Need scheduling verbiage

[evo]

I’m getting sick of people changing their schedule around. I put quite the effort in detailing our estimates yet I get folks consistently wanting work rescheduled to accommodate their desire to observe us.
I get this on jobs where it’s somewhat open ended as a day rate, but I don’t get it when it’s a simple clearly defined job.

Do you allow your clients to pick the day of the job? If not how do you go about it with the minimum amount of additional work?

 

[Matias]

I’m getting sick of people changing their schedule around. I put quite the effort in detailing our estimates yet I get folks consistently wanting work rescheduled to accommodate their desire to observe us.
I get this on jobs where it’s somewhat open ended as a day rate, but I don’t get it when it’s a simple clearly defined job.

Do you allow your clients to pick the day of the job? If not how do you go about it with the minimum amount of additional work?

Are you talking about half day jobs where you're trying to make sure you get two done in a day? I hadn't ever considered that element of planning logistics, as I just not there yet, but I can see that getting really annoying with customers who try to pull that shit for no good reason.

 

[ATH]

I generally don't let people pick the day. I'll call ahead "I'm looking at next Tuesday - is there a reason that doesn't work for you?" "We won't be home that day." "That isn't a problem for me, we work at houses all the time when people aren't home since most are at work during the day. But if Wednesday works better, that is open as of now...or we'll just find another time soon".

If when I do the estimate, they say "we'd like to be here" I ask them if there is a day of the week that tends to be better then I put that on the job description in Jobber and schedule accordingly. If everybody wanted that, it would be a challenge.

 

[southsoundtree]

Projects will be scheduled according to company needs at the price listed. Special request scheduling is possible for a fee to be determined by extra expenses incurred by the contractor. Please ask about a specific scheduling fee, if specific scheduling is desired by the customer.

 

[evo]

Are you talking about half day jobs where you're trying to make sure you get two done in a day? I hadn't ever considered that element of planning logistics, as I just not there yet, but I can see that getting really annoying with customers who try to pull that shit for no good reason.

It’s more than just half day jobs. The straw breaking my back now is, I’ve scheduled around fixing my brakes on the pickup (tows the mini). I have to have this done by next week.
Tuesday’s job is something I can send the guys out on, they are wanting to reschedule for the second time.
all hands on deck for a two day job w/th
Friday is booked.
Currently I have 6 unscheduled days this month and a list of 20 unscheduled.
Tuesday guy wants a date within two weeks which is full, after needling to see if I can come sooner than scheduled (the first reschedule request which I denied).

Basically shit like that, then of course there is two half day jobs on the same street. One reschedules because they are out of the country, I accommodate and show up. They leave immediately and never come back.. if they had awareness it would be indented as a slap in the face but they don’t..

 

[evo]

Projects will be scheduled according to company needs at the price listed. Special request scheduling is possible for a fee to be determined by extra expenses incurred by the contractor. Please ask about a specific scheduling fee, if specific scheduling is desired by the customer.

Do you have this in your contact? Does it actually work for you?

 

[Bendroctanus]

Projects will be scheduled according to company needs at the price listed. Special request scheduling is possible for a fee to be determined by extra expenses incurred by the contractor. Please ask about a specific scheduling fee, if specific scheduling is desired by the customer.

Pro.

 

[Brando CalPankian]

We use something similar. I also tell people when estimating what our scheduling is looking like. My wife is cutthroat and takes zero shit from clients, which helps.

@ATH has the right idea, on par with what we have going. I'll accommodate reasonable requests. Sometimes folks want more than is reasonable. You're fixing your truck, if they don't get that then oh well. I search for clients, not customers, and I make that very apparent. If you want the cheapest hack and slash then go elsewhere. We're all human, and if they treat me as human I go above and beyond.

It's rough in the area you are in too. A lot of yuppie type work. I think verbage stated and in contract helps. Letting them know they don't need to be there helps, and if they don't trust you to do it without them there then they wouldn't trust you with them being there either. At the end of the day it's a mutual trust agreement that services will be rendered without incident and with integrity.

 

[OasisTree]

I have found that the client will push you as far as you let them. And I agree with the thought of the mutual trust agreement

 

[Mick Dempsey!]

If I can do it when they want, so they can be there, I will.

If I can’t, I won’t.

I can’t understand the conundrum tbh.

 

[climbingmonkey24]

The way I typically work scheduling for projects that aren’t an emergency or urgent is to start with an estimated timeframe. So say 2-4 weeks for example. Basically I’m stating that with the exception of some unforeseen circumstances I will be able to get to their project sometime within the timeframe that I specified. And if I needed to change that timeframe I would let them know.

Then when I have a week in mind I update the client, and then generally towards the end of the week prior or over the weekend I confirm a specific date. Sometimes I’ll skip ahead to scheduling a day if I already have a date in mind. Whichever way I work it, the main thing is I just try to keep them informed throughout the process, give them some notice beforehand of when we are going to do the work, and stay ahead of the possibility of them wondering if I’ve forgotten about their project, etc. For most clients this type of communication is done via text or email so it takes little to no time.

In my experience this system seems to work fine for most, and it allows me the flexibility to do what I need to do (especially for jobs where I may have to get other things lined up like equipment rental, contract climber, etc.). Occasionally I may try and lock in a date sooner if I think the client might start getting worried or something. Or perhaps the schedule changes and I may be able to fit it in sooner, so I check with the client.

Regarding accommodations like having the client be there, specific days of the week, or a certain time of day, I’ll do my best to accommodate as much as I can. And in my experience most people are appreciative if they see you trying to help them out as much as realistically possible. And if I couldn’t meet their requests one hundred percent for some reason, I would try to find a balance and meet them somewhere half way.

At some point though, if a client is repeatedly asking you to reschedule, or their requests are just not realistic and it’s starting to have a negative impact on things, then you might need to have an honest conversation with them, preferably either via phone or in-person. And if they aren’t willing to compromise, then at that point you may need to consider whether it’s time to walk away and recommend they find someone else.

There’s only so much you can do, and at some point there needs be to a line drawn between you doing your best to accommodate a client, and not letting yourself be taken advantage of or pushed to your limits.