I just can't work for angry customers. Had to quit this one!!
2022 ж. 20 Шіл.
4 859 672 Рет қаралды
Its nice that you have so much work that you can pick and choose who you want to work for. If its not a good fit then you can got work elsewhere. I had to tell this customer that I was done working for them. Watch the video and I will show you how it played out.
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.
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.
You were cutting, I would have cut the lines,I’m in the business 53 years, it’s just easier to give them what they wanted. Tell biscuit I say hello , I can recognize a good worker, and in your business it’s all about your crew .Keep up the good work 👍
I'm glad you said that first part, I was about to blast him for being so stubborn and petty. If the customer wanted cuts, just do it. He got all butthurt about how it would ruin the looks of the floor... well guess what, it's the customer's choice, so you do it and keep your whining to yourself. So now he then publicly complains about how bad the customer was.....pot, meet kettle. He does do good work, but after seeing this and other videos where he complains about customers..I'd never hire him.
The customer is not always correct that is why they hire a professional. I have had customers ask me to pour a floor thinner to save money and I always decline the job. @@mxslick50
You should have told them your guys were going to have to park in their grass. Over communicating is better than having customers upset with you over something as simple as parking arrangements. When you are on a job site conduct yourself as a guest, not like you own the place.
@@bondobuilt386 Pouring a floor too thin is NOT the same as your refusing to cut in the lines, stop trying to justify your actions. (Actually inaction in this case.) Tell me how cutting the lines requested in a minimum 6 INCH THICK slab in this case would have compromised that slab? You even admitted in your on camera rant that you didn't want to do it because "it wouldn't look good". Not a valid excuse and everthing I said in my original comment is true. And seems like at least a few others agree with me.
@@mxslick50 cutting around the lift pad area is a real bad idea. We cut out slabs to control cracking. If we cut around the lift pads good chance it would crack where the thick concrete met the thinner part. I came up with a better way to mark them without compromising the integrity of the slab. I stand by my decision not to cut it there.
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 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
Finding stupid things to be angry about is part of the game to avoid paying.
Exactly what I was thinking
I know I'm a little late to the game here, but as a contractor myself, I can't really understand the 'refusal' of what seemed to be a reasonable request by a customer. I definitely understand that you take pride in your work, and that cutting out for the pads was both unnecessary and unsightly, but in the end, it was their floor. I will do my best to educate a customer on what I think is right, and will explain if something they want is wrong ... but in the end, if they want it done, and its not a code violation, I am going to do it, as long as they are willing to pay for it. I kinda hate to say it, but it seems like you knew what the customer wanted, but you didn't want to do it because it was going to look bad. So I have to say, I can see why they were pissed.
They complain when the floor is done properly, how do you think they would react when the job they wanted inevitably looked like crap?
Looks like the customer wanted an unnecessary drainage problem, unless they wanted the gap filled with silicone.
Until you know, you don't know. Could this have been a case of a douche bag customer who was never going to be happy and was never going to pay, or as you said, he didn't see a need for what they asked for and no matter what, even if they paid him for it, he was not going to do what they asked ? Anyone who has worked in construction for many years knows there are bad customers, but there are also many, many, many, bad bosses and owners. Especially those that are older and been in the trades for over 30 or 40 years. Not all but some tend to be stuck in their ways and haven't moved with the times and progressed with the new technologies in tools, material and everything else and the worst part is, they insist that you do it their way, and the worst of the worst will insist, even after showing and explaining that this new way is much better, they will still insist that their way is the best way and the only way. My way of dealing with entitled bosses was to let them spew their garbage and just smile, nod and agree and as soon as they leave the room or job site, go back to doing it the right way and 9 times out of 10 they would be impressed on how fast and good my work was
The problem is that this is an engineering issue and having thin warm concrete attached to thick unheated pads bearing more weight is why the customer wanted them cut out, and why they were upset. Over time the concrete is bound to crack. The products and materials might be great, but not if they're not used appropriately.
I understand why someone would do such a thing for a broke homeowner but as a contractor I like to hold myself accountable for the quality of work being done, doesn’t matter if the customer wants it done a certain way if it’s the wrong way to do it, don’t do it. You will be the one they blame when things fail and you will not be able to blame the customer saying “oh but they didn’t care how it looked so I just did it for them they wanted it this way” this is about the most careless thing you could do for the customer even though your trying to look out for their budget or other needs usually. Most times customers who don’t want it done professionally can’t afford it, and just want things black and white done asap doesn’t matter how it looks, which I understand as a broke homeowner, but as a contractor who cares about quality work, I’d never do a shit job on purpose just because the customer can’t afford to get it done right. If you need to convince your contractor to put in a lower quality of work and they agree, they’re a poor contractor and more of a handyman helper. get more money and afford to do it the right way or get your cousin Randy’s nephew to do it for $10 an hour. Randy’s nephew will get the job done and so will I, but the difference being the quality of work will look like a dishwasher installed your crown molding and I’ll have to be paid more to come and fix the stupid mistakes randy made just to get it back to the same condition it should’ve been completed in in the first place
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
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.
Been in the concrete business for better part of 30 years. A couple things pop out at me. Got concrete splatter all over walls and steel at the end of pour. Should of been cleaning it off as you go. Next is the worker using the rake at the end was standing on the form while raking. He should have gotten yelled at because that’s careless. He also had sneakers on. (Rebar sticking up without caps), tells me you don’t give a shit about safety. And lastly… the pads for the lift were 2-3x thicker than the floor. Cuts should have been made for 2 reasons. First being rest of floor is heated pads are not. Secondly pads will be baring weight. So the floor will eventually crack at the joint of thick/thin floor. It’s the customers floor not yours.
Dont forget the wire mesh is under the tubing so reinforcing is useless. Shouldve been blocked out and diamond dowels and 1/2” expansion w/ capstrip as you mentioned in your comment. If not definitely needed to be soff cut. I wouldve been pissed also. I am currently a comercial concrte supervisor in Knoxville Tn and surrounding counties and states.
agree I work with concrete and radiant heat for 30 years and the most important thing is to install it floating and it must be able to expand. You have to install at least 1/2 inch perimeter insulation on "all vertikal" sorfaces (did not see anny on the beams outside wall) and poor patches of not more 200 sq feet that have independent radiant loops and independent expansion joints. The lift pats have to be poured independently the huge hole in the middle would not allow for the concrete to expand evenly. Cracks will form. Follow up of the work 3 years later looking for cracks would solve this discussion.
Interesting Comments and more interesting no response from all the other keyboard warriors or the OP! So faced with hard facts and clearly someone who knows their s**t, nothing but crickets LOL
Question for you. How long do you leave forms on residential poured footings?
@@_M_N usually we do the next day
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.
"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
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 😂
@@lauren4078 I was just thinking the same. lol
His wife wears the pants. Smh
@@powerofone1645 me, too! Get divorced, fast!
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.
So as a HVAC contractor a good security measure to protect the radiant lines is to pump up the tubes to 80 psi. I have had the concrete guys hit my tubes, (no blame, you guys have to get the work done), and the tubes hiss like crazy if you hit them. Also helps if an errant nailgun hits them when framing on top.
Same here, except it's not just a security measure. It's required to show the inspector, here in Michigan, pictures of the floor and a picture of the pressure on the gauge, before pouring the concrete. Otherwise, if the inspector comes after the floor is poured and it wasn't aired up, they won't approve using any of the tubing. Even if you pressurize it after and it holds, he didn't get to see it before concrete was poured on top. Not sure how it is in other states though.
I love how concrete workers won’t gatekeep information like this
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 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
As a GC I did a job for some folks a few years ago when everyone was busy and all jobs were on a tight schedule. The day we poured the the stem the folks tell me they need to change the design that they provided. 2 months later they now want me there now. Couldn’t meet their schedule then and they took me to court and won because the judge felt they were just homeowners that didn’t realize they’d caused a scheduling problem. Stupid. Payed them and motored on. A month or so later they have cracks in their drywall and called me to come help and said when we framed it we should have put shear panel plywood on interior walls. I said nope, the plans only called for shear on exterior walls. They called the roc and he showed up, asked who furnished the plans, they said they did and that was it, the roc guy tells them it’s their responsibility. I then informed them I would absolutely NOT do any further work for them and they were on their own. I heard later that they couldn’t get folks to work for them when they heard about my experience. Good.
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.
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
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
On a brighter note, it's good to see you got a decent crew that works well to get the jobs finished.
Knowing when to 'fire' a customer is just another small but important tool a small contractor has to learn. It's similar to knowing when to turn down a job, when you get a bad vibe from a possible customer. When the work flow was good, I'd often have a 18 month backlog of contracts, and that generally scared off customers who were going to be problems. That was a nice problem to have!
I had a guy tell me one time that he would tell all his friends that I wouldn't do his job. I told him" I'd rather have you tell them I wouldn't do it than tell them I did".
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.
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 am soon to retire and have been in construction since high school and also own a small business of 15 people. You made the right choice and handled yourself well. One round of abuse was enough. No need to go back for more. I am a subcontractor. I have added 3 contractors to my " This is the last job with you" List. We go out of our way to achieve the same top quality on all our projects. Often costing more, but pays off in the end. If a customer does not see the value in that. They can shop else where and see if they get the same price for the same quality and service. Your next customer will seem wonderful in contrast.
Their plan was to rip u off I would sue
nah the price goes up 50% above normal cost to cover aspirin, with every detail of scope of work written down. if get great if not who cares.
With all that radiant plumbing how do you frame walls , considering you may have to hilty to the floor?
@@user-gt3sb7qd9ggood question. I would imagine the concrete will be a few inches over the plumbing.
@@user-gt3sb7qd9g I think it mentioned the concrete for the floor was 6 inches thick...any type of wall fastener to the floor usually isn't much more then a couple inches into the flooring, so still plenty of depth to miss the radiant tubing
My experience of being a dream client on a new build is that it’s just as fun for the contractor to have a good client experience, as it is for the client to have a great contractor. This guy turned my meagre budget into such a beautiful home, that even the contractor was impressed. So impressed that he asked if he could use my home as walk through for new clients. He wanted them to see what was possible for less money.
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.
I’m going to be building my home shop soon, I’d be very happy with your work. I’m going to over engineer my lift too honestly, but I don’t see why it can’t all be done in one pour. With separate squares, wouldn’t he risk them sinking compared to the rest of the concrete over time?
I think you handled the situation well. You also made the right choice in the end. Edit: Actually just thought of this. I'm in Australia, and as far as I know builders of all types are hard to get a hold of because of the demand for housing and whatever other kinds of construction. So I can't see too many customers being difficult over here cause if your concreter or brickie or roof carpenter decides not to work for you any more, well you're boned.
I'm a builder in Australia. You'd think that would be true, and most people are pretty good, but the nutters are going to be nutters whatever the circumstances or repercussions.
@@stevem815 I worked for 15 years selling scaffolding to builders in Australia,,, at least 50% of them were nefarious and the other 50% were also nefarious but better at hiding it... but i mean this is how you stay alive in the industry. And when you see stories on the news of brand new apartment complexes being locked down with cracking and other concearns,,, well, this country aint seen nothin yet, just wait the next 20 years when this above mentioned bunches work starts to 'settle'
@@mystikmind2005 I'm not nefarious, none of the guys i work with are either. But im not in the city so that probably makes a difference. I've met the scammers, and been ripped of by one of them, i've also been ripped off by a client before too. Seems like it's the high volume builders that are the ones who are just in it for the money and will exploit everyone they can. The small domestic builders i work with all seem fine. Some are crazy high quality tradesmen. One guy i work with is pretty much an artist, The clients literally buy him gifts after we finish jobs because they're so happy with the work. Last job they paid for a weekend away for him and his wife at some resort to thank him.
Was going to say lol, the difference between Aussie tradies and this guy is night and day - over here in Aus they’d never have put up with anything like that. I had one tradie quit because he kept parking on my neighbours yard and physically threatened the neighbour’s wife when she asked if he could move his truck so she could pick up her kids from school. He actually reversed ito her wall and damaged their house and everything, but somehow he thought we were in the wrong and just didn’t need our work so that was another three months before we could get that work started again.
I like to remind the customer, there's a reason you hired me to do the job, and that's because you know that I know how to make this job come out professional. Don't go messing that up afterwards.
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
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.
I had a customer like that in my machinery business. He bought some equipment from us and was confrontational from the first meeting. Complaining and demanding and getting upset over nothing. It turned out that he had been the president of a fairly large company and was used to giving orders on a daily basis all his life. After he retired, he just could not shake that mentality and would constantly look for or fabricate reasons to exert his authority.
That would be a bad one to work for I am sure.
I had this same setup, but no office for my barn. I just took measurements off the outside walls to the center of my hoist pads and recorded it on a paper. Then when concrete was cured marked it out with a sharpie. Done. You went above and beyond for these people, some people u just can't make happy bc their "experts" at everything. I hope u got full payment and mobed onto better people. Boy I'd hate to be a general contractor for them with a house build, yikes. Great work!
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
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.
You did exactly how I would have wanted it done for me. I have installed a 2 post lift before and it's so easy so if professionals can't put the legs in the boxes you put on the floor they need to not be in the car lift install game.
I'm not a concrete guy either but I've finished and planned more than my fair share for a novice including a huge pit for cantelever cranes. I DiD mark those edges with cuts because it was to be painted over and I want to always know where that edge is. This came in really handy recently when I needed a section of floor cut out to replace drain tiles. The plumber was able to cut right up to my lines and not wonder why he wasn't cutting thru. My pads are 4 feet deep! The pipe is less than a foot away on one side. He was able to cut his section, replace the pipe and drain and repour putting my line back in. We also epoxied pins into the existing concrete just like I did with the pit. Ten years of driving forklifts over these joints, no issues. We even backed a full cement truck within four feet of the cranes for a tub pour for a mixing room, no cracks. That was funny though. Good thing we have a 25hp compressor, he fit in full just fine, was 2" too tall to get out so we let the air out of all the tires to get the truck out and filled those big tires back up two at a time, two guys on two air hoses.
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.
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.
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!
Sounds like an easy fix: the customer wanted “pads” cut. They hired you to do that. (And concrete the floor) Where’s the confusion?
Because this: When you are a very serious professional and take pride in your work and the customer tells you to do something wrong and it will look stupid, and you do it, everyone will come in and say “this looks stupid, who did this?” Then home owner tells them, then just like that rumours fly that you are a bad contractor. These things can destroy a business. Almost every single time, a good contractor will have the best solution to get the job done in a professional manner.
Not sure how that would work, there's plenty of examples of separate slabs for expansion, but you're effectively building a trampoline for the lift assuming you're doing anything to cover or seal the empty space. At the very least it creates a new drainage problem for debatable benefit.
Doing it your way and make it look right is Better than the next guy asking who the fk did that choppy shit job
Bahaah park on the grass fuk some home owners what’s a joke. Like fuk And the cigarette butt hah I got blamed for that once wasn’t even our crew my boss had lung cancer didn’t smoke haha either did I
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.
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 was totally trying to understand both parties’ side of the dispute, but after the cigarette butt incident I was swung! Nice job, again, guys. I enjoy every one.
When you work for customers, there are always going to be those types that are just never happy about anything. A lot of people like to complain to try to get you to charge them less, etc. i totally agree that it’s just not worth the headache, no matter how big the job is. I would much rather work for people that appreciate the work that I do for them.
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 would of had grill going and the beverages on ice and I would have had everything you needed ready for your guys quality work is priceless
Exactly right! Just had my roof done and had a cooler full of everything you can imagine for those guys. Was in construction a long time always did a nice job but just something about kind customers made me want to go the extra mile because they were so cool.
As a commercial superintendent I just pull a tape off both walls to center of thickened slab and then record it with pictures. When the slab is done we mark the center and turn over the pictures unless it is our own sub doing the lift and then we might mark out the rough outline of the clear area. You have the patience to deal with these folks that I lack, which is why I stick to commercial where there is an architect to deal with ignorant clients.
Hey Bondo, great job! I’m a Brickie in the UK and unfortunately these clients are everywhere 😩 It’s amazing how the clients become experts once the job starts, I wish I had your patience mate👍
Thanks Larry.
😮electrican we get same boys sad to say it does happen
Yup it does. @@bramcoteelectrical1088
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
Y'all did a better job on this barn than I see on a lot of multimillion dollar homes.
Thanks James
Excellent job, enjoyed watching that, I would have been extremely proud of that pour!
Dude just cut the dang thing omg 😱 I’m with the customer on this one ☝️
Never allow a DIY builder dictate to you, the EXPERT! Get them to ENGINEER it and charge them accordingly. This makes me angry and is why HARD WORKING PEOPLE are so stressed. I'm glad you held your ground.
Right on. The time it takes to learn a trade, get tooled up, keep your work vehicle straight, insurance, meeting with clients, closing a deal, managing help and budgets, and on and on. Then you have to be careful not to make many enemies in your business, especially the wrong enemies, and keep your craftsmanship to a high level of quality all while a crybaby client is sucking up your energy. I’ve come to a point where an intuitive gut-feeling has been developed and many times I’ve walked before even doing a takeoff and labor estimate. Fortunately, most people have respect for the trades once we prove ourselves and I’ve had some amazing people to work with. But really, this business takes our time and that literally equals our lives.
why cant he dictate? hes paying for it or are you? is it his concrete or yours? as far i understand youre just the labor the project is his. granted you may some holier than thou method to pour, but its their project after yall gone, whether it looks like crap or a work of art.. its the customers to enjoy, and you cant give them what they want, because its not whaat you like? very peculiar industry... I figured money talk, if anything id charge them extra to make it messier, but everyone different i guess.
@@youtubevideos3963 That's 100%correct. glad someone on here has some common sense. Cutting some shallow marker lines does not compromise a 6" thick pads integrity. It's purely ascetic.
@@youtubevideos3963 Because Bondo Built is a craftsman, and every job a craftsman does has his name on it. When a discerning customer wants a quality job and sees a craftsman's willing to do shoddy work, that customer will move on. Some craftsmen choose to have standards.. and I applaud that. It's his right to choose his market segment.
@@DFI429 no he's not he's a contractor HIRED to do what they pay him to do ,his craftsmanship comes from how executes the job BASED on the orders he is given. if they tell him to pour the lift pads in a separate pour than do it, he evens gets to make more by charging for those details
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.🤣
The most amazing benefit of working for yourself is the ability to choose who you work for and in modern America that is something worth holding onto.
Absolutely thanks.
No kidding!! I worked for myself the last 12 or so years and did most of the work myself for pretty much older people. I do excellent work (not bragging) so I never had any problems thankfully! But I saw a lot of nightmares out there!! And the problems came from the people with more than enough money to pay!! I'm sure there's a bunch of people that know what I mean out there!!
Yup there are some people just looking to get one over on a contractor no matter how nice of work you do. @@mikes9759
I was in heating for 30 years and some building trades also and I did masonry by far masonry was one of the hardest jobs I have ever done backbreaking work I give it to you for doing this every day takes a special kind of person very hard work
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..
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.
It look like such a great job… I just can’t get over wondering what the big deal was Hand grooving the lift pads. It seems the drama would’ve stopped with the cigarette butts & parking. (Which by the way, was the exact problem I had doing a pole barn similar to this, cigarette butts & parking)
Just found this channel after Victory outdoor services , best of luck to you man! Gonna be watching
Thanks for watching buddy.
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.
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
Being a contractor for 30 years, i can understand your frustration. The only thing i would have done differently is, i would not have told the customer that i would not do any more work for them in the future. I would wait till they called and i would have let them know that i was to booked up to take on their job. The minute you dumped them, they were bad mouthing you all over town, and to everyone they could, but probably would have anyways. No one that does work for the public, want or needs a loud mouth running around town, putting down your work. Although, I am sure that the people that have to deal with this gentleman on a regular bases, know exactly how he is.
We pulled into an industrial lot to build a small parking pad in front of their existing offices. Excavator,skid steer, roller and crew, got unloaded and started marking out to dig out the landscaped topsoil so we could buid up our subgrade and aggregate, when the owner came out and began to insist that we just put the gravel over the grass. He couldn’t be swayed, so we just loaded up and headed out early to the next scheduled job. Next week we see him in the restaurant where we had breakfast every morning (it’s a small(ish) industrial park, we had a shop in the complex the restaurant was in, this was a ritual 20 years old) and he asked when we were coming back to do the pad. After explaining that we had a reputation in this park of doing a certain level of quality work, (from approaches to foundation subgrades, and gravel working yards you can stand up drilling rigs on) and unless he did it properly, we wouldn’t do the job. It took him a moment, but the lightbulb seemed to go off, and he went away disappointed, but understanding. He was affable in our encounters in the restaurant after that, he even bought our breakfast once.
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
I subbed conntracted for Anthony Pools in houston texas doing pool decks. You seem to have a good crew. Thats half the battle. Good luck in the future 💪💪 i walked away from a couple of a holes before. Fu##in no it alls haha
Was it too much extra work for you to cut the lift squares like they wanted?
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 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.
Yeah its always best to not work for someone overly stressing over stupid unnecessary stuff.
For sure
I drove a mixer for awhile and so many contractors want to pour self leveling concrete. You and your crew did a great job and a 4 inch slump most contractors around here don't want to work that hard. Too bad your customer doesn't realize what a great job they got.
I was looking for a comment like yours. That's a bad problem in my area. We have contractors pour the ready mix so wet that water drips off of the magic scree when they lift it off the concrete. Or I will be unloading a requested six inch slump, and they will stop me when I have only two or so yards left and tell me to add another 30 gallons. 🙄(Sometimes I fake adding water 😂😂). Regardless, I always have our manager note these jobs in case there are strength problems later, so our butts are hopefully covered. One of my biggest peeves is contractors who say that they want a five and a half slump instead of five, or six and a half slump instead of six. I think they say "halfs" because they think it sounds cool. Because there isn't a single contractor I know that can tell the difference between a slump and a slump and a half. Heck, most can't accurately tell regular slumps! I doubt that even the state inspectors doing slump tests can tell the difference between a four inch slump and a four and a half, etc.
@shaundevrisky349 I worked for a testing engineer company from 1980 to 1983. Testing the concrete and over seeing the pours. A typical slump was 4", standard on the footings and floors for that job. The crete showed up pretty close to specs. Somtimes we'd add a little water, 10 gallons was no big deal 1n 1984 I went to work as a driver for a redi mix company. On my first basement wall pour the contractor told me to add 40 gallons of water without even looking at it! Ok, 14, gallons, kinda an odd number but ok. When I started to pour he stopped me. How much water did you add?? "14 gallons, like you said" His reply was, I said 40 gallons not 14! "Do you know what that will do to your cement to water ratio"? He said, this is how we do it in residential wall pours. Make it wet enough it runs around the wall forms. 5.5 sack concrete an 8" slump, you basically turned it into 1500 psi crete, not to mention your course aggregate is in the lower 3rd of the wall!
@@user-rr2qr7wv5u Wow....that's just WRONG. I feel bad for those customers not knowing what they were getting for concrete. We have probably 50-60 regular contractors/customers. When I started in 2012 for the most part they all poured walls and flat work from a four to a five inch slump. Now the "wetter the better" syndrome has gotten so bad that there are only two of those contractors that I would trust to pour my concrete anymore. By the way, did you deal with people asking for Half inch slumps? As in wanting a 5.5 instead of a 5 or a 6.5 instead of a 6? Just wondering that is a local thing unique to this area.
Haha, no. The real fun was pouring into a curb machine. That stuff didn't want to come out of the mixer. We did a road pour, 93° 9 sack. Talk about a hot load!
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.
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.
Sounds like you made the right decision, my friend I think this customer is unsatisfiable I gave up a 15 year heating business for the same reason I couldn’t deal with a People anymore. I had been in the business for 30 years and that was about enough of dealing with the public, most of the time they suck unfortunately I feel your pain. Good luck great video good job.
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.
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.
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
How do you service those underfloor pipes? Should a piece split for example.
WOW, really fantastic work! Oh god I wish I had you guy around when I had my shop done. I had really bad workers and the concrete got away from them leaving deep boot prints all over it. I had to hire a different guy to fill in all the boot prints and try to smooth it out, but he was just as bad as the first guy.
Sorry to read you had such trouble. I had a guy whose team was overworked all am hauling gravel for slabs and when the concrete arrived in the afternoon, two slabs (8 x 10 and 12 x 24) were done very well and one slab, to be a trough for water to flow, was totally abandoned by the hard-working, but beat workers (an old man and a lady no less). That 40 x 8 foot trough needs to be redone - water is confused in it!!! I didn't have the guy back. He was cruel to his workers and not a good organizer. To boot, I think his wife abused him because he was always having affairs ..... how would I know that? The dang gone guy told me - I don't want to hear your personal crap.... so unprofessional.
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 😆
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
@@joeyfort2467 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
"That's how I wanted it... Nice and stiff"... 😂
My psychic abilities tell me this is a motor vehicle mechanics workshop!
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...
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.
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 never seen anything like the unloading rig on the back of the mixer truck that is so cool .
definetly saves time and labor.
Why not just give them what they asked for? I have finished super flat floors, stamped, footings, paving, vertical, curb & gutter, and everything else. I’ve never given a customer less than they asked for and not had a problem. It’s great concrete work for sure. Your crew is talented. It just seems like a fight not worth having. I mean they have your money.
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.
@@ethanweeter2732 and having money is what makes them assholes!
I think my biggest takeaway is a new understanding of why concrete work costs what it does.
Well thats a good thing to know if you need some concrete poured.
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 homeowner who has used numerous artisans thru the years, I would have been ecstatic to have such quality work done.
clueless.
that's because you are docile.
Me too. My home had repairs done by "Sunday afternoon" handyman. It was an estate sale. The owner, a ward of the state not sound. Unfortunately I had work changes then several spinal surgeries. A lot of medical bills etc. I would definitely be happy to get someone to really fix the issues than someone who just patches things.
Was in construction for about 20 years. Eventually got my contractor's license and started my own business. Worst mistake I ever made. Customers hire you because they don't have expertise, and then they suddenly become more knowledgeable than the professionals once work starts. It's like they expect everything to be done in the course of an HGTV episode. Forget things like reality. Ya know, things like weather, additional cost due to customer changes, equipment failures, and plain old human error. Construction taught me that people become tyrants when they think they're owed something.
I agree in so much as things that are the "fault" of the customer like change orders after the project started or out of everyone's control like weather, but what does equipment failure mean? The contractor's equipment? That is not the customer's problem. It sucks and it happens, but if you are a responsible contractor you accept that as part of the job. Go buy a new piece of equipment or rent one to finish the job. There should be little to no affect on the timeline. If a tradesman made an error, again, not the customer's problem. That's on us to make it right as quickly as possible. This is no different than if you bid a project and it is accepted, and then during the project, suddenly there is a spike in material prices, that is on you, not on the customer. We have to be aware of industry issues like product availability and prices. The best advice is the old adage "under promise, over deliver." You should never miss a deadline date. If you are going on over on your budget then either labor is inefficient or you aren't charging enough for materials, or both.
@@TwilightxKnight13 Equipment failure means lost time. It happens and can't be avoided. If a major piece of equipment fails, that work stops until the equipment can be repaired or replaced. This can have a knock on effect which slides everyone else down the schedule. I've had customers in the past take this kind of thing personally, as if I had planned for it to happen on their job. As for errors, they take time too. You can say they shouldn't happen, but working with humans mean that they do. At best, this means a small correction. At worst, it means tearing things apart and rebuilding them. The idea that a deadline is always achievable in a large construction project is demonstrably false. You just can't account for everything that's going to happen. If you think you can, then you're just not experienced enough to know the truth.
Depends on what equipment failed. If you are called to be on-site at 8am for a cement pour and the truck breaks down. It's on you because you quote the job. I'm sure you could go after the concrete company depending on the signed contract but you can't charge the customer because it took five hours longer to complete the job. If the customer added or changed his requirements then get it in writing. I would never agree to a change unless I change the contract or at least put it on a work order and have the customer sign it.
Most underpaid underappreciated profession in the US that cannot be managed or scheduled. Weather is EVERYTHING, and the nicest working days of the year your labor has other "priorities"
Yep. I had a client like that. Thought they would pay me what they felt I was worth. They even had it out with the inspector. Fucking know it alls.
Do you have to pull your rebar up into the concrete a bit or does it stay on the bottom just above the plastic? Maybe they did
I was holding to see the costumer flip out in the video, but still good video, good work bro