Masonry Magazine June 2007 Page. 50
Full Contact Project Management
You Aren't Going to Pay Me Because ... Why? Gary Micheloni FULL CONTAC PROJECT MANAGEMEN
Know what I like in a project? Simple answer: Get in, get out, and get the money! And I bet that's also the same for you. But if I ask myself, how often do I get these kinds of projects, the answer is disappointing. Here's my answer: Almost never! You? I'm guessing we're alike, here.
Recently, I ran into a situation where someone didn't want to pay for some work that was performed, and they used a really lame reason. It's something that you need to know about. But, I'll come back to it in a moment.
You know, it's a crazy world out there. Our clients all demand top craftsmanship from us, yet are not willing to give us the time (and money) required.
The masonry, concrete and other contractors I talk to all seem to have one thing in common: their jobs never go exactly as planned. And a lot of times, it's a simple case of the plans themselves being inadequate to build what the contractor has bid. Tell me I'm wrong. Send me an e-mail and tell me that almost all of your projects go according to plan; I'd love to hear that from our industry, but right now I'll settle for at least one person. Between you and me, I don't think I'm going to get that e-mail.
Okay, here's a deal for you: Tell me about the craziest, the hardest, the strangest change you ever had to deal with on one of your projects, and I'll give a copy of my e-book, "Get Paid for a Change!", to the contractor with the best answer. Hey, it sells for about $40, and might only take a minute of your time to drop me an e-mail, so give it a shot.
"Hey, Coach," I hear someone else say, "what can we do the next time we run into these changes, which will probably be tomorrow?"
First, we can do some practical stuff, team. By the time you read this, you should be able to log on to www.full contactBlog.com. There you'll find some new resources, such as regular audio updates from Coach Gary, to help you with your PM issues. I think you're going to like it. Check it out today. As always, almost all of the helps on the site are free to you, so surf on over, check it out, and sign up.
Second, drop me an e-mail when you run into something difficult or strange. Maybe a fresh set of eyes can help you sort things out.
The third thing we can do for you today is to offer an answer to the most difficult job in construction: collecting your money!
Now, where was I? Oh, yeah: "I don't want to pay you." How in the world do we get into messes like these? Listen up now, and don't miss this because it's critical, and can happen to just about anyone.
We all do extra work. We are all used to getting a ticket signed when the extra work is done, and then we bill for it. But there can be a twist, and you need to look out for it or your client might not pay you.
So picture this: You're asked to do some extra work. You say, "No sweat, I got my signed ticket, right?" Unfortunately for your company, you might not be covered.
When you check that fine print stuff in your contract, you will probably read that no work will be paid for.