8
Rant: I used to give verbal change orders on small jobs, but that ended after a $2,500 dispute in Tampa.
A client last fall said they never agreed to move a wall outlet, even though we talked about it on site. Now I make them sign a simple change slip for anything, even if it's just a 15 minute task. What's the smallest job you still get a signed change for?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
nina_sullivan612mo agoMost Upvoted
My Tampa lawyer costs more than a signature.
5
What happens when that handshake deal on a small fix turns into a $500 argument because the client remembers the conversation differently? You think it builds trust until you're the one eating the cost on something you both agreed to but can't prove. In Tampa, a verbal change on a $200 outlet move somehow ballooned into a whole dispute about the scope of the whole job. How do you keep the relationship good when the client's memory suddenly changes and you're left holding the bag?
4
fox.jesse2mo ago
Honestly that sounds like a great way to kill your client relationships over time. Constantly pushing paper for tiny changes builds so much distrust and makes you look like you're just trying to cover your own tail. A good handshake deal on a small fix shows you trust them and they should trust you back.
2