We don't need no steenkin' schedule...
Back when I had multiple employees and different jobs going on simultaneously, keeping everything going smoothly, avoiding downtime and pissed off customers was a constant battle - so many things out of my control!Weather - a biggie.
Employees missing work.
Clients changing their minds about colours, or doing last minute add-ons.
Other subs not staying on schedule. Painters are one of the last trades in on a remodel or new build; we often depend on the trim carpenters, drywall guys, counters, cabinet guys, all that, to do their thing before we can do ours.
Now it's just me and a couple of part-time helpers, but I learned long ago to stay intentionally vague about start and completion times. Unless of course, there's a deadline or tight schedule. Otherwise I stay in contact with clients lined up in queue, but don't give definite time fraes until I know for sure.
Weekend before last: Plan A was Kat & I work Saturday, then I work alons Sunday and the job gets done over a long weekend.
Kat couldn't come in Saturday, which pushed the job to 3 days. Client changed their mind about colour, another paint store trip, minor hold-up. Then they decided to change all the kitchen cabinet hardware - I was painting the cabinets - and we had hinges that wouldn't hang right, then handles that didn't line up to the holes....there went several hours. I finished up after 8 pm on Monday night. Monday's job got pushed to Tuesday, but Tuesday is a short day for me because I have agility class in the evening. So, really, that one day job ran into a second day.
Which meant that the deck I was to have stained Tues-Wed got put off until doG knows when, since by now it's raining.
But that's OK because Mr McDonald's-franchise is in a sudden big hurry to get the master bedroom and bath done, so I have three people stripping wallpaper all day Wednesday (Kat, the lovely and talented Sylvia and her handsome and talented teenage son Andrew). Except now the carpenter - who was supposed to be there Thursday putting in crown molding and chair rail - is off for a couple of days but will be there Saturday. And the flat screen TV is to be installed Monday morning so that wall has to be done, except we don't have a colour decision until Saturday night. Meanwhile, I am painting a couple of rooms in another house, finish up Saturday, because the floors are coming in Monday.
So I assure Mr McDonald's-franchise I'll be there Sunday to paint the TV wall and the bathroom, with a helper.
Except, turns out we're not really clear on the colour yet, not really. (There is still indecision about which faux finish is going to be done, by Lisa.) And, the carpenter who was supposed to be there Saturday wasn't because the trim wasn't in stock. And the TV won't be installed Monday, after all.
About 1 pm, the colour - Svelte Sage - is finally decided and I'm about to go off to the paint store while Kat finished up prepping the bath walls; at least we can get a first coat on the bathroom.
Then a storm blew in, power went out for miles around, it was real dark and I said fuck it, let's go home. I'll be back tomorrow.
So I went home and took a nap.
posted by Carina @ 6:10 PM
3 Comments:
holy shit...talk about a cluster f***...good luck monday...
Whew! I am exhausted. Sounds like every single day that my house was being built. Except I didn't make ast minute changes that held up the schedule...well not a lot.
I don't know how general contractors keep their sanity since their lives are like this all the time....I've found most good GCs to be laid back, type B folks. Either that or they have ulcers and stress related illness at early ages....
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