“It wasn’t our best work,” the superintendent said of a project with notoriously difficult homeowners. The project’s salesperson and warranty manager raised their hands to comment. The ensuing conversation went something like this:
Sales: “They were a problem right from the start.”
Warranty: “We’ve been out there four times in two months. She missed two appointments with repair people. Some of my trades refuse to go back.”
The superintendent appealed to the company’s owner: “What did you think when you saw the house? I think we messed up.”
Owner: “You’re right. Drywall was the big issue. How many times did the crew go in?”
Superintendent: “Five! And each time the homeowner complained about the mess.”
Warranty: “Yeah, and each time we sent the cleaners. I went there twice and saw them working. The drywall wasn’t that bad after the second repair, but she was expecting perfection.”
Superintendent: “Yes, but the fact that the crew couldn’t do the repairs satisfactorily and got drywall dust over everything would anger me too. I don’t blame the owner for asking for reimbursement for cleaning expenses.”
Warranty: “I disagree. She couldn’t have had $1,100 worth of cleaning to do. You do know she runs her own cleaning company?”
Sales: “You’ll never please her with cleaning. She and her husband came out two or three times a week during construction. They had endless questions and tried to get freebies right up to closing.”
Superintendent: “Still, we didn’t do our job. The home was delivered below our standards.”
Owner: “Why did the drywallers have to go back so many times?”
Warranty: “The first three visits, they just didn’t do a good job. They did clean up afterwards. But she was on her hands and knees on the floor with a toothbrush, claiming that drywall dust was in between the boards.”
Superintendent: “The repairs took five visits, so she cleaned up after them five times?”
Warranty: “Because they’re so picky I checked the work. It wasn’t perfect, but it was acceptable—just not to them. It should have only taken three times.”
