Debate: Do you bill for the extra trip or eat the cost when a customer changes their mind mid-install?

Had a wild week last Tuesday. Drove 45 minutes to a job in Brighton, got the panel mounted and two sensors placed, then the homeowner decides they want the keypad moved to the opposite wall. That meant drilling new holes and patching the old ones. I ended up charging them for the extra hour and a half. But another installer I know says you gotta just absorb that stuff to keep the customer happy. What do you all do when someone pulls a switcheroo like that halfway through?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninas701mo ago

Wait, did you at least get them to sign off on the change before you started the extra work? lol. I read on another forum that some installers add a clause to their contract that any mid-job changes get billed at double the usual rate, just to discourage this kind of thing. I think charging for the extra time is totally fair, especially since you had to patch up holes and waste materials. Honestly, that whole "absorb the cost" mentality can backfire if you let customers walk all over you. It's not being rude, it's just running a real business.

karenw901mo ago

Is it just me or does that whole "the customer is always right" thing make people think they can just change their mind on a whim with zero consequences? I swear it's everywhere now, like people forget you're a human trying to pay bills, not a genie.

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