We've all heard about nightmare contractors but what about clients from hell? With my home renovation a spit and varnish from completion it was time to ask my architects and contractor how I performed as a customer.
'Be brutal,' I urged. 'I can handle it.'
During the time it took them to e-mail me their thoughts, I queried several designer friends about their experiences with difficult clientele.
'You're expected not only to select fabrics for cushions but also be their pal, psychologist and punching bag,' said David, who turns down work when it's clear he'll be bruised by the project. 'But I don't tell them 'no' exactly,' he said. 'I just quote them a ludicrous price.'
Money, not surprisingly, is a common deal breaker. I learned this early from a contractor I'd invited into my home to explain I wanted two flats knocked into one. When I phoned a week later to ask whether he'd take on the project for the budget proposed, I was subjected to the standard trick: 'Hah? What? Bzzz, I can't hear you, static, rattle, hum.' He didn't try to call back.
'It's not just unreasonable expectations,' said another acquaintance, who, like many in the design industry these days, picks his clients instead of the other way around. 'I can't stand people who change their minds constantly, sometimes halfway through the renovation, then scream when there are delays and escalating costs.'