Old electrician buddy told me to stop chasing every penny

Five years ago when I was starting my shop, this retired guy named Hank who used to run a big electrical contracting outfit told me I was pricing too low. Said I should fire the customers that haggle over $50. I thought he was full of it. But I kept one cheap customer who called me at 2 AM every other month for stupid stuff. Finally dropped him last year and my profit margin went up 4 percent. Anyone else have a customer that cost you more than they paid?

2 comments

2 Comments

nina_butler2d ago

Swallowed my pride and cut loose a guy who would call me to come fix a loose outlet plate for $30. Drove 45 minutes each way, spent 10 minutes on it, and he'd complain about the service fee. Finally told him I couldn't help him anymore and he left me a nasty Google review. But you know what? That one review actually hurt less than wasting my Saturdays on that guy. Now I tell new customers upfront what my minimum charge is and if they balk I just say no thanks. Its wild how much better the work feels when you're not resentful the whole time.

lisa_bennett1d ago

That line about "how much better the work feels when you're not resentful the whole time" really hit me, @nina_butler. I read something once about how resentment is like paying a tax on something you already did, and that's exactly what you were doing every Saturday. It's amazing how one bad customer can poison the whole experience of a job you usually enjoy. I bet that Google review stung but it probably freed you up to focus on clients who actually respect your time and skills. Now you've got a clear boundary and it sounds like you're actually making more money and feeling better about it. Sometimes losing one bad client is the best thing that can happen to your business.