“We need to treat honest people as… dishonest.”

We STILL get comments and emails about a post we put up almost FIVE years ago: Getting Paid.

I am a well seasoned contractor and strive for an over-the-top satisfied customer in the end. I get constant compliments on the quality of our homes. But let me tell you about a recent project (on which I was solely the project manager).

The couple told us that they were honest people and that we didn’t need to go with a lot of signed documents (!). They did sign an estimate of cost as a go-ahead but did not give much detail to the expected finishings. Instead, they added many finishes to the house as we went along and each item was priced and they (verbally) approved.

When it came to paying the invoice they didn’t want to pay for the additional finishes. They started complaining about shoddy, hideous workmanship: All the mitres were precise, the doors were plumb and square.(Ultimately) they paid most of the invoices. But now they are suing for a full refund!

I’m just reminding contractors to be wary of people that come on that way. They are the seasoned con artists. My suggestion is to not start any projects without a signature on a detailed quote. People will ask you why you don’t trust them. It’s because of the dishonest people that we almost need to treat honest people as dishonest, too. Personally I hate it. But we, as contractors, can’t let ourselves be abused by those kind of people.

Ernie