Had the worst week of my cabinet career last week

A client in Portland changed their mind on the wood species after I already cut all the face frames, and then their dog chewed up a door panel overnight. Has anyone else had a job spiral like that after just one bad decision?

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cameron_craig2mo ago

Oh man, that's brutal. Ngl, having a client switch materials after cuts are made is a total nightmare. But I gotta ask, did you have any kind of written sign-off or approval on the wood species before you started cutting? Or was it just a verbal thing? Because that's the part that would make me sweat the most, especially if they're trying to pin the cost on you for the redo.

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rose_murray2mo ago

Right? I feel like my whole business model is based on hoping people remember what they agreed to five minutes ago. I've got a photo of the client pointing at the wood on my phone and a scribbled napkin, but nothing with a proper signature. Is it really that hard to just say "yep, that's the one" before I hit the saw? Guess my system is just "hope and a prayer" and a lot of apologetic re-cutting. Probably time to get a real contract, huh? At least the scrap pile is good for making ugly birdhouses.

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