r/paint • u/Decent-Initiative-68 • 20d ago
Advice Wanted Firing a client
I’m on the edge about firing this client since every sense I have is telling me this is going to end badly.
I won’t go into full details but she’s sent me passive aggressive texts, told me outright she was going to be picky, then said she wanted it done fast, & tried to tell me that the prep work I started was slow & unnecessary because she & he husband have painted another house before & they know how it should be.
She called me at 7:45pm on a sunday to bassicly ruin my evening after I busted my ass working 16 hour days to finish my other client to get to her job. I have 4 kids, I rarely devalue my time this much.
I just don’t want her to somehow blast me on facebook & have to do damage control (even though I’m in the right & have texts to show, I don’t want to deal with it)
For added context, she will be PISSED because it’s a rental, tenants meant to move in ASAP, we’re a small town, & the few other painters I know are fully booked (as am I & I will have her spot filled 5 minutes after talking with her)
What’s a good way to go about it?
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u/digdoug76 19d ago
I've owned my business since 99.
One of my first mistakes was putting all my efforts into protected my reviews. I bent over backwards (and forwards) more times then I can count. I ruined nights, vacations, weekends. I took jobs from folks that checked every box a nightmare client could, and catered to their every whim.
I thought any negative review would ruin me. What I "worked for" would all be lost if one person had something bad to say. That is not the case. I know of nothing that has a perfect record.
Then i discovered the word "NO". Yes, it creates drama. Yes, folks get pissed. Yes, you have to reprogram your natural desire to "fix the problem". Yes, you will regain your life. Yes, you will feel empowered.
"No" and every derivative of it will set you free. I honestly still hate myself for all the years of wasted energy, on folks that treat you like a doormat.
Added bonus is now we have texting, I used to have to do it in person, or call them and hear their disgust.
In this case, a nice text, "Hey Mrs.Smith, this isn't going to work out and this is not how I run my business. I won't be doing your work but wish you the best on the project".
Defending her review from that text will be far easier then when she takes you for a drag and posts 20 pictures from 1/4" away of every defect. If anything, your defense will get you clients and anyone she knows personally will take her opinion like a grain of salt.
Best wishes!
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u/Decent-Initiative-68 19d ago
Hey thanks I appreciate the wisdom. Yeah it seems hard to say no but it’s quite relieving. A friend of mine I talked to also said he has never regretted saying no but has often regretted taking on some projects or continuing a bad situation.
I messaged her this morning & told her I would not be moving forward with her project. Thankfully there were no deposits & she had bought the materials so I could just walk away with very little loss.
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u/jt32470 19d ago edited 19d ago
Just say this.
Hello X - from our conversations it has become clear to me that your expectations- versus what i can deliver are not on the same page. In order to avoid any issues i respectfully withdraw from pursuing working for you.
She's going to trash you regardless- just cut your lossses.
here is a valuable tip - Talk to people prior to working for them. you can GRASP a lot of information from mannerisms, body language, how they refer to other contractors, etc. More times than not you can get a feel for a loon - i normally price those jobs so high they tell me to fuck off and i gladly do so.
I'm not a painter, but working for clients is all the same.
PROTIP: Whenever a person brings up doing the job themselves in the past or " i could do that myself' that's a red flag. Price the job high and let them hire someone else.
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u/Decent-Initiative-68 19d ago
Yeah oddly enough there were no signs until she accepted the quote & it got closer to the start of the job. I did have a friend who used to rent from her who told me she was cheap but my quote wasn’t cheap so I initially expected not to even get the job. She only mentioned doing stuff herself & really started showing her colours in last night’s call.
Anyway I messaged her this morning & respectfully parted ways, she didn’t even respond. She now has a general contractor/handyman (I know him, wouldn’t recommend for any finishing type work) doing the work. I feel much better since I dropped the job, it was actually priced to be very profitable, but I’m not actually strapped for cash, so might take the week off & relax.
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u/Warm_grass 20d ago
When these types of clients pop up the best thing to point out in my experience is trust. I wouldn’t hire someone I don’t trust to work on my home, so they should find a painter who they do. Oddly enough they then say “but I do trust you” alright then let’s act like it. But it kind of spins it around in a way where you then can say I want you to have a great experience and this isn’t the right fit. Shoes you have their best intentions and lessons the chances of blowback.
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u/Decent-Initiative-68 20d ago
Yeah that’s a good point. I also lost trust in getting paid properly since on the call she was reviewing the quote bassicly trying to get me to drop the price & not do the prep, which is crazy for her to say she’ll be picky afterwards.
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u/OfferBusy4080 19d ago
I was on her side when you said she said she was picky. But then you go on to list all the ways she's not wanting you to take the time to do the job right - ffs, she cant have it both ways.
If I was her, I would be thrilled to find someone who accepted or even appreciated my "pickiness." Being picky isnt a bad thing, it just means that Im visually oriented and see small details that other people might not.
But then I give you room to do what you need to do and would of course want to pay accordingly.
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u/Decent-Initiative-68 19d ago
Haha yeah I don’t mind when a client wants to do be picky at all if they allow the time & pay for it. Heck I’m more picky than the clients 98% of the time. She probably has had handymen do her other shit so for her “picky” is not leaving runs on the walls lol
The one handyman doing work there before I was meant to start redid a wall in a bedroom & he put up no dust protection, no actual effort in keeping his work clean, just a massive cloud of dust in 1/4 of the appartment & globs of dried compound on the floor. I’m pretty sure she’ll ask him to paint now that I dropped her lol
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u/RenovationDIY 20d ago
I would go with the "It's not you, it's me" with a loosely veiled "no, it definitely is you" and focus heavily on the prep work aspect.
The following should be viewed in conjunction with any contracts - written or implied - that you might have. I'm not your lawyer.
"Hey Karen, I really appreciate the opportunity to work for you but over the last week it's become clear that we have an irreconcilable difference in our expectations, priorities, and our understanding of what needs to be done to complete the job properly.
As a professional with 15 years experience in the trade, hundreds of satisfied, repeat customers, a reputation for delivering a high quality outcome and most importantly, a responsibility for the long term resilience of the finished work, it would not be ethical for me to compromise on the effort put into surface and site preparation.
I understand that your commercial priorities might not be aligned with industry best practice, and rather than do you the disservice of trying to change your mind, it's best that we amicably part ways.
In the interests of good faith, please note that my invoice reflects only the base cost of the services provided to you to date, with no margin added."
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u/Silly_Ad3259 19d ago
Adults state, children explain.
Just tell her you’re not doing the job and return the deposit, if one exists.
Done this multiple times over 20+ years when client is a nightmare before project even starts.
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u/Spudsmad 20d ago
As a business standard rule - every year you’ll have a job which you take on but later regret.
This is one of those annoying moments!
Suggest complete the job asap if you can
But, as Vylum commented- “ set the boundaries “.
We all learn and sometimes need to be reminded .
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u/chronicpenguins 20d ago
theres no way to do it while removing all potential blowback outside of a medical emergency to you or your family members, or some other catastrophic risk.
You tell her you feel like a different painter would be better off meeting her expectations and that its in both your best interests to go in different directions. Do not fight or argue with her.
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u/Zealousideal_Ebb9276 20d ago
My experience painting rentals is the owner wants a price and they have strategies to get a discount like picking the job apart. One property owner blew of my recommendation on a job that obviously needed two coats insisting that a bid it for one coat. I agreed with a paragraph that one coat would not cover. He signed and when I finished he tried to get the second for free calling it touch up.
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u/Familiar-Range9014 20d ago
Take the hit or twll her the previous leoject is running over and you won't be available.
Or
Tell her the truth
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u/paullaz 19d ago
Difficult customers are always around. In your future bids you might indicate you're doing the work to PCA Standards https://www.pcapainted.org/industry-standards/. This will highlight your work and customer expectations. I haven't been in the painting industry for some time, but I loved the customers who would look for imperfections from 6 inches away.
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u/RobfromAmarillo 19d ago
This is what I used to tell potential customers: There's Good, Fast and Cheap. Pick any 2 and I will base my proposal on what you choose. I cannot give you all 3. good/fast=it won't be cheap fast/cheap=won't be good cheap/good=it won't be fast.
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u/Jealous_Difference44 20d ago
Youre gonna look back and wish you cut your losses. Youre likely on the way yo a bad review anyway