It takes all kinds

[Lee Schierer]

Last fall I was contacted by a lady that had seen some of my work and wanted me to take a look at her bathroom vanity. It turned out to be a hand mad vanity along the lines of something you mighth buy at 84 lumber that had seen considerable wear and tear. The birch plywood was delaminating in several places on the door and she had peeled off the veneer so it wouldn't snag on things. While I was there she also wanted me to look at her other vanity with a tiled counter top that was missing tiles and oh there was the linen closet and the laundry chute too. What would it cost to replace them and get new counter tops too.

I worked up prices which I felt were probably on the low side and showed them to her. Her reaction was wow, that was a lot, maybe I could just clean up the face frame and make new doors and drawer fronts. So I priced out the refinishing effort and materials to make just new drawer fronts and provide ne drawer slides. It came out to more than the cost of new, since I would have to make several trips to her house for the stripping and finishing work. She said she would call me.

Well last night about 9:30 she called and told me a friend was going to strip the cabinets and she would refinish them would I consider making up a new door and drawer front fo her. I politely declined to get involved saying that my new job and outdoor activities wouldn't allow me to do the work.

What would you have done?

[Dennis Lindhorst]

I think you did the right thing- from your discription you would have spent way too much time and effort on this for the small reward- and she most likely would not have been happy with the end result. She might have been better off to simply buy an inexpensive big box vanity and called it good.

[Don Selke]

Hi Lee:

Personally, I would "Run", not walk from that job. As they say, been there, done that. Would insist on money up front on that type of work if I would take it.
You made the right move on this one.:) :) :)

[Don Bullock]

Smart move Lee.

[Tim Malyszko]

Unfortunately, situations like that never work out regardless of the line of work. Even though her friend stripped the cabinets and she refinished it, I'm sure it would somehow be your fault when it doesn't turn out exactly like she intended it to turn out.

[Jim Becker]

You did exactly the right thing...

[Wilbur Pan]

In med school we had two rules for passing our boards test.

Rule #1: The answer is what your first instinct says it is.
Rule #2: If you have no first instinct, choose "B".

It looks like you have your first instinct. ;)

[Jim Underwood]

As soon as she thought the first estimate was a lot (even though it was low) then it was time to start backing off. Good thing it worked out the way it did for you I say. Sounds like it was one of those cases in which someone has a beer budget and a champagne appetite, and hasn't a clue what custom cabinet work is worth. I'd say you did the right thing.

[Frank Guerin]

If your the last man to drive a nail on the job, its your fault for any failures for the complete job.

[Steve Clardy]

I would have declined also

[Chris Walls]

Good move Lee. I also have been involved with jobs like that and that lesson is not only hard won, but well learned. NOT to be repeated.

Chris

[Mike Armstrong]

Very well handled, Lee.

The only possible way the situation could have been better is to have given her a first estimate that seemed so high to her :eek: (and yet reasonable, not low, for you) that she wouldn't have even considered calling you a second time. ;)

Mike

[Al Killian]

I know the type. I had a lady that wanted me to strip and refinish 4 chairs for $20:eek: . I told her that would bearly cover materails not to mention my time. Nedless to say I did not do them.

[Todd Jensen]

Word. :rolleyes: You politely declined and even made up an excuse to soften the No. It's business, and anyone that forgets that loses money. If it would make you feel good to donate the doors to her cause, then bless your heart. Otherwise, you've acted professionally and should move on to work that will pay your bills. By the way, we work in a business where its very difficult to 'qualify' clients before we spend any time on them, and if you didn't have any of these you are probably not bidding enough jobs or are in a great spot where great referrals and repeat business are flooding in. These situations are just the cost of doing business(which I hope you incorporate into your bids), and nothing more or less. You can sleep well tonight.:)

[glenn bradley]

I think you did the right thing by the customer and also by yourself. Some jobs are a real problem once you get into them and no one ends up happy. You were able to catch this one before you got too involved.