Pets, kids, old gits, my dad was a decorator and that's not how you do that, silicone, you only got the job cos you're quote was the cheapest, I don't want undercoat just gloss it, I'm not paying for prep work just wack it on, you missed a bit, I forgot you were coming today can you come back tomorrow, whats you're seems like?, watch that tin matey oh too late. and many more Now why do I do decorating for joe public? :^O
Customers that want to help you. People that insist on stripping the walls and leave more work for you than if they'd left it. People that insist on putting the light on for you and don't believe that you can't see with it on at that time of night...(Novemberish).
Lol GC, never a truer word... New client I saw the orther day wants me to line her ceiling and walls, but she wants to strip the paper and do her own filling.X-( So I said I would pop back and see the state of the walls and ceiling after she had stripped it. I cannot believe the state of the ceiling, the original owner had papered anaglypta on a perfectly plastered ceiling, well it was till lady went Gun ho with the scraper. I asked her if she used a steamer, 'no', she said, 'I just used a scraper and soapy water' When I looked at the ceiling, I saw she had scored every ferking part of it, there is not 6" without some great scraper groove in it, it looks a nightmare. As for turning on the lights, I hate that as well, and its so difficult to explain to them I can see perfectly without the light on.
When you quote the job and they ask specifically for a 'cheap and quick job' then when you start they expect top class prep and finish, something which is far more time consuming. zero voc gloss paint; you just know it ain't gonna work. Then they complain that it doesn't shine. Those who spend all night looking for problems and wait for you the next day. These are the people who seem to think that all stages of decorating can be done at the same time. Dave
Best one is if your working in a complete shitehole and they ask you take your shoes off when you do the quote! Had exactly that back in April, I'm not saying the house was filthy but I wiped my feet on the pavement when I left. :^O :^O
Easy one, old folk who have the thermostat set to tweny depite the fact its summer and refuse to turn it down. Customers who leave you with the keys as they are going on holiday but negate to tell you about the burglar alarm or simply the wrong house keys.
With you on the dirt and rubbish, Bobbie. I even found a certain rubber item under a bed once (no, I didn't look to see whether it had been used or not, just hoovered it up) One of my pet hates is when someone asks over the phone for a price to do a room/rooms and will not have it when you say can't see can't quote, and people from a certain eastern part of the world who always try to get you to reduce the price, even if it's only by £10, and the know-alls who tell you how long the job will take, and people who think you can quote and start their job the next day And painting/papering around toilets - yuch
One of my pet hates is when someone asks over the phone for a price to do a room/rooms and will not have it when you say can't see can't quote, and people from a certain eastern part of the world who always try to get you to reduce the price, even if it's only by £10, and the know-alls who tell you how long the job will take, and people who think you can quote and start their job the next day I agree with you there, infact I mentioned on another thread, one of 'thescrews'thread I think it was, that why when they ring, I always say the most over the top price, as I cant be bothered to haggle with them. Again infact, it was a client from a certain eastern country that refused to pay me the extra when HE had chosen the wrong paper, and I put it up and it was awful, then stripped it again and put up a different one. When I used to work for firms that dealt with insurance work, 80% of the claiments were of Eastern ethnic origin, and 79% of them always tried it on, it was a nightmare all the time.
always try to get you to reduce the price, even if And painting/papering around toilets - yuch Also BB, not only do they try and knock you down, but they want the outside done as well.:^O
Those who spend all night looking for problems and wait for you the next day. These are the people who seem to think that all stages of decorating can be done at the same time. Dave Lol, I'm on a roll here, but again so bl00dy true, you know on the first day, what they're going to be like. It doesnt happen often, but you just dread going in the next day. One lady I had, moaned that I had spilled paint on her bedroom carpet, mind you I hadnt even started the painting yet, I was making good the kr@p and the cockups from the previous decorator. Anyway I had sheeted up, and somehow must missed about a 2" gap, so some powder filler had dropped in the tiny gap, she came in to have a nose, and her eyes spotted it. I bent down, rubbed my hand over it and it came off. Every day she had something to moan about, I was glad to get out of there, and yet she had the cheek to ask me to do another job. I declined politly, but I was honest, and said she made my nerves bad.:^O
I hate when the young gorgeous lady of the house comes in the room I`m decorating in a seethrough negligee and asks me to kill a spider she swears saw on her bed, locking the bedroom door behind her.
I`m decorating in a seethrough negligee. Well that's confirmed then, not only a screw loose but also a cross dresser!
that`s not fair Astramax, you edited my words very cleverly, but you`re right, I`m a cross dresser, I dress crosses with dresses, it is my hoby.
that`s not fair Astramax, you edited my words very cleverly, I mainly edit for the Royal correspondent at the BBC on my days off.
I`m decorating in a seethrough negligee. Well that's confirmed then, not only a screw loose but also a cross dresser! very good
I hate when the young gorgeous lady of the house comes in the room I`m decorating in a seethrough negligee and asks me to kill a spider she swears saw on her bed, locking the bedroom door behind her. A room you are decorating screw?? I think not, otherwise why all the previous posts about pricing, how to strip paper etc I suspect the only door the young lady in question would lock would be the one to keep you away from her :^O
Burlington,most probably I have been decorating for longer than you, depending on our age, but not in a professional way. Lots of people I have known asked me to do it because I`m a handyman. The reason why I asked here how to do it is to find out how the pros do it, and copy from them. I didn`t know about this forum till recently somebody told me about it.