I almost always find myself in the position of being the highest bidder or at least one of the highest. But for a long time, I failed to understand what this means from a salesman’s point of view. (more…)

I have always had a policy that I never do any custom work on my nickel. So I have always had a very specific payment schedule, one that favors me much more than the customer. (more…)

Richard’s reply to the references post brings up an interesting question. How do you deal directly with the client without having to go through the general contractor or the architect or the “designer”? (more…)

This time the discussion centers around a seller based in Canada and selling tooling in the U.S. over the Internet. Their advertising offers “free shipping” to anywhere in the U.S. This guy orders some bits from them and they get delivered with a substantial bill for customs fees. (more…)

Not too long ago, I was trying to buy some beadboard at a local “Superstore”. We could have ordered it from our usual supplier but we would have preferred not to have to wait. So we asked an orange vest if they had any. (more…)

A recent New York Times article was headlined “How to Drive a Contractor Crazy.” The story was about a contractor who had been driven to distraction by a demanding client. (more…)

I don’t know about you guys but I’m thinking about putting euphemisms on my list of pet peeves along with “buzz words.” (more…)