Is my consultant a ****?

[The Client]

I need some advice.

I've got this client who has turned out to be a big ****. He has been pestering me to let him provide his services for the longest time. Gifts, expensive dinner, drinks, the whole thing.

Eventually, I gave in and let him visit my office and make his case. It was pretty typical, but I've seen bigger and more impressive presentations before. It was over much quicker than I expected too. But he's a real small time guy and I wanted to help him out.

We agreed to work together on the occasional project. A simple, tidy arrangement with no major strings attached.

But that wasn't good enough for him. He kept wanting to probe around for more work. He insisted on visiting the waste facility out back. I told him no! Honestly, we haven't been taking care of things back there. There's probably a violation or two. We haven't even cut the grass back there in a month. He was so persistant! But I was able to push him away that time.

Fast forward a week later. The main office was closed for several days to fix a nagging leak, so he insisted in visiting our head office to try to work up there. Eventually, they swallowed their pride and gave him a little grudging attention, figuring he'd take the hint.

The main office is back open, and he's at it again. More meals, more drinks, more begging. Eventually, in a moment of indiscretion, I let him in around back. He didn't seem to mind the mess, in fact he was excited by it, even though he puked at the end. The whole situation made me up tight, but again, he finished very quickly so it could have been worse.

Then after this was over, he went straight to the front office, filthy as can be, and showed how bad the conditions out back had deteriorated and how filthy it was. I'm sure he wanted to report me to the boss. That ******** left the head office a total mess.

This **** screwed me, he screwed me real hard. I'll never work with him again, in fact I told him he could go screw himself.

I don't know what to do. This isn't the first time some **** has screwed me either. I feel like such a ***** sometimes.

 

[FLBuff PE]

Yes, he's a ****.

 

[Chucktown PE]

:appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl:

HOF material right there.

 

[Dexman PE]

No, I think you're just being a little over sensitive. Give the guy another shot. Who knows, your head office might actually like to get dirty once in a while too. Maybe remind them of their old college days when anything was possible.

 

[Chucktown PE]

Have you thought about possibly removing the carpet in the front offices? Most consultants like it when the floors are really smooth. If your consultant had a front office with no carpet he might not even want to go in the back door in the future. You might even get a few more visits from the consultants head office.

 

[NCcarguy]

I don't think he's a ****....It sounded to me that even though you kept the area out back a mess, he was not only willing to deal with it, and possibly the smell, but offered to help get it cleaned up. Maybe even bring in another worker and the three of you could have worked together to not only get that area cleaned up, bit maybe all three of you could have found some satisfaction in a completed job???

 

[Chucktown PE]

I don't think he's a ****....It sounded to me that even though you kept the area out back a mess, he was not only willing to deal with it, and possibly the smell, but offered to help get it cleaned up. Maybe even bring in another worker and the three of you could have worked together to not only get that area cleaned up, bit maybe all three of you could have found some satisfaction in a completed job???

^^Well that begs an entirely different set of questions. Would one worker take the front entrance and one work out back concurrently. And what if they bumped into one another while they were working. There are all kinds of frightening scenarios that could go on there. I would recommend that the consultants wear biohazard suits if they're going to engage in this kind of work where you have two consultants working on site at the same time. 1. If the client is so filthy that they need two consultants on site at the same time, the site must be pretty filthy and 2. You don't know where that other consultant has been working.

 

[Dark Knight]

Just when I thought I have seen eveything and there was no way in heck for this to get worst.

 

[FLBuff PE]

^Never underestimate the members of this forum. DK.

 

[Dexman PE]

Don't worry Chuck, I have seen multiple videos online that demonstrate the "How to's" of clients willing to deal with multiple workers. Some show how to hold conference meetings involving the head office, front lobby, the rear facilities, as well as field offices contributing a hand or two.

 

[FLBuff PE]

^ :appl:

 

[Chucktown PE]

Don't worry Chuck, I have seen multiple videos online that demonstrate the "How to's" of clients willing to deal with multiple workers. Some show how to hold conference meetings involving the head office, front lobby, the rear facilities, as well as field offices contributing a hand or two.

Dude, that's a lot of consultants, and I understand it's possible. I'm just saying I wouldn't want to be a consultant working in that environment. I'd be too worried about banging into the other consultants and whether my work was being judged as inferior to the other consultants. Although for clients like that, I suspect that it isn't the quality of consultants their after, they just want one in every door.

 

[Dexman PE]

This thread is all about the client and what they want. If the client has many available opportunities for work, it's their business. I'm not into consulting for these types of clients, but I like hearing the stories.

 

[Master slacker]

Don't worry Chuck, I have seen multiple videos online that demonstrate the "How to's" of clients willing to deal with multiple workers. Some show how to hold conference meetings involving the head office, front lobby, the rear facilities, as well as field offices contributing a hand or two.

Beware of this scenario, though. If you get too many people together at the client's offices, it'll be all jam packed with no one doors left open. This air tight situation could leave the client a little frantic.

 

[Dleg]

I've always worried about the safety issues of working with multiple consultants, too. Not to mention the liability - which consultant is liable if, say several months down the road, your client ends up creating a smaller new facility that requires additional maintenance? I suppose a proper sub-contracting procedure could arrange these things up front, but it seems unlikely that step would be taken under such hasty circumstances. But still, it might be worth a shot sometime to have someone write you up a good contract for future engagements with multiple conslutants.

 

[Dexman PE]

I've always worried about the safety issues of working with multiple consultants, too. Not to mention the liability - which consultant is liable if, say several months down the road, your client ends up creating a smaller new facility that requires additional maintenance? I suppose a proper sub-contracting procedure could arrange these things up front, but it seems unlikely that step would be taken under such hasty circumstances. But still, it might be worth a shot sometime to have someone write you up a good contract for future engagements with multiple conslutants.

Nah, it just increases the need to have your work limited to only the head office or rear facility. I'll let the other consultants in the front lobby worry about that.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I think I would prefer working for multiple clients than I would working with multiple consultants.

 

[Ble_PE]

I think I would prefer working for multiple clients than I would working with multiple consultants.

This is my preference as well. The best scenario would be to wine and dine the clients and then see if they would be willing to participate in a joint conference for a demonstration of your expertise. It's possible that the clients might want to form a partnership to work with you.

 

[Master slacker]

But still, it might be worth a shot sometime to have someone write you up a good contract for future engagements with multiple conslutants.

I think I would prefer working for multiple clients than I would working with multiple consultants.

We are talking about consulting, correct? :huh:

 

[Capt Worley PE]

The thing with multiple consultants is that someone will finish their presentation early, and may just hang around watching the other consultant's presentation, which could be akward, as well as maybe cause tempers to flare.

This could lead to a duel, and no one wants a sword fight between consultants breaking out.