Fired! Embarrassing? Enlightening? or Both?
Ah, the freedom of failure...
Whelp, I was fired as a client for the first time! By my first contractors, my first professional painters, on my first house project as a brand new home-owner.
While I can’t say that I am thoroughly surprised, I am somewhat mortified. I failed them in ways. I wasn’t the cheerleader I now have learned contractors need clients to be. Albeit! Failures are always opportunities to learn and grow. And boy, did I glean me some lessons.
All in all, the post-breakup feels are pretty okay. We were not working out, and just like always… I am a big fan of breakups. They just… set a girl on the right track!
We closed on the house in mid-July. Prior to seizing our new life within the space at the end of the month, it massively needed a re-paint job; it was all chalky matte gray with dings and marks and navy blue accent walls. The kitchen was a pale lemon yellow.
A Pale. Lemon. Yellow.
Against chalky gray and navy blue!?
The previous owner was an 80-year-old woman named Patricia Pattinson, and it showed. With a background as a painter, I was keen on doing it myself, but we needed to expedite the process and get pros in for the high as fuck ceilings (yay! High ceilings!).
As you may well know, I am kooky. So, I chose a hefty haul of many kooky colors. The painters were not pleased (even though their name is “Groovy Hues” and their entire branding pushes fun colors…).
*sigh*
No one wants to kick off a project with already displeased contractors. However! They had the lowest bid and the most eager owner.
Not necessarily two traits that define “green flag,” but… traits that did suit our needs.
The project was stressful for everyone from beginning to end. Their skill set was just not up to par–creating a cadence of two steps forward / one and a half steps back throughout the entire process.
So, I set them up for parting ways by providing a clean opportunity for everyone to pause and assess. They, in turn, prepared all the necessary paperwork to bounce tf out. Rob came in hot, folder in hand. “We need to talk… it’s clear you will never be happy with our work” (sidebar—we actually were at that point in time and had expressed as much, but it took a lot of project management on our end to get there).
“Our painters did a sloppy job those first two days; we weren’t pleased, and it’s been an uphill battle since. I am sorry.” As he apologized and looked me dead in the eyes, this ex-Marine and ex-cop was tearing up; I swear to god, and my heart was breaking for him because we held nothing against them at all for these very human errors.
“Here are all of the receipts for the paint and an updated bill. We think you should find different painters for the rest of the project.”
To be honest, we were stunned. We were doing all we could to ensure that they would be able to achieve what we needed–to keep the work and, thus, the payment. But he was right. It had been an uphill battle. It wasn’t a desirable relationship for either of us to maintain for weeks to come.
Alan graciously accepted the paperwork, “We appreciate what you’ve been able to do. We don’t want you losing sleep over this, so we’ll follow your lead.” And that was that! OK, ok, there was a bit more conversating, but for the sake of brevity… ;-)
I’ve never been broken up with as a client, but I gotta say, the universe really does always know what’s best for you. Sometimes, things rush in, and that rushing is exactly what you need to alchemize beautiful things. And other times… that rushing is actually a set-up for a lesson, and not about being a catalyst for a stunning creation. And your part in the play isn’t to bow out of the turbulent phrases within the song of life but to attempt to stick it out. To attempt professional communication. To attempt low-stress approaches to high-priority messes, etc etc. And you might fail. And that’s the growth edge of where you need to improve.
And their part in the play is to practice their boundaries and learn how to quit.
We are all in this blob of experience together, helping each other every step of the way. And unsuccessful relationships have so much potential to be so darn successful, in their own right, too!
Endings are such great things.
I love what we ended up being able to get done with our painters, and I love that they left a healthy amount for me to do myself, and I love that our time with them is over.
A hui ho,
Julia
That was as good an outcome as is imaginable given that he learned his crew was not really up to your standards. Bravo!