Freelancers and independent contractors can learn a lot from each other.
Sometimes we learn things directly. Sometimes indirectly.
I’ve recently had a series of tradesmen repairing exterior and interior storm damage to the house. A team of at least a dozen roofers descended early one morning to replace the garage roof and a flat roof that had been peeled back by wind. They were prompt, prepared, and worked well as a team. They started work at 7:00 am on the dot. Both jobs were completed and the site was cleaned up by 1:30pm. And by “cleaned up,” I mean the driveway and steps leading down to the backyard were cleaner when they left than when they arrived. If not for a small stack of leftover materials waiting to be collected by one of their colleagues, you wouldn’t have realized they’d been here.
A week or so later another crew came to attach a new gutter and downspout to the garage. Again, they worked well together. They were in and out in about 30 minutes. While they didn’t use a magnetic sweeper to collect dropped screws like the roofers did, they didn’t leave a mess behind.
With the bulk of the exterior work completed, it was time to repair the guest room ceiling that had been damaged by water leaking in through the flat roof.
The subcontractor handling the ceiling repair called on Monday to say they’d be here the next day. They weren’t. But they arrived early on Wednesday. The boss and the plasterer discussed the job, and work commenced. The plasterer cheerfully worked three 10-hour days, meticulously repairing the damage. The boss only showed up twice—the first day, and around noon on Friday.
Friday, when the boss was here, he said he didn’t like a small gap between the crown molding and the new ceiling, so he brought over eight long strips of quarter round, saying he wants to install that over the gap. The gap doesn’t bother me much at all, but I said I’d reserve judgement until he can show me what he means. (I also explained that while 90% of people might think something looks great, I’m probably in the 10% who disagrees. I pointed to a vintage light fixture hanging in the kitchen and said, “Most people take old things down and put new ones up. I take new things down and put old things up. So we might have different ideas on what looks good.”) He said he’d return in two or three hours to paint the crown molding.
Five days later and not a word from the subcontractor. The trim he left on the front porch is right where he left it, exposed to rain and surrounded by plaster dust footprints.
What lessons have these experiences taught me about being an independent contractor?
- Communication is vital. Let your client know when to expect you to do the work. Update them if your plans change.
- Remember to follow through. That might mean cleaning up a job site, revising a document, or simply asking if your client needs anything else.
- Clients have the final decision. Don’t force your ideas or vision onto your client—especially when it’s a subjective decision.
- Never leave your client hanging. Does this one even need an explanation?
The roofers ticked all the boxes, and the plasterer did a beautiful job—his workmanship and friendly demeanor saved the day. One of the subcontractor’s biggest mistakes was assuming that I don’t know the specifics of the job, or that only a man could understand the details. That attitude won’t get him many referrals.
Or perhaps he thought that because I work from home he didn’t need to notify me when they were (or weren’t) planning to be here. That’s disrespectful of my time. It’s not easy scheduling phone interviews when you don’t know when workers will be on site pounding nails or using power saws.
Rest assured, my final payment will be withheld until the subcontractor has completed the job to my satisfaction.
Oh, that last contractor would be on my do-not-call list. No way he finished that job. He left you without any further word on the trim. I get that we’re all busy, but managing expectations is part of the job. And you expected to see him back that same day.
I’ve learned that reliability is key to getting more work. I learned that early in my career, and I’ve seen that same trait in my favorite contractors. If people cannot rely on you or trust you at your word, you’ve lost them.
Reliability is definitely the key.
Before this happened, a neighbor asked me to get the guy’s card because she needs some plaster work done. I have no problem referring the man who actually did the work, but I will let her know that his boss is not nearly as reliable.