Bad Customers or good ones?

[ChippyJ]

TRADE ONLY


Looking to gather some honest feedback from fellow trades.

What are the red or green flags you look for before taking on a new customer?
We’ve all dealt with time-wasters, cancellations, late payers — but also had the odd customer who pays fast and makes you a cuppa.

I’ve made two quick anonymous surveys (just a minute each):
One to share what you'd check before taking a job
One to share an experience you've had (good or bad)


https://tally.so/r/w7OB5A

https://tally.so/r/3jXdKY

No names, no emails — totally private.

If enough of us chip in, I’ll post back what comes up most — like how often late payers actually happen, what warning signs people spot early, and how many good customers are still out there.


It could be interesting to see where we all stand.


Appreciate anyone who takes the time

 

[Diver Fred]

One comment - if a customer asked to see my suppliers invoices I'd be concerned - unless my supplier supplied a trade and retail invoice as part of their normal trading practise (I'm finding that happens less frequently and I do hold stocks of materials so the replacement costs are likely to be different).

Also had one customer who counted every nail & screw I'd used and also asked how much glue I'd used then argued over my bill's listing of 'consumables'.

 

[ChippyJ]

One comment - if a customer asked to see my suppliers invoices I'd be concerned - unless my supplier supplied a trade and retail invoice as part of their normal trading practise (I'm finding that happens less frequently and I do hold stocks of materials so the replacement costs are likely to be different).

Also had one customer who counted every nail & screw I'd used and also asked how much glue I'd used then argued over my bill's listing of 'consumables'.

Take the surveys, mate, when you get two minutes please

 

[Murdochcat]

My price is THE price. No haggling before it after.

BACs payment preferred

 

[ChippyJ]

My price is THE price. No haggling before it after.

BACs payment preferred

100% agree. But we know some do try to push. Please take the survey, takes 1 min each one

 

[catlad]

Also had one customer who counted every nail & screw I'd used and also asked how much glue I'd used then argued over my bill's listing of 'consumables'.

I've had a few of those customers over the years! There should be a list for those customers somewhere.

 

[Mottie]

Where I used to work in East London, a certain ethnicity would always try to knock you down on price - often after the job was completed. When the haggling commenced, if they offered me £20 less, I’d then ask for £20 more. We'd eventually settle on the original price. Everyone ended up happy. Sometimes for regular customers, when they asked the price, I'd say "Do you want the actual price or do you want me to put it up by £20 and let you knock me down by £20?” They’d always say the actual price but still try to haggle after the job was done! Pointless really, as I had their car and they wouldn’t be getting it back until they coughed up.

 

[johnny2007]

Where I used to work in East London, a certain ethnicity would always try to knock you down on price

I stopped dealing with the non-Dave/non-Steve a long time ago.
Frankly, after spending a week on my knees making a perfect flooring, I found it mostly insulting when they tried to shortchange me.
Once I even had to get their wife involved to get the balance off them.
And, there was a joker who asked me for receipts of material so he could pass them on to his accountant and claim for them on top of my receipt!
In the last few years of working full time I ended up asking half the money upfront and schedule the work for 6, 8 or even 12 weeks later as I was busy.
That filtered down all the pi$$ takers and only good customers agreed to that.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I stopped dealing with the non-Dave/non-Steve a long time ago.
Frankly, after spending a week on my knees making a perfect flooring, I found it mostly insulting when they tried to shortchange me.
Once I even had to get their wife involved to get the balance off them.
And, there was a joker who asked me for receipts of material so he could pass them on to his accountant and claim for them on top of my receipt!
In the last few years of working full time I ended up asking half the money upfront and schedule the work for 6, 8 or even 12 weeks later as I was busy.
That filtered down all the pi$$ takers and only good customers agreed to that.

Getting knocked (or attempted to) down on price isn't reserved to any specific type of people.

I find the worst, are those that run big flashy cars on shoestrings. All nationalities.

 

[johnny2007]

Getting knocked (or attempted to) down on price isn't reserved to any specific type of people.

I find the worst, are those that run big flashy cars on shoestrings. All nationalities.

Unfortunately I have to disagree here.
There's a specific type of people who think they're smarter than the rest of the world and always try to get things cheap or free.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Unfortunately I have to disagree here.
There's a specific type of people who think they're smarter than the rest of the world and always try to get things cheap or free.

A lot of people think that, but it's an attitude and entitled thing, not a race thing.

Haggling over price (especially after work is completed) is not sole of any specific race or nationality. Without any doubt whatsoever !

 

[johnny2007]

A lot of people think that, but it's an attitude and entitled thing, not a race thing.

Haggling over price (especially after work is completed) is not sole of any specific race or nationality. Without any doubt whatsoever !

I'm talking about my personal experience.
It is a matter of race.
IN MY EXPERIENCE.

Did I say "In my experience"?

 

[Mottie]

I'm talking about my personal experience.
It is a matter of race.
IN MY EXPERIENCE.

Did I say "In my experience"?

Same here. Like I said too "WHERE I USED TO WORK IN LONDON". What is it Carman doesn’t understand?

 

[ChippyJ]

I've had a few of those customers over the years! There should be a list for those customers somewhere.

Take the surveys when you get two minutes, please. Trying to work on something that might help in the future.

 

[ChippyJ]

Where I used to work in East London, a certain ethnicity would always try to knock you down on price - often after the job was completed. When the haggling commenced, if they offered me £20 less, I’d then ask for £20 more. We'd eventually settle on the original price. Everyone ended up happy. Sometimes for regular customers, when they asked the price, I'd say "Do you want the actual price or do you want me to put it up by £20 and let you knock me down by £20?” They’d always say the actual price but still try to haggle after the job was done! Pointless really, as I had their car and they wouldn’t be getting it back until they coughed up.

Take the surveys when you get two minutes, please. Trying to work on something that might help in the future.