Update: That homeowner who refused to let me cut the door jambs flush

She watched me like a hawk the whole time, then after 3 hours told me I was doing it wrong because her brother-in-law said to leave a gap for expansion, but the door wouldn't even close - has anyone else dealt with someone who thinks they know more but won't listen?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_rivera8d ago

Watched me like a hawk for three hours" - that's next level crazy right there.

gray3148d ago

Kelly's story is three hours of staring. I've had customers watch me for 45 minutes on a bathroom vanity install and that felt like a lifetime. But here's the thing - some people are just anxious about paying someone they don't know to do permanent stuff to their house. Three hours is extreme, but I wonder if she could have stopped him after the first hour, showed him the progress, and explained what was left. Would a quick sit-down at the start have saved her from that whole awkward afternoon?

sethm588d ago

Playing devil's advocate here for a second. From her perspective, you showed up and started cutting things without explaining the plan, and three hours in she still had questions. Kelly_rivera is right that three hours of staring is extreme, but some homeowners are just anxious about irreversible changes to their property. Her brother-in-law might have had a valid point about expansion gaps in certain climates or door materials, but he probably saw the gap issue differently than you did in that moment. Maybe you could have paused at the start to explain why the door needed to be cut flush and shown her the fit issue. Sometimes people just need to feel heard before they can trust the work. Your mileage may vary on this one.