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That time a customer called me out for using the wrong shingle nail pattern
Last summer I had a homeowner in Des Moines watch me put down Owens Corning Duration shingles and he called me out for skipping the 6-nail pattern on the first row. I'd been doing 4 nails for years like my old man taught me, but he pulled up a manufacturer PDF on his phone showing the wind warranty requires 6 nails within 12 inches of the ridge. Now I do 6 on every starter row and the first course. Anyone else had a customer school them on their own trade?
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stella_scott965d ago
Nah, happens to the best of us. Pride's a killer.
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wesleyflores5d ago
Wait is pride really that big of a deal though? I mean yeah getting too full of yourself can be annoying but people mess up all the time without it being some huge character flaw. Sometimes it's just a mistake and you move on. I feel like we overthink this stuff way too much. Most people aren't sitting there plotting how to be proud, they're just living their lives.
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colescott4d ago
@wesleyflores it's not even about pride half the time, it's just the embarrassment of getting caught slipping in front of a client. Had a similar thing happen with a gutter install last fall where the homeowner pulled up the manufacturer spec on drip edge overlap while I was mid-job. Made me double check everything for the rest of the week. At least that homeowner was cool about it, just wanted it done right. Better to learn from those moments than get defensive about it.
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