The crew heads home tomorrow and I will too, soon....
The crew came in pumped! By morning coffee we decided that we could finish TODAY! Everyone worked together. Jokes were flying... it was a laugh a minute!
And the project came together quickly!
Rita dropped in and said hi! We casually mentioned how GOOD her brownies had been and how we had enjoyed them SO MUCH!!!!! She rushed home but soon returned with some fabulous home made shortbread with real Toblerone chocolate chunks inside! They were delicious!
In the afternoon we had a visit from Duncan once more. We even shared some of our delicious shortbread with him!
As the painting and other chores were completed everything was tucked into the trailer, ready for the ride home. Only the paint will sit in the warm mall for the night so it doesn't freeze.
The very last strokes of paint were put on the project and we stood back to celebrate and admire what we had created. The paint was still wet...
And then it happened...
One of the mall owners happened by (there's four brothers). I hadn't seen him on this trip out until today. He was obviously distraught. Turns out he was concerned about the site lines our project had created and he wanted a change...
On further discussion and a phone call with the person I had been dealing with we came to a solution that should satisfy all concerned. (this person had watched progress all week and had approved the sign where it was)
The sign needs to be cut off (steel framework and concrete) the remaining holes filled with rockwork to match those around where the sign was. Then we have to cut two holes in our theme work at the back wall of the project and weld a structure in place to hold the sign. The sign which weighs about 400 pounds will then be lifted and welded into place. After this we will weld up the pencil rod frame to fix the posts, wire it and lay up some new mud and carve it. Next day I have to paint it before we once more plan to head out the door.
We will do the steel and cement work tomorrow morning, with the paint following on Tuesday morning before I head back to B.C. I thinking for sure this time
Both folks I talked with offered to pay me whatever it was worth to do the change.
The change involves the work of two people for about four hours each plus minimal materials. It means one more night away from home. (The hotel bill has already picked up by the client as part of the original contract).
We were paid very well for the project which involved a very, very tight deadline which we met with days to spare by working 7 long days in a row. The client is delighted with the work save this one change which one of the brothers insisted on.
Would you present them a bill for the changes or eat it for future goodwill?
I've already made up my mind what I will do and will post my solution tomorrow night. But I'm curious what others here would do in my position.
Looking forward to your answers...
-dan
Posted by FranCisco Vargas (Member # 145) on :
Under the circumstances, give em a bill. You are in the postion to make that call, in my opinion they will understand and respect you more.
[ November 24, 2003, 12:42 AM: Message edited by: FranCisco Vargas ]
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Dan, My gut says charge them. But, my heart would say they're a good client and maybe I should cut them some slack. After all, my ideas look great on paper but I'm sometimes forced to improvise because the client can't invision what I'm doing until the job's complete. Of the many things I've learned from your posts, one is that you value your time and talent. So, I gotta go with my gut. To do anything for less than that would cheapen that value. The client deserves the invoice for making changes. You and your staff that stay to help with the change deserve to be compensated for the extra time spent on the site.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by Michael Berry (Member # 2604) on :
Bill 'em! You lived up to your end of the deal. This 1 brother never showed up till the last day, now he wants changes?!!
Nope, nothing is free, bill 'em!
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
I ran into a similar situation at Talladega Speedway. I "ate it" and moved on! What happened after that you could not buy with money. I was involved with the Speedway for years after that. They reccomended me to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet Illinois, which led to more "good" work. They even donate gifts for raffle at my Christmas Party every year! You said one thing that also makes a difference.........."we were paid very well"
I would NOT bill!
[ November 24, 2003, 10:41 AM: Message edited by: Tony Vickio ]
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
your first gut feeling was?....this is business and obviously they understand change means time and material and we all know what that means.
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Hate to be the sour apple in the crowd, but I'd say go for the goodwill. You have said a number of times you have been paid well for this job and you say you are ahead of your deadline. I don't know the reason the one brother didn't show up until today, but I don't consider any job complete until the client is happy. It sounds like a minor change in the big picture, so I'd consider it part of the original contract. Just as a matter of curiosity, do you feel his concerns are justified? BTW, neat project. Posted by Ken Henry (Member # 598) on :
Why not simply "split the difference" and charge them 1/2 of what you'd normally bill. You could present a bill for additional work but on the actual invoice, include a 50% "goodwill discount" so that they're fully aware that you've met them half way. That way you get at least half a loaf....plus that "goodwill". Everyone should be happy with that...plus you don't have to be the one who eats ALL of the extra work, without ANY compensation.
Posted by Joe Rees (Member # 211) on :
I think as much good will could be gained by itemizing the additional costs fairly, then splitting it with them in appreciation for their valued patronage - or trade them the amount for some other compensation like PR or comp passes or something. An Imagineering-Day celebration.
Sometimes I throw in extras free for a particularly enjoyable client, with my thanks and appreciation for the future praises they will speak of me to other potential customers.
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Here's my take on the situation...
Initially I was angry, but no one around me knew it, not my crew or the client. I decided, rather to hear him out and then react to the changes he suggested.
His ideas made some sense to me, and didn't compromise the design of the project. And in the scale of the project weren't that big a deal.
As I said in my previous post, I bid some grief and inevidable changes into every project, as it comes with the territory in my line of work. And this project had gone very well to this point.
The client was pleasant and did offer to pay what it was worth, no questions asked. Big points there.
I decided last night NOT to bill the client although I didn't tell them at the time. My reasoning was like this... If I billed them for what the changes were actually worth, the client would have been upset. If I charged what the client thought the changes were worth, I would have been setting a very low value on my work, something that might haunt me down the road. So I decided not to bill them at all, and go for goodwill instead.
This morning we went in early and unpacked our tools and materials from the trailer and took them to the site, ready and waiting for when my managers arrived. (These are the folks I generally deal with daily)
I told them what had happened last night and asked for their solutions and ideas. Within minutes we arrived at an even better solution to the problem which addressed everybody's concerns. We moved the sign to the right about six feet. This solution also saved me some time and effort from what I had planned.
Just as I finished doing the demolition, welding, wiring and mudding the changes, another one of the owners arrived to look things over...
And you guessed it... wanted one more last change.
This one wasn't as a big deal and involved about two more hours work for me alone. He also asked me how much I was billing them for the changes.
I told him it wasn't a big deal, that I wanted to be fair with him... we'd catch up down the road. He smiled, thanked me and left.
A bit later as I finished the CEO dropped by... He joked about moving the sign back to where it had originally been... he had heard all about the changes, and how I had handled the task. We had a friendly chat and then he asked me to come with him and check out the next project they had in mind...
He also asked me to book a bunch more of our time starting May 1 of next year.
-dan
[ November 24, 2003, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Source Signs (Member # 1164) on :
Excellent call Dan. You didn't give a 'knee jerk' reaction and stick it to them....you didn't blow up in anger (although you may have wanted to),you thought it through and you went with what you felt comfortable with. Sometimes, the best thing to do when confronted on the spot, is exactly what Dan did...Nothing! Think about it, weigh one decision against the other, follow your gut feelings....Good things always pay off! Have a safe journey home.
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
Good going Dan. I had a feeling you were leaning towards not billing them. Your reputation with them just went up a few bars!
Posted by Randy Campbell (Member # 2675) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)