Rant: Tried the whole 'under-promise over-deliver' thing on a drywall patch and it backfired huge

I told a guy in Decatur itd be a simple 2 day fix and finished in 1, thinking he'd be thrilled. Instead he got suspicious and started picking at every corner asking if I cut corners. Now I'm wondering if being honest about timelines is better even if it makes you look slow, what do you guys do?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia_hill6010d ago

@flores.mark I hear you but honestly I think you guys are creating your own headaches here. People get suspicious when you blow past your own timeline because it breaks their trust from the jump. Being upfront about a realistic 2 day job and then finishing in 2 days keeps everything clean and predictable. Nobody is gonna feel cheated if you show up on time and do good work without all the drama. That whole under-promise over-deliver thing works way better for bigger projects where the surprise feels earned not suspicious. Simple stuff like a drywall patch or garage floor just needs straightforward communication.

noraroberts10d ago

Just tell them one day and show up when you say you will, that way nobody's waiting around wondering what's happening.

flores.mark10d ago

Man I feel this in my bones. Did the same thing on a garage floor patch out in Conyers last spring - told the guy three days because I wanted to look like a hero finishing in two. He spent the whole second day poking at the expansion joints like I'd hidden a body under there. Some folks just can't handle getting good news faster than expected. Now I straight up tell people I'll be there whenever I get there and pad everything by a week. At least when I show up early they're just happy instead of suspicious.

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