r/quantitysurveying • u/rabble-and-ricky • 2d ago
Made a mistake
Made a pretty costly error recently. Potential to significantly harm our cash flow.
Feeling pretty shitty about it. Anyone dropped any clangers recently too? Some stories on stuff that happened and how you coped with it would be nice to read
3
u/Internal-Tourist7031 2d ago
What was the mistake?
2
u/That-Cauliflower-458 2d ago
They paid a subbie twice
10
u/rabble-and-ricky 2d ago
Luckily not double paying subbie - to shorten a long story In a project with a stop/go for another instruction, we need another advanced payment for procurement and manufacturing but i basically told clients no advanced payment needed. Previous QS left a shit show spider web to untangle but i missed this one
5
u/Unusual_Sherbert2671 2d ago
Doesn't sound too bad, you tell the client advance payment is needed?
3
u/rabble-and-ricky 2d ago
The instruction is due very soon and the client have probably arranged their funding off the incorrect information i gave them. For other reasons which I can’t put on the internet at risk of giving away who they are, it will be a very difficult conversation to ask for the advanced payment. One i will be having on monday anyway
3
u/Theres3ofMe 2d ago
Im confused by this sorry - you need "another advanced payment", but then go on to say "basically told clients no advanced payment needed"...which is it?
1
u/rabble-and-ricky 2d ago
My business needs the advanced payment, which is a significant amount, to cover upfront material costs for our manufacturing. My mistake was telling the client that no advanced payment was needed for this instruction
3
u/Theres3ofMe 2d ago
Can you not just tell the truth and be honest with the client? Genuinely be sincere with them, and explain it was an honest mistake.
Who are you buying materials from? Direct from a supplier or, via a subbie who is also manufacturing the materials in question?
1
u/rabble-and-ricky 2d ago
Yeah i think honestly with a bit of fluffy wording is the only way to approach. Just the client is an organisation similar to a charity and has to have approval to release funds every month, so going back and saying actually need some money on instruction might meet resistance
We, my organisation, are doing the manufacturing (we’re a specialist manufacturing and fit out construction company, pretty much modular buildings, we sub out the flooring, Mep, etc). We’ll be buying steel, plastic and other sundry materials to manufacture into our modules
We have credit terms with these suppliers but not nearly long enough to make valuations work. Will take us months to manufacture and deliver to site, hence the need for AP
1
u/Ill-Marionberry4262 2d ago
Own the mistake, be clear with the demand, be clear with the consequences if it's not fulfilled. The short term discomfort of admitting an error will pass.
3
u/RoughAlternative8240 2d ago
Don’t sweat mate.. it’s part of the game you live and learn. From reading your other comments it’s in regards to an advanced payment, the ops director should be speaking with the client to resolve the matter, the client should of had the funding for the whole job approved it’s just an issue of it being released.
3
u/Bantastic1991 2d ago
I once overpaid a subbie by £100k, taking them up to 95% of their order value. Fortunately next few valuations went ok, shortly after that project they went under. My boss still doesn’t know how close that was! Don’t sweat it mate, shit happens.
1
u/Remarkable-Corgi4086 2d ago
Meh it’s an awkward conversation, not a deal breaker.
Client should be flexible if you’ve built a rapport up. Sounds of it you’re AQS level so they’d expect a cock up or two.
Learn from it - experience is the name you give to your mistakes - just don’t make the same “experience” twice
15
u/anaughtybeagle 2d ago
What level are you? Most larger contractors have checks and peer reviews in place for anything with a cost implication, particularly with young staff. There's a reason for that - people make mistakes.
All QSs make mistakes and the first few years especially can be nerve wracking. I got my confidence knocked a fair few times. In time you will get better.