Should I fire this client?

I went to a client's home today to take care of a few minor things (I had done a few small things when they first moved in a year or so ago). He was supposed to make a list for a few rooms on what to do/ what to go where. He had already pushed the appointment back once this week.

I get there and the wife had no idea I was coming over and no idea where to get started. Finally she gets a hold of her husband and he apologizes and says just do these couple things and I'll figure out the rest for you ASAP.

I say ok, he says one of the pieces is down in the bar are and mentions a projector area in passing. I go downstairs to find he had put in a projector, screen, in-walls and in-ceilings, a zone 2, new receiver, baby rack, and RF URC!

I was beyond pissed! I go upstairs to hook up his used Bose cinemate that probably "fell off a truck" because the client owns a moving company. I told the wife "that's a cool setup in the basement". She said one of their bro-in-laws (who has a big commercial AV business supposedly) put it in and Bartered a deal and it cost 5K (with an attached bitchy tone based on price). She said they should've called me to see if I could have been cheaper, but "couldn't find my number". I said well good systems cost good money. etc etc. I hooked up their cheap Bose setup, she complained and I got ready to leave.

My question is, why should this other guy get the prom date and I stuck changing diapers? I feel like moving on.... What say the field?

This guy sounds like he doesn't value your time. Pushed you out a week. Didn't tell his wife you were coming. Didn't take the time to create a list of work for you to do. When he wanted a system he called someone else. When he wanted things fixed he called you.

Fire him. He can barter some tech support from his brother in law.

I did a huge outdoor audio system a few years ago, They asked me to quote a theater room after the job was completed, did and never heard back from them. They called half a year later wanting to add some more speakers outdoors, come back and saw the theater was done (nicely too) with all the components I specked minus the screen...

Asked the wife and she was like a deer in headlights, said err uhh ahh uhm my brother in law has a company and did it for us.

After the husband came home I cracked a "joke" about it and he said yeah sorry about that. I had all intentions to use you for that room but my wife got hold of the quote and asked her BIL to furnish and install the equipment. Flew in from NY to help them..

I was annoyed, very annoyed but in the end I still had gotten an epic project out of them and they are nice people but I actually have not heard from them sense. My guess is the "BIL" was another local AV company.

as for your situation, I agree with Mac! They dont value your time...Fire them

Didn't respect his wife enough to warn her not to be in curlers or to be out with the pool boy.

Tell him that you're glad he was able to get a deal from his bro in law. Tell him that you support the systems that you install and you'd be glad to service any future systems he wants installed, but that he will need to get service for this system from his brother in law. Tell him your prices might be higher, but you are there for the long haul, not just a one-time thing.

(I just replaced the TV in a 9 year old system. The client calls me.)

On the way out, mention that it's hard to believe him or his wife when they could not find your phone number regarding the system, but a service call made it magically pop up.

did you get paid for what you did do?

Yeah... if he's enough of a jerk, you might have to be nice until you have been paid and the check has cleared. Then tell him the rest of the story.

We charge $125 per hour actual time for working on systems that we sold, installed or have under maintenance contract. (we will take over systems sold/installed by others...for a fee)

We charge $195 per hour with a 4 hour minimum for working on systems we did not sell or don't have a maintenance contract on.

We are in the business to make money. Charge for your time and service who ever will pay. No need to get your feelings hurt that someone is using 2 or more companies.

My friend owns an small local IT company. He didn't get rich selling USB keyboards and monitors. Billable hours, that's where its at.

Block his phone number on your phone. Go pursue someone else who values your time and your knowledge.

Dont look back or lose sleep over them.

Its like the guys that park in our parking lot, then walk next door to the audio shop there, make a purchase and I see them getting loaded up in our lot. LOL Pisses me off!

Really, you know the answer already. Fire that ass.

Fire him. You know he'll call you the first problem he has with the theater and will expect a deal to fix it.

Lose his number and don't take his calls.

And in six months print out this thread and put it in his mailbox.

I don't see the problem. What difference does it make if he used someone else to install other equipment? He is not asking you to fix the other stuff.

If I get paid, I work. If he cancels another appt, then move on.

Small jobs are marginally profitable, but you booked this job with the expectation of a few hundred in revenue. But with any service-type client you're hoping for a big sale at some point. Suffice to say, it won't happen here, any future big tickets will come from this connected competitor.

Professional detachment. Easy to say. But if you had not discovered this new work, would you be happy continuing to service this client? Because you can only afford to cherry pick when your days are completely filled - and you're faced with retiring certain clients in favor of higher revenue.

I'm dealing with a similar issue on a larger scale. Major client, we dedicated a crew to spend most of 2004 renovating a 25k sf home (we charged hourly). The following year we installed $500K of gear, and continued to add over the years.
All's well until he decided to expand the home by another 13k sf and brought in a new architect. Who convinced the owner to use his guys.

Fast forward two years, client has a newly installed Crestron system in the addition that doesn't talk to the Crestron we installed. Mind you this is not a separate house, it's the new east wing. And we're being asked to extend our phone sys to the new area (which is woefully under wired). And... we continue to maintain the original portion of the home.

I'm pissed. But I've tried to take the high road. Client pays every invoice on time. I ask, how big is my ego?

BMaxey,
you have the option of convincing the client that he has made a mistake by pointing out to him that he can have Crestron control of the entire house as one zone if he will get the files from the interloper. Once he tries that and finds a stone wall or the need to pay a large invoice, he may rethink his relationship with that dealer.

On the other hand, you're sending him to that dealer again, so maybe this isn't such a good idea.

Do indeed tell him that part of the problem you are now facing is that you were not allowed to integrate this new portion of the house, not only with Crestron, but even with stupid phone wires. Those guys really missed the boat when they did the prewire. Etc.

Strike 1 - Moved the appointment
Strike 2 - Didn't bother to make the list he promised to make you a week ago
Strike 3 - Didn't tell anyone else you would be coming by

This guy struck out before you even had a chance to weigh the fact that he only calls you to fix things he got somewhere else.

Are you trying to be a "fix everyone elses crap" shop or are you trying to be the shop that isnt bogged down by penny service calls so that you have enough time to pursue the dollar installs?