Hired to Fix Mistakes!
We all make mistakes, and most of us don’t mind fixing our own. It is quite a serious situation when you sign onto a project to fix someone else’s!
The first challenge is the client who is already upset. The best way to begin would be to get the history behind the situation. Learning how and who can be very important down the line.
And, sometimes, the “mistakes” might not be mistakes at all. They may be a case of a client changing their mind or having had a conflict or a clash of some kind with the previous contractor. So, it’s wise to move slowly into the problems.
In the negotiation stage of such a proposed relationship it is wise to carefully discuss and document the condition of the project at the point at which you and your team are considering entering the picture. And, speaking of pictures, remember that they save a thousand words; photograph the “problems” before you decide to agree to fix them.
The “who” and the “why” are key concerning a troubled project. Usually, reviewing the history of the situation with the prospective client can illuminate the reasons and the unsatisfactory results. Those facts will guide your approach to solutions.
Often, an individual will try to cut corners by making all decisions based on the numbers alone. While that may seem an attractive approach in one sense, the result may consist of a poor outcome by unqualified workers. Sometimes, a helpful friend or relative may have had a hand in a procedure that seemed easy, but became a confusing mess.
Either of those examples will require top-level diplomacy in the process of applying remedies. The client is already facing repeat expenses of time and money, frustration and disappointment and has become wary. To take on such situations means either walking on egg shells all the time, or making it clear at the get-go that your team is on the scene for solutions – not to inherit the negative attitudes and disappointment of the client’s previous experience.
When a professional is hired to fix the mistakes of amateurs, unqualified contractors, well-meaning friends or relatives or the prospective clients themselves, the dice are already loaded. That is why research into and thorough documentation of the problems is very important. Your prospective designer has to look ahead and evaluate the risks of inadvertently being identified with the mistakes instead of the solutions!
The qualified team has to decide whether to attempt to work around or on the bad stuff, or remove it and start over. Clarifying the issues to an already upset prospective client is tough. That unhappy client (business or residential) has already spent their original budget. They may connect the “fix-it” funds to their overall dissatisfaction, and unfairly bring that misconception forward when telling the story. If that happens, the name and reputation of the contractor who fixed your problems may be unfairly connected to the problems instead of the solutions.
When mistakes have been made and a project has gone sour, it is important to be clear about what you expect from the team you want to bring in to do things right. The blame game will only increase the problems. Where there are legitimate issues of legal liability, take the appropriate actions.
Better yet, contract appropriately in the beginning. Make sure you are hiring qualified professionals for your project, and avoid mistakes related to incompetence. Then, go forward with confidence. Mistakes happen; but most can be avoided.
Some jobs seem deceptively simple! Be sure that you hire qualified resources for your project – large or small.
Photo Contributed by Robert Boccabella
Collaboration & Writing: Ms. Zoe Tummillo
WritingService@earthlink.net