be a spread footer under the floor.... with alot more rebar..
Just found this channel after Victory outdoor services , best of luck to you man! Gonna be watching
Thanks for watching buddy.
He should have be extremely grateful for you guys even doing this job. I would kill to have a crew like you building for me.
Thanks. We try to do a awesome job for people. Most people realize this and don't mess with me. LOL
@@bondobuilt386 You guys did a fantastic job though. (I'm not in concrete business)
he pays good lol .. money talks bs walks hahah
Bondo guys, nice job, being a tinkerer on such things as concreting, I know what it takes, the expanse on which you work is awe-inspiring,
That customer doesn’t deserve a good contractor
I was in new construction for 22 years. It seemed like about 1 in 10 people are insane. Most people are super happy with a good job. On the other hand there were those folks that weren't going to be happy no matter what you did. Often the husband and wife were both crazy in those situations. Crazy finds crazy. It really sucks dealing with people who make everything a no win situation.
Maybe that 1 in 10 of yours reflects how many bad contractors there are.
@@endemion06463 You don't get it. I said job well done. If there were problems they were fixed. As an example we had a couple that insisted on putting in snow white carpet. We told them over and over it was going to show dirt. The contractor put in the carpet. Everyone coming in and out put on surgical shoe covers. Guess what the carpet showed everything. These idiots screamed at the contractor who repeatedly tried to talk them out of their bad decision. I worked with some solid honest contractors. I live in a place where a bad reputation travels fast. You do good work or you don't last long. The concrete contractor in this video was 100% right. His clients were unreasonable. One of his clients ideas made the floor less structurally sound in terms of how stable the lift would be. Ask anyone who works in retail and they'll tell you there are a lot of unreasonable people out there. If you dealt with the general public you might understand .
@@coldwarkid6611 I think you didn't get what I was saying. What I was saying that if there are 1 in 10 "insane people" maybe that reflects how many bad contractors there are. As in 1 in 10 have bad experiences that make them "insane" dealing with the next one. Your snow example where they didn't listen, clearly a matter of trust right? So what happened in their past not to trust the contractor?
Common sense has to come into play here.
Useless anecdotes that mean nothing
Y'all did a better job on this barn than I see on a lot of multimillion dollar homes.
Thanks James
Been in the service industry for 30 years. I am convinced some people don’t want to be happy. We can just try not to let it jade us. Good work!!!
100%. Sometimes you have to fire a customer because work is the lowest rung on the pole of what matters. Don't feel bad if you take enjoyment in firing some because I gotta be honest, feels like you're doing God's work sometimes when you realize their problems aren't yours anymore!
You have a well organized process and a great team. Most homeowners would recognize how lucky they are to get your services!
Thank you I appreciate that.
fr they work great together
@@blazingstar9638 Thanks
i can only agree
@@bondobuilt386 I feel well rested just watching it.. We'd do this with two people, one spreading the concrete, the other one with a 3m/like 10ft? aluminium straight edge smoothing it and making sure it's the right height with a rotary laser.. Unless it's cold it's way too hectic and squatting with the straight edge is horrible for your legs and back...
You guys went above and beyond for these customers...and your work looks amazing..I already know your job is tough enough without customers barking down your throat for petty stuff...
I think that as a customer if I'm paying for a job it should be done the way I want it.
@@americarocks1776 I think your YT moniker explains exactly your taste. I’m a finisher,an nothing is worse than a customer who is standing over your shoulder nitpicking every little thing. Look don’t say anything till we “the contractors” do our final walk through an say to the customer services rendered please pay your bill. That is the time to air your grievances. If you see a discrepancy an it is a legit one then I have no problem addressing it. But do not hold payments,not when this is someone’s livelihood. You have absolutely no idea the domino effect that has on a company. Especially if it’s a small time company just starting out or just a general contractor doing it on his own. Bottom line is you get exactly what you pay for. An accredited contractor,or a Craigslist jack of all trades bargain basement character. Experience is not cheap,an neither are the tools.
That's probably why they are called customers because they make you cuss everything they do.
@@americarocks1776yeah.....you're dumb. Us professionals do work properly and to specific standards that you most likely have no idea about 🤦♂️
@@americarocks1776 yea but don't stand behind me all day while I work is what I was trying to get across, have a good day
The plumb bob would have been the perfect solution. Overall, this is an exceptional job. Your level of conscientiousness is exemplary. I wish you were close to SE Georgia where I live. It's tough to find a good concrete guy here. Parking in the grass? That is the LEAST of the concerns. The last pour I did (14 x 22 slab with footers), the concrete truck drove down my driveway (breaking a section of it) and turned around in my neighbor's yard driving across a stamped sidewalk on the way. Forms were nailed into an existing sidewalk and not repaired. The contractor promised to come back and repair the sidewalk he broke. That was over a year ago. Never returned to strip the forms from the steps I wanted. I poured a 14 x 16 slap for a shed I built in 2008 and I Georgia buggied the concrete in. I asked the contractor, "Why would you drive a concrete truck down a four inch driveway? He had no answer. Good concrete guys are worth their weight in gold. This is a good vide. Thank you!
Thank you sir I appreciate the comment.
"parking in the Grass" ........ *RIGHT* !? ..... _Cigarette butt?
.... I can understand "cleanup concerns" But ?
obviously those customers were just a teeny bit oversensitive. This guy did a great job.
so did his crew, it was a nice little project & I fail to see the "problem" with the pads too.
IF that 'Customer' was some kind of mechanic (or whatever) HOW could all this be such a big deal?
@@AutomationDnD As a home owner I cant imagine finding people that do good work, how and when they say they will and then blowing up the relationship because I saw some garbage in my lawn. Its a construction zone, there is gonna be some mess. Crazy people are gonna crazy.
@@steveappleton4183 Yup
I actually run a Cleaning Biz now.... I do have to (and know "How" to handle my customers). AND I do manage to keep nearly 100% of them happy too (I do "Good Work") & a "Good Guy" often makes it look easy (when it is not) but as I've mentioned elsewhere, ...... I've also - Tried ... construction. I just am not sufficiently motivated enough to run it correctly (as a business). I'm totally empathetic to Construction Pro's. It is SO challenging to be a good/great Construction guy or Home-technician of some type. You're right, "Crazy Just Happens" & that too is part of Any Biz. .... but a Good Guy definitely appreciates a "Good Customer" too.
@@AutomationDnD complaining about a single cigarette butt and parking on the grass would be someone my mom would do with a contractor. She also would be telling then, the experts she hired, how to do their job when she knows zero about concrete.
What exactly would've been the problem with cutting out those squares around the lift?
"Hey so you want me to cut those out? I think that'll look really bad and interfere with the pad's strength..."
"I just want it like that."
"Okay then."
Because the customer doesn't know crap most of the time when it comes to concrete. They will tell you that "just want it like that". Then when they see how retarded it looks they blame his company for their unhappiness. Happens all the time. He is running a business and wants his projects to look neat since his name is attached to it.
@@AnUnapologeticApologist hes a contractor, not an artist. If the customer wants it ugly, then let them have it ugly.
Customer probably wanted to make sure the markings wouldn't disappear and for it to be clearly visible. I'd be pissed if I was them too. These contractors are annoying.
This is exactly what I was thinking the whole time. If the customer wants the stupid lines cut out, then warn them it'll look stupid, but if they insist, well then that's on them after that.
@@AnUnapologeticApologist Agreed. I'm just saying in either case, clear and BOLD communication makes everything clearer and more effectively keeps the morons in their place. Got a strong impression from the video that our guy was wishy-washy and vague in his objections to making the cuts.
Doing un needed steps during a big slab pour, is just one more thing that can cause a problem. Once the 1st truck gets there the clock starts and won't stop until it is topped off. It is a waste of time.
I used to work in a boat shop in the midwest and for the most part my customers were really great, but we had a guy who was refered to our shop by a couple of his buddys , when i first met him i just had a feeling this was going to be a bad deal and when he brought the boat in i knew i was in trouble but i had no say so in what was going to be done , we worked out a list that was close to two pages long of stuff he wanted done , it included work on the trailer wiring new wheel bearings, new jack ,lights, a new trolling motor , carpet installed , rewire all running lights, new bilge and livewell pumps, new depth finders front and back , new fuse block , reroute the filler for the fuel tank to make it easier to fuel while on the water, onboat battery charger ,fuel filter system, tuneup on his 150 hp merc and water pump install we gave him a estimate over over $1,600.00 for all the parts no estimate on the labor because i worked part time at the time (had another job that furnished my families insurance at the time) guy agreed to the parts price and knew he was getting a deal because our shop rate for labor was $50 per hour while all the surrounding shops was 3 times that much . I knocked out all of this in one week 60 hrs total , the only thing i didn't replace on the trailer was the paint ( new bunks ,wiring, lights, jack and hitch ) got his phone number so if i had any questions .....this boat was never built for most of the stuff done to it and a lot of custom work to get stuff to fit properly especially the batteries and wiring for the trolling motor because he went from a 12 volt system to a 36 volt system for this huge ass trolling motor ,me and my the shop owner met and figured a way of getting it all in the space i had to work with along with the onboard charger , guy shows up on friday afternoon and we wen through his list and all the work done and were doing fine right up until we got to the batteries and charger mount , the guy just absolutely exploded about the charger mount started throwing f- bombs at me ...called me and ignorant MF and cussed me out for about 3 min. i finally told him to shutup and id go get the owner down here to hash things out because if he uttered one more cuss word at me it was gonna be a really bad day for him really quick, went and got the boss and left them to hash it out while i went back to work on another boat, after about 20 minutes they both came out the guy stuck his hand out to apologize while my boss was telling me he was going to start storing his boat like his buddies did during the winters, i looked at my boss and told him that if that was the case he could hire another mechanic and then asked if the guy had paid his bill yet, he replied yes and that the guy had given me a $50 tip for getting his boat done so quick. I told him to give him the 50 back and then looked at the guy and told him to hook up and get off the property ....i explained to him that my day job was at a maximum security facility for the criminally insane and i spent from 8-16 hrs a day being cussed out and assaulted 5-6 days a week and that i damm sure wasn't taking that crap from the people whose stuff i worked on so hit the road .
Can you expand on your story a little. More detail and context
@@billrom795 I read it all. It wasn't that bad. I prefer punctuation and capitalization but truthfully I gave up on that standard years ago.
Looks like you downloaded the internet.
I’m with you sir. A man can only take so much bullshit.
I get the stance but be a bit more graceful you allow you other job to affect you and your abilities to handle situations.
I would hire you in a second.. you absolutely handled yourself like a true professional. Keep up the great work.
Thank you 😊
@@bondobuilt386 Thank you
THANK YOU
how do you know what really transpired you only have heard one side of the story but hey you dp you after all its only money
@@pewmcgrew5226 you sound like an angry homeowner. Can’t afford the contractors, then don’t hire them. Simple really. Get your “buddy that can do it cheaper” derp
As a landscape contractor for new constructions I had my share of ugly situations. If upon meeting the customer I got the feeling they were going to be a problem somewhere down the line I either backed myself out of the job or priced it so high nobody in their right mind would sign on the dotted line. Even then there were still a number of horror stories over my 30 years of work.
Yes i do the same thing.
"Bid it not to git it". I've used that motto a time or two.
We call that increased pricing the ahole tax...
@@XSR_RUGGER I do that as an auto mechanic. You look at some jobs and just say "oh hell, no."
@@immikeurnot I usually only use this advanced technique if the customer is going to be problematic. As a plumber many of my jobs are of the "oh hell no" variety 😆
You guys did them a great job. Great lay down, nice finish job, and didn’t even make a mess with splatter on the walls. It sounds like the guy was just looking for things to be mad about. I’ve been in and around concrete most of my life. I’d hire you any day of the week.
As former electrician who has fired more than one client, you did exactly the right thing.
IME, people generally have no understanding or appreciation for what is required for electrical, plumbing, and concrete work.
A good customer recommended me to an acquaintance. Had to meet at night due to their work schedule. Showed up and was told to remove my shoes, had fancy persian rugs on the floor. Most of the work was in the cellar with no external access. So that meant removing your boots every time you enter the house, put them back on in the cellar and back off when you come upstairs. Even with that bull I gave her a decent quote. She said I was trying to take advantage of her and she would get somebody else. I told her if she could find somebody else to work cheaper make sure you get their license number and be sure to pull a permit. She escorted me out the door. One month later she called and said she realized my bid was good. Right, I am too busy, just go a big job and am scheduled up for at least four months. I talked to a bunch of guys at the supply house, she must have called 10 electricians, nobody was willing to put up with her bull. Don't know if she ever got it done, but I wasn't going to play that game.
@@TwilightxKnight13
People base too much on hours worked.
I seen electrical, plumbers etc go in and do a job for 5minutes but I still pay them 200 or whatever it was.
You are buying years of experiences, knowledge and tools. Now sure.. Some people are not honest and will turn a knob or something and make it out like it was some big thing but that is life. Aholes everywhere.
@@herbpeterson3503
A guy who does my floors told me once he had an older lady so picky that he did her job for free.. He just did not want to deal with her anymore.
He refinished her floors and she would get on her hands and knees checking every little imperfection and complain about it. She put blue tape everywhere. At first he went back and buffed the spots out. Odd.. But ok not a big deal. Then he came back and more blue tape. Then she did it again... And then again. He just had enough of her and said you don't have to pay me.
There was a painting company there that charged her 5 times over what they normally would charge because they really did not want the job (She has a history with local companies) and she agreed to it.
He said the painters look depressed.. haha
I wonder what happened to them. Wonder if they ever got out of that house
How did he EXACTLY do the right thing. The customer wanted what they wanted he made the choice NOT to deliver, whether or not he felt it didn't need to be done that's not his choice. Do what you're told.
When I was a furniture mover we called home owners like that "Engineers"
There are only a few things the home owner has to do on a full pack and move.
1- remove anything they don't want pack (or place it on the master bed)
2- Take pictures off the walls (we pack them but don't pull them down
3- take any prescription meds they might need during the move out of the house (so they didn't get packed)
and just a few other things. . . .The "Engineers" stayed up all night writing 8 pages of directions on how to pack and load there things (almost all of it wrong). . but didn't get done any of the short list of things we actually needed done.
The one exception was a Master Sergeant's Wife. . . .they had moved so many times, if they told you how to do something. . . . you took notice!!
Movers are sketchy though. They always have been I’ve used several. I expect some damage. Sad. Should be zero
@@johnfarmakis8518 You realize it the driver that pays most of the damage claims out of his pocket, not the company. . . .right?
Our claims people caught a Military guy making a claim for a broken leg on a dresser (back middle leg) wanted $300 and he would get it fixed himself. . . .except he had claimed the same leg on the same dresser on his last 3 moves. So 3 drivers (almost 4) had paid like $240 EACH out of their own pocket for the same broken leg.
We Drivers think Home owners are "Sketchy" too
Hell if they left the dirty dishes in the sink my boss told us to pack them up and mark them kitchen.
@@joemc111 yep, because if you left it behind your boss would get a claim that you lost Great great grandma's $500 bowl.
Packers pack trash all the time, it's because some mover at some point paid a claim because they left what they thought was garbage behind and the home owner made a claim on it.
The system is set up so the Driver pays a price for every mistake his/her Crew makes.
That said I was a Mover for like 15 years, worked all across the country hired Lumpers & packers of every description
and out of Hundreds of them, maybe 5-6 were bad workers. Most of the rest I am really proud to have known.
Some I would call and use every time I was in there city, some I would know for a day and never see again. Nearly all gave a hard days work for the wage I paid them.
Dude, movers are fucking sketchy. I wouldn’t trust you to pack a stuff animal
Ron,
Having had my own business and dealing with people like this, I finally just told them, there are a certain kind of customer, who's business you can do with out . They are one of those. When you are good, good people send you good customers. Congratulations on a fine job.
Thank you
@@bondobuilt386 just think if businesses told these narcissists to take a hike, they would figure out the quality of work they get.
@@michaelgerard2371 Nah. They just bitch about the low quality of the people in the industry, and how we're all out to screw them.
Then again, they do that anyway. But still, they never get the hint, because these kind of people are pathological so they are never the problem... even when the evidence otherwise is smacking them in the face.
Mel Gibson will tell you which customers to avoid.
What should a concrete pad 12ft by 64ft cost?
I got a bid from a guy for 10k and it seems steep to me.
It’s a covered pole barn area with easy access.
Mate 👏👏 you handled this brilliantly. I’m a plumber and have installed underfloor heating systems in the uk many times. I was really fascinated by the tools you used to finish the pour ( baring in mind it’s not my game and I’m usually gone when this takes place).
What does seem to be universal is difficult clients 🤦♂️.
You just know that when they begin to complain about small issues that are completely unrelated to the actual work taking place they’re messers and will make it difficult for you to get your final stage payment.
That said, you have a great crew working with you and the finished work was excellent.
Thank you for posting this video.
Kind regards,
Les 👍.
Maybe the customer was concerned about cracking. If you support a joist with a post, you typically cut a 2' square area from the existing floor to pour a small pad to mount the post. Cracking doesn't persist beyond this small pad. Your pour and concrete work is awesome! I was most concerned about the PEX tubing. If the only gripe I have with a contractor is a cigarette butt, I'd call it a successful job!
The customer Shouldnt have been in such a hurry, and did some more homework.... If he was concerned about cracking then the holes should have had rebar cages in them and had forms along its boarders before even starting... Now he can cut the floor himself with a skillsaw and mason blade, or rent a real commercial cutter that requires water hookup and do it that way. Since there is no rebar in the hole he could set down a half inch steel plate the size of lines drawn anchor it and then mount lift on that, there wont be any cracking due to shifting of lift operation.
to be honest part of being professional is leaving the place how you found it. I can see how leaving a homeowner to clean up after him, can piss them off, or disrespecting/damaging the property by parking on the grass when there is a 1/2 mile driveway! I don't agree on stiffing the dude out of his money; he said he got paid some, although not how much. I suspect he did not walk away from much, but he also did not finish the job!!!! I wouldn't hire him
@@jomangeee9180 Hi, I don't understand what was not finished, Another very important part of being a professional is to not let the customer
Turn the appearance of all your expertise and skill into a Hack job!! This customer likely watched some RUclips video on lift post installation
and was suddenly an expert...I have installed several twin, and four post lifts, and it is already risky letting the customer guide the project...
Quite simply, all lift manufacturers provide the proper structural requirements for lift installation, and this customer should have provided
the lift documentation to the contractor for guidance..
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
BE SAFE!
DO
@@cindysullivan4265 in that case jobs might need a contract, specs, agreement and a signature. There must be a software for these things, there is for everything else. Happy holidays to you too
Well, then the customer should have been crystal clear about the specs needed in advance and allowed for the right amount of time and money to install to those specs.
First, all two post lifts require at continuous (single) slab. This is so don’t get uneven settlement of individually poured pads. Second, it’s typically no more than 10” thick but supposed to have rebar.
Digging those pits was ridiculous. Asking for separate pours was dangerous. Not using rebar was clueless. Thinking separate cut lines would stop cracking on a 2 ft deep pour is stupid.
Bottom line, the customer didn’t have a clue and didn’t bother to get the installation instructions from the lift manufacturer (alway provide slab engineering requirements).
That said, the customer did ask for cut lines. What’s the big deal about just doing them?
I'm not even in construction, but what a charming customer!
Glad you stood your ground!
My dad always taught me to treat any trades person with respect, agree the work and pay on completion.
Also read the contract, know it inside and out, stick to it and never give them all your money upfront as they disappear like a fart in the wind.
Maybe I missed the part of where this became complicated on this video but how can you not remember or know how to mark where those pads are supposed to be before pouring concrete? Take the measurements write them down pictures whatever you gotta do. I'm missing something I think.
You guys did a great job as always. I sure as hell wouldn't want cut lines in my concrete that aren't needed. As others have said, the other contractors on the job must have taken a bunch of crap too.
If the owner wanted cuts at the pads, he could take a saw and cut it. The other thing he should have done is figure out how to mark his pads his way. I would have done it just in case my concrete guy forgot to do it.
I feel sorry for the lift guys when the install the lift. They'll probably do it right by the book and it will be wrong.
I have done jobs where the customer wanted it their way and I said I'm not going against code or anything else. Handrails on decks and stairs are the big one.
My team and I had a phrase we used prior to my retirement - Peopling Is Hard ! Some folks can't even tie their own shoes, let alone think responsibly.
Don't let it bother you - there are more jobs out there for the super work you and your crew did, Absolutely beautiful job. A 50 yard pour that looks this great is your trademark!
Keep up the great work! Take care.
Papa
@@mmm-mmm The balance of finding good craftsmanship at a reasonable price and care about the customer's needs and feelings is really tough. When I did contract work I knew building customer relations was the key to more work through the door. The little things count.
This summer my adjacent neighbor had some landscaping work done that affected both his yard and mine. My gardens are well established, he was finishing his yard. The contractor he hired was a jerk. "I don't do ANYTHING for free" was something I heard him say, literally! When I asked that he re-adjust the sprinkler for the grass area to not hit my garden area, he literally came unglued. "The Wind Blows the Water"! He yelled, I calmly answered back "Look at my flag pole, the wind is blowing the other way.
Good customer service - good quality work - adding to the good of the community - and fair price. Working folks who follow those simple attitudes build successful businesses.
Excellence is not a skill, it's an attitude.
Looks like you did a fantastic job. I commend you for your patience. It's not always easy. Some people just need to learn to respect 'skilled trades'. I was building a log home for a couple a few years ago and most everything was going good until the last week. They had decided I had been paid enough already and that I should install all the windows & doors for free. I told them I needed to be paid in full plus the price of installing windows & doors up front. Then I reminded them that I had just built a 'log house' and I still owned a few chain saws. Somehow they agreed to my terms. I've been banging nails for 50 years now and have only run into a handful of nasty clients. I find that the majority of people are grateful for the knowledge we have acquired over the years.
I like that you told them you built a log house and have a chain saw. LMAO
About cigarette butts.
I also dislike it if builders onsite leave empty tins, pieces of paper, cigarette butts lying around and telling me it will be cleaned up afterwards. Why not just discard it in a bin immediately.
I agree. As a contractor myself I never leave any trash around a job site. The trash goes in my pocket in my tool bags or directly into a trash box or bag or something. I can understand needing to temporarily discard something on the ground if the work requires you to be quick but as soon as time allows the trash needs to be picked up It should always look like you could walk away at any minute and it would be fine.
It's the same thing as going bush walking/camping...leave only your footprints. But maybe not in the concrete 😂
1. I can’t stand smokers, and I’ve been pissed as this being left before. But I will say to the idea of “why not discard immediately?” When you are doing back breaking hot work and you have to limit your breaks, no you aren’t trying to be super tidy at that moment. It’s not like some nicely dressed office worker that stepped out for a minute. Again I hate smoking and I get pissed when that stuff gets left,, but have some grace and make it clear that cleanup is the last part. ESP butts and bottles
How about you do that hard ass work, and let's see if you need a cigarette.
The homeowners are clearly a$$holes.
Because they are workiing their butts off. Clean up later.
I'm not a concrete guy or a builder, contractor or anything. Fantastic job, fascinating watching the work. I would love a barn/garage like that.
You really know what to expect from the Home Owners that don’t even offer hard working people a cold drink or a coffee. We always look after our hard working contractors here. Customer’s probably never done an honest day work in their lives. Parking on the grass and cigarette butt being their main issue, unbelievable.
You guys put your backs and hearts in that wonderful job. I know many people that would appreciate you. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much. 😊
aint that he truth, a simple gesture like having a cold drink available does wonders for morale and a relationship. We had crews tearing up our street for gas and water lines for close to 10 days, I always had a cooler out there for the guys full of a 4.99 case of water, small price to pay for a job well done, they even cut 4 ft. of curbing out for my driveway.
parking on the grass, baseless. the cigarette butts everywhere would irritate me too.
parking on grass, I can understand but cigarette butts or trashes should be taken care of at least when a job is done
Just had a team come repaint our church and it was the first thing I offered them when they showed up. Was surprised that it was the first time anyone had offered coffee, tea, or water to the team. I offered a few more times throughout the project as it took a week. Always felt it was just common courtesy to offer at least something to drink if someone is visiting your house or any place of business. Just because someone is doing work for you doesn’t mean they’re still not a guest. Appears people just no longer have manners.
1. I can't imagine what a job like that cost. 2. If this was a small job I can't imagine what a big job looks like. 3. You boys do damn fine work.
39.5 yards is a good bit of concrete, but a bigger job would be a small warehouse. This is clearly a couple who have plenty of money.
@@easyenetwork2023 and having money is what makes them assholes!
Half way through your video, I just knew you'd have trouble getting full payment. From my own experiences, happened more than once. I threatened to pull all the storm water pipes out of the ground after I'd been waiting two months.
Great work mate, best wishes.
He got Paid before he was done. That's why he left with a pist off customer. Who cares what you want! You do the job the customer wants. Even if it is a waste of concrete. This video was just to justify a shit job!
Probably stuck around longer and did more for them than I would’ve. Some people just have to be difficult. If they know how to do it then they don’t need to hire you. They need to realize they aren’t paying for just the work being performed but the years of experienced help. Turned out nice 👍🏼
I don't think they claimed to know how to do it. It looks like they stated what work they were willing to pay for
@@RichardMiller-tq6ut so you would have gone against all your years of experience, cost yourself lots more work, it was going to look botched and been ok with it because that’s what they wanted? It is concrete. It’s going to be there for decades, basically with his name on it
@@AllstarVentures how much more work is it to make a few short cuts when you already have the saw out? The contractor specifically said he refused to do it because he didn't think it would make it "look" nice. But it isn't his floor is it? A contractor worth his salt specifies the work done in the contract before signing. If you aren't willing to do the work the customer wants you tell them before taking the job. I doubt the customer would have hired them again regardless. I know I wouldn't
Setting up a string line profile is exactly the way you would do it mate, good idea there. It’s exactly how you would set up for anything inside a home where there was a thickening in the slab to hold something heavy! Just a couple pencil marks on the formwork running along the edge and you can project those lines out accurately without stuff being in the way while you pour! Nice job on the pour! Well within your rights to abandon these frustrating clients!
Thats the first thing we do when we start underground rough in’s…..(plumbing)…..pull strings
right. lol why pour 2 separate times when alls you need is some measuring tape or strings. common sense just isn't common anymore.
Wish you were closer to southern Indiana really enjoy your videos. I'd happy to hire you if you were near me lol. Appreciate your commitment to doing good work in as cost effective of a method that you can.
As a contractor for many years, I learned that a person that doesn’t know the value of physical labor is gonna cheat you or just make the job miserable. A working man will chase you down to pay you and be thankful. Also, if the customer starts off giving you a hard time, you’re better off to pass the job.
Plumb-bob from the ceiling is a great idea, looks like you did an amazing job!!
Yeah except it's totally moronic.
What part of the ceiling are you plumbing from?
You have 4 existing walls before you pour. Take a tape measure and mark down the dimensions from existing walls. Easy peasy.
If the home owner wanted you to pour them separate, you tell them it will cost x dollars. You don't just refuse to do it. It's their money.
Yes that would have been fine
What a bunch of righteous pricks. I just had my parents house insulated to the max and the crew told me I was the best customer they've ever had. I hate people like that
On a brighter note, it's good to see you got a decent crew that works well to get the jobs finished.
Good luck to those folks finding ANY concrete company willing to work for them in the future. You did a nice job!
Yeah, they might only be able to find concrete companies that will do what they ask.
Great job man. I find it interesting to see how the concrete gets done and its smoothed out etc, it's an art. Don't worry about that grumpy guy, he's probably never happy with anything.
Some people just can’t be satisfied. I am a very detailed oriented person with construction and repair experience. I think you and your guys did an exceptionally great job. Looks great!
Thanks
I agree that it's nice to be able to choose your customers. I plan to build and supervise the construction of my second residence. May I ask what you would recommend a homeowner ask a concrete contractor when looking for one to pour a residential crawl space foundation? I enjoyed your video. It's always nice to hear things from the contractor's side. I recall a building superintendent seemed a little annoyed by a home buyer's concern with a small hairline crack in driveway. He said to the customer, "two things about concrete. People won't steal it, and it cracks."
Well one of those statements is true there's a woman in Florida that did have her cement driveway stolen. Only in Florida 😂😂😂😂
Heart-breaking hearing your story. I hope you receive every penny from that couple. Your work is phenomenal as well as your patience.
I did get paid and thank you.
As a builder and building inspector, having a contract in place is essential with progress payments through the process. This protect the client and contractor alike. If any variations are to be made, an amended scope of works is to be signed by both parties outlining addition costs and timeframes.
Same goes for landscaping........ Document everything..........
Excellent advice Josh
And stop everything and put it in writing immediately. A GREAT point and am surprised more people did not mention this. Don't follow this advice and it will inevitably bite you in the butt!
same for ANY contracting job. concrete to websites.
Another story, I worked for my brothers construction company part time. We built a house for a man who was a machinist by trade. And felt everything should be perfect, just like in his shop. The house was 90 feet long and around 35 to 40 feet deep. He checked the foundation pour for square, and it was off by 3/8 of an inch. Which in the real world is great. Not to him.....my brother convinced him it was a house, made with wood, and the tolerances between his shop and the house is pretty well not going to be the same. He excepted the difference and finally left us alone. But the electrician....he was brutal to that guy. We were on lunch one day and witnessed the owner and electrician yelling at each other. The electrician had stubbed out the conduit for the lights on either side of the garage door and the conduit was out about three or four inches, and the customer was yelling they should be flush, and was told they would be when he was done. Customer kept yelling. The guy walked to his truck, got out a sledge....wacked the conduit on both sides, it went through the drywall inside....but it was level outside not. The electrician said there ya go, it's level....don't call me to finish this job I quit!!! We never saw him again.
I saw something similar when my neighbor who was a tool maker tried to hire someone to build a front porch and tie into his existing roof. He fired several people and did it himself. It's frustrating because those guys get paid to be accurate to fractions of thousands of an inch and are great with math and geometry whereas construction guys are usually people who didn't finish highschool, have criminal records and can't get hired at McDonalds. Most get paid to get the work done and make it look good from the outside, not for precision. That's partly why the construction industry has such a bad reputation for doing shoddy work. Anyway my neighbor finished the porch project himself and it turned out beautifully. Everything was square and still looks great 30 years later.
@@theupscriber65 the same is happening with my father. He has saved us from many construction bs and has helped crews giving guides and once realised there was a mechanic problem at the windows and he decontrsucted everything on his own.
Each time: a professional constractor should sign a contract details such materials, tools, timeframe too.
People think that building a house is easy. It is not. Both clients & constructors should know what they are doing but every false goes on constructors since they are those presenting themselves as professionals.
Gee, your brother's company mist have trained the concrete contractor I hired to do a simple rectangle foundation. Luckily, I took a lunch break and came home to check on the progress. The foreman said they were about done setting the forms, and the crew had JUST measured the diagonal for square and reported is was 3/4 inch out. Foreman said "good enough", I said NFW. There was a 20lb sledge laying on the ground, and I told him, all it would take to get square was one or two hits with that sledge. They hit it once, measured again, now within 1/16 inch. I was the one who was going to be building the structure on this foundation, so why would I want to start at a disadvantage when 10 seconds more effort achieved near perfection. LAZY and UNCARING people disgust me, and they shouldn't be in a service provider / customer type occupation or business.
Client complaining about a cigarette butt. Been there. You and the guys did an EXCELLENT job.
The plywood for the wheelbarrows is a great idea, the guys know exactly where to dump, I taped plastic bottles to the wheelbarrow and the contractor thought I was being over cautious. And like everyone else has said allready, these people would allways be upset about something, it is what they do for a hobby, create drama just so they can be the center of attention.
psychopaths
I was setting a granite monument in a cemetery and the lady customer was there watching. I set the base and had it perfectly level but the lady insisted that it wasn’t. I tried to show her how the level works and she still didn’t like it. I told her that if I had to reset the base that the whole monument would be way off and could eventually fall over. She was still insisting it was off. I told her if I had to set the base Not level that I would not warrant the monument from falling over or the top stone from sliding and that she would have to sign an amended contract agreeing to those terms. Well, that got her attention and that monument is still level to this day. Customers are not always right and sometimes we have to save them from themselves especially when our names and reputation are on the line.
Lol just cut the damn boxes like the owners asked…. Its not a safety issue like your “monument”… This guy was just too lazy to do what owners asked. If this huge shop is a “small project” for him, he is a rich stockup business owner who doesnt like extra work for same $$$$
I was in the kitchen renovations business. Which meant that I would spend some time with the customer figuring everything out before we even got to a contract. This gave me an opportunity to suss out who they were and how they acted. If I smelt that they were going to be a problem I would add twenty percent on to my final calculation. I figured it as an extra fee for dealing with the bs. If I encountered problems in the design process that fee became 40 percent to ensure that I wouldn't have to deal with them. Worked for me. I was always busy without them.
We call that asshole tax.....and it works well.
I called PIA, pain in the ass tax
I have a tax for rudeness. Sometimes I go to price a job, and when I'm introduced to the wife, they can't be bothered to say hello, or even lift their eyes up from their magazine, they don't even get a quote.
@@vilefly i do the same thing. Doctors are the worst at this. My PITA tax is generally 25% of the job on top
@@oscar38 you're here to do a job, not make idol chit chat with my wife buddy. Get back to work 😜
i dont know if i heard it right or not but there are not any plugs allowed with in 18 inches of a finished garage floor because of fuel settles there and can cause ignition
As a customer and a DIYer....I see both sides. If the customer really wants the cuts... make the cuts but.... make sure you have it in writing that he forced you to do that!!!! I had floor drains put in my shop floor and had part of the floor slope to them and the concrete guy kept asking if I wanted that much slope. Yes I did. Well... now I realize I should have dialed it back to about half that steepness but...my fault and I have to live with it
Agreed. Detailed SOW in concise legal langauge is best for a contractor or consultant ensuring payment and work is done to agreed contract spec. On the other side of the coin contractors and consultant services that generate detailed proposals will also charge top dollar for the services. Unfortunately, there is a growing percentage of customers/clients that understand this and then take full advantage of contractors and consultants that lack the detailed SOW agreement. Contractors more than consultants don't understand that a detailed SOW in an agreement is a cost control 1st and 2nd is good customer service ensuring both parties understand what work is being performed.
It’s more that the customer was demanding it. You can’t cater to these peoples ungrounded fears like that as a contractor. It’s just silliness.
They can hire someone else in future. You have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. He drew it there.
They will inch further and further into their delusional fear based ideas. We all have them somewhere but you just can’t keep going down that road. Sooner or later they need to accept that you know what you’re doing. If he wants to get line marking paint on it cos he’s terrified of of a pipe getting hit that’s up to him.
But he would be better just going to therapy about his fears and trust issues.
or better yet, if you have a structural reason, like the one he uses to defends himself in the comments, explain it to the customer and say that you won’t compromise the integrity of the slab, and give examples of what could happen. maybe he did it, maybe he didn’t, but the reason he gave in the video was that it would look bad