Steve Payne
"20 to 25 projects per year and we always seem to have one go sideways," says Calgary renovator
Canadian Contractor PropertyWhen he has problems getting paid, David Litwiler says that BBB dispute resolution sessions have helped him out.
Calgary renovator David Litwiler posted this comment in reply to some posts about “Deadbeats” and various ways to get them to pay up…
“We’re doing 20 to 25 projects per year and we always seem to have one go sideways. I’ve found it to be a case that half the time the clients have been goofy unreasonable, and half the time we’ve been weak in our performance – either office or jobsite. If throwing money at the problem (discounted invoice) does not work we have had great success with BBB dispute resolution sessions. A simple lien works but does expire. A caveat must be filed within a certain period of time to keep the property under attachment.
We tend to use these aggravating experiences to help us improve. Some folks need a psychology test before we consider setting foot on their property and sometimes we need a swift kick in the butt for our weak performance.”
Posted by David Litwiler on Nov. 22
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1st. congratulations on your honesty and recognition that you can’t be perfect, 100% of the time. I ran Canada’s most award winning consulting firm for years and always told clients – “we mess up one or 2 projects a year, but we always clean up our messes”. That approach will hold you in good stead with all your clients.
2nd, recognise that 100% success is virtually impossible to attain and then sustain. Professional baseball players – paid more than you and I put together – are more than content to be 300 ball hitters (or 30% of the time to hit the ball). Recognise that very few Olympians get perfect scores. So don’t set the bar too high.
3rd, when a mess does happen, fix it up as best as you can, but be reasonable. Statistics show that clients value the response, and that your client approval rating will increase substantially once you clean up the mess.
4th, recognise that there are dead beat clients as there are deadbeat contractors. There are divas on both sides of the border, as there are cheats. As a homeowner who acted as his own general contractor when building a new home, I can tell you stories that would make your hair stand on end. Let’s face it, they all walk among us.
5th, send me your tips as to how you spot the “deadbeats”: the ones that don’t want to pay promptly, that incessantly change their minds, that have unrealistic expectations and demands. What are the telltale signs? I would love to compile the results and publish a blog posting for all contractors to use.