Monday morning, three tins short
The customer wanted a particular designer range for the lounge and hall and preferred to buy it themselves. You gave them a rough idea of how much. On Monday the painter arrives to find three tins of the wall colour, not five, the woodwork in a finish the customer did not mean to order, and the wallpaper for the hall still in transit. The customer thought they had ordered enough.
The painter does the prep, then waits. You either leave and come back, losing the booking, or sit on a half day and try to fill it.
Why customer-supplied jobs go wrong
Many customers want to choose and buy premium paint or paper themselves, which is reasonable. But they do not know the quantities, the right finish for each surface, or the lead times, and the decorator is not told what was ordered until the morning of the job.
- Customers are given rough quantities or none at all.
- Finish and product for each surface are not written down.
- Lead times on designer ranges and wallpaper are not considered.
- Nobody checks what arrived before the start date.
- Your terms on customer-supplied materials are not clear.
What it costs you
Lost painter days, rearranged diaries that push other customers back, extra trips, and sometimes an awkward conversation about who pays for the wasted day. Wrong finishes can end up on the wall because nobody wants to stop the job.
Customer-supplied jobs also blur who is responsible for what. If a customer bought a paint that does not suit the surface, or a paper that needs a special paste, and the result disappoints, the conversation about why is awkward. Clear lists and terms from the start make it plain what you recommended and what the customer chose.
And the diary suffers beyond the one job. When a start is lost because materials are missing, the painter needs another job to go to that day, and the customer whose job moves needs to be told. A problem found three days earlier is a small rearrangement. Found at eight on the morning, it is a lost day.
The materials check we build
- When a customer chooses to supply materials, they receive a clear list from your survey: product, colour, finish, quantity in the tin sizes available, and wallpaper rolls from the pattern calculation.
- The customer marks items as ordered, with the expected delivery date, through a simple link.
- Reminders go out in good time before the start date if items are not ordered or delivery dates look late.
- A few days before the start, the customer is asked to confirm delivery and send a photo of the labels, which are checked against the list.
- If something is missing or wrong, the office sees it in time to move the booking or order the difference.
- Your terms for customer-supplied materials are included in the quote, so expectations are clear from the start.
| Check | When |
|---|---|
| List sent | When the quote is accepted |
| Ordered | Customer confirms with dates |
| Reminder | If not ordered in time |
| Delivered and correct | Photo of labels before start |
| Problem | Office alerted, booking reviewed |
Starts that actually start
Customers order the right quantities and finishes because they have a clear list. Problems show up days before the start, not on the morning. The painter arrives to everything on site. And customers who supply their own materials become less of a risk to your diary.
Is this happening on your jobs?
- Painters arrive to find customer materials missing or short.
- Wrong finishes have been bought by customers.
- You give customers rough quantities only.
- Nobody checks materials before the start date.
- Your terms do not cover customer-supplied materials.