What Are the Problems?

If you have been in business very long, you have run into problems on a job. The customer can't make up her mind on the color, or the customer insists you complete a 10 day job in 7 days, or the customer breaks out the magnifying glass and crawls around on his knees to inspect the baseboards. In the 23 years I've been in business, I've experienced all of these things and much more.

The funny thing is, I've experienced most of these problems only one time. Almost every time I have a problem, my contract gets changed to address that problem. And seemingly like magic, I don't have that problem again.

While it is probably impossible to cover everything, and a customer who refuses to abide by the contract will find some way to create problems, getting these issues addressed in writing can make life a whole lot easier.

Some discretion is advised. If we literally addressed every issue in our contract, it could get to be very long and complex. It is more important to address the essential issues, for doing so will often eliminate other issues. For example, if your contract states that no job will be scheduled until paint colors are selected, you won't get on the job and have to kill time while the customer picks colors.

So contract will be perfect, nor will it eliminate all problems. But a solid contract that addresses the majority of the issues that cause problems will go a long way to make life easier.