As you’ve probably gleaned through this series of articles, the best piece of advice for setting yourself up for successful Home Improvements tasks – or any task – is communication with your client. Properly scoping the task with your client in the Task Chat is just as essential as any hard skill!
However, if you aren’t able to prevent these pitfalls through scoping the task in advance, here’s what Taskers suggest to troubleshoot.
Incorrect time estimates
Tasker Joe A. shared that one time, a client hired him to build a table to fit over a stationary bike. The client estimated the job to take 2-3 hours and stated that they were not flexible with time. Joe told them he had to design the table, obtain the lumber, use a heavy-duty saw and other critical steps to complete the task. While he was capable of achieving this, he told the client the time estimate was simply not feasible and forfeited the task. Joe does not make a habit of doing this, of course, but to provide the best experience for the client, he was honest and upfront and left a positive lasting impression.
Incorrect expectations
Tasker Lester R. shared that many clients hire him for a sense of confidence and want to feel that the Tasker is confident too. Lester steers clients toward what is reasonable and with a customer service orientation, will say “I’ll do what you’re asking, but let me tell you why I didn’t suggest it.”
When a client asked Tasker Anthony F. to mount 3 shelves around a fusebox/boiler/water tank, he let them know it was not wise to mount in that location. Anthony provided the best service by not doing a task that would be risky to undertake.
Not enough detail provided
Let’s say the client wants something done that was not included in the scope. Tasker Greg S. told us that he’s willing to look at a Home Improvements issue, such as a broken waste disposal, while on a different task. After he provides a ‘free estimate,’ he arranges with the client for them to hire him under the Home Improvements category and returns to do the repair another time. This is an excellent upselling method as well as a great to provide the client with what they need.
Client involvement is too high/too low
Some clients are very engaged in what the Tasker in their home is doing, whether out of pure curiosity and interest, or perhaps a lack of established trust if your relationship is new. If you feel the client is preventing you from being able to efficiently complete the task, you can politely let them know that you have to concentrate, and that you’ll be sure to update them at each critical juncture so they can observe the progress. Remember that you’re working in someone’s home, which is sacred ground for them, so try to respect their needs while helping them understand yours.
Something breaks
Don’t hide things and don’t be afraid of delivering bad news; propose a solution if you can. One client shared that although a Tasker ended up breaking a tap she asked him to fix, he didn’t charge her for the full duration of the task and that made her feel well taken care of. Always record important decisions or situations on the Chat thread.
Unable to complete task as scoped
James C. said he always lets clients know of existing issues, especially when hired to fix previously attempted work. He never leaves a task with a dissatisfied client. If he has to get a specific tool, James lets them know he will have to come back. If the fix is out of his area of expertise, he advises his client to hire a specialised Tasker. He acts as an expert advisor even if he himself cannot complete the task.
Greg S. was asked to change the lock on a door in a commercial building. His assessment was that the lock wasn’t the issue, it was that the client needed a specific key. Coming up with a solution that helps the client is an excellent conclusion to a task, even though it wasn’t originally scoped that way. Going above and beyond to research the right solution enabled Greg to come back and finish the task at a later date, or even advise the client about what to do and empower them to fix it themselves. A great example of a task that can be done virtually or in-person.
Troubleshooting and coming up with solutions is part of Home Improvements Taskers’ value propositions. Clients hire you because you are the expert, which means that they expect that you’ll get the task done to everyone’s satisfaction. But always set expectations that you will do your best, even if things take an unexpected turn.
