Yes, it happens. We lose customers/clients as they think they can save money by going with someone else. It happens all the time.
Well every once in a while karma works, and they come back to you. Today I met with a customer from last year who moved into a new home. I spent a lot of time with him and his wife giving them advice on types of flooring and colors to stain the hardwood floors. They were really nice, so I was happy to help. He then recommended us to his friend who moved into the same complex.
Of course, I lost both jobs. It happens.
Fast forward. Unfortunately, with the cold weather their pipes froze. Fortunately for them, they had good insurance and they are covered. Now they are going to replacing the hardwood on the 1st floor and the luxury vinyl in the basement. Both he and his wife remembered me and gave us a call. They were not happy at all with the people that did their floors. The job did not come out very well and they followed their advice on the finish (rather than mine) and they really regretted it.
They have a contractor to help them with a lot of the rebuild, and the contractor said he could do the floors. They said, "no thank you," we want a flooring company - one that specializes in flooring, not a GC, especially after their last experience. They also shared with me that their friend regretted not using us. This really felt redeeming for me.
So, I preceeded to give them advice on how to get their home back in order and I'm working on the estimates for insurance. I found a way that they can upgrade their hardwood without any incremental costs, so in the end this is going to be a good deal for them.
If we get this job, it will be a much larger job than the original job. And, hopefully, they will also recommend us to their friends.
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