I had something happen this past Friday that was a first…before I tell you what happened, a little background:
I got a two month remodeling job this Spring on a handshake. (I’m a building contractor)
When Mark asked me if I’d be interested in the project, he didn’t even ask me my hourly rate.
Just told me I had the job if I wanted it.
I’ve never worked for him before, but my brother and Uncle have.
As I was putting together my bill last Friday, I realized I had made a simple mathematical mistake two weeks previous and short changed myself over 18 man hours.
As I pondered my options, my first thought was, I am going to have to tell him what happened.
It was the end of the day and the home owners son stopped by the job site with a blank check. I had quickly totaled up our hours for the past 3 weeks, plus some extra material expenses. I made two copies of the invoice and hadn’t given it another thought…now here I was 2 weeks later, realizing my mistake.
I tried to put myself in his shoes….he had paid me my first check/ no questions asked….
Now if I had hired someone by the hour and 2 weeks later he came up to me with his next bill, told me .I owed him an additional 18 man hours from the previous billing cycle because he had made a mathematical mistake,
I would pay him, but it would have leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Now I know there are plenty of people out there who wouldn’t think twice about demanding the additional money, even though it was their mistake.
In the end, I decided to chalk this up to the school of hard knocks and not tell the home- owner.
If you were in my shoes what would you have done?]
Now think about it from the customer’s perspective…
The exciting thing for me in all of this, I am not beating myself up.
This isn’t the first time I have said or done something that ends up costing me hundreds of dollars….
I told my son John on Saturday, I choose to look at it like I just paid some tuition for a summer class in college.
Any suggestions on the name of the class? 
pouring a floor
Thanks for leaving a comment if you’re so inclined. DM
Tags: attitude, Christianity, faith, Life, personal, spirituality, thoughts, work
June 19, 2012 at 11:31 pm |
Ouch. I think since there was a good relationship going into the job, you have one other option than eating the whole 18 hours. I think you tell him what happened, show him the math, and then tell him you appreciate his prompt payment and in a gesture of goodwill, you are reducing the unbilled remainder by 50% so as to merely cover your costs.
And the class would be called, “Tally Twice, Invoice Once”!
___________________________________________
I like that course title ! DM
June 20, 2012 at 7:46 am |
I think everything happens for a reason, so there isn’t a price tag on integrity and the value of lessons learned.
June 21, 2012 at 7:30 am |
I think I would have told them but not billed them. If they chose to pay you for it, so be it. If not … lesson learned.
I gave you an award today
June 21, 2012 at 1:55 pm |
The class title should be “School of Hard Knocks”
As the customer I would probably have spent the “extra” money already (bad habit, I know) and so being presented with an extra bill would throw me for a loop. However, I’m an honest person and I wouldn’t want to short anyone either. If presented with the bill, I would feel like I had to pay it. I like the first commenter’s idea of discounting it.