The Polite House
The Polite House: For the Pros — How to Manage Chatty Clients
Work lagging because there’s too much distraction from your client? Here are ways to courteously handle the situation
It’s best to be honest with your client, but also show your gratitude while making it clear that moving forward with a different M.O. would be good. “Kathy, I wanted to thank you so much for always offering us coffee and snacks. As nice as it is, I’m noticing that it’s distracting the crew from keeping to the schedule. I’d hate for the project to run longer because we’re enjoying your hospitality.”
If she’s insistent, you can always suggest limiting the coffee and treats to once a week. If she’s someone you do enjoy talking to, you might want to build some time into your workday to chat with her. This gives you the opportunity to say, “Right now we’ve got to get this tile installed, but I can chat with you about that while we set up tomorrow morning.”
If you need to make it clear to your client that you must focus on the work, it’s OK to do so: “I need to give this my full attention right now.”
If she’s insistent, you can always suggest limiting the coffee and treats to once a week. If she’s someone you do enjoy talking to, you might want to build some time into your workday to chat with her. This gives you the opportunity to say, “Right now we’ve got to get this tile installed, but I can chat with you about that while we set up tomorrow morning.”
If you need to make it clear to your client that you must focus on the work, it’s OK to do so: “I need to give this my full attention right now.”
However, some clients, especially those who work from home, may not feel comfortable with a totally silent relationship with a crew that comes into their home and workspace each day. I often get questions about whether it’s necessary to say hello to the people you work with when you arrive at work.
I recommend doing so, as it shows a simple, courteous awareness of the people around you. This might be all the client is trying to establish. So exchanging a few niceties in the morning may be a simple way to engage your client without the need for a full-blown kaffeeklatsch.
What’s your question? To submit a question on etiquette around the house for Lizzie Post, send an email with the subject line “The Polite House” to edit@houzz.com.
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I recommend doing so, as it shows a simple, courteous awareness of the people around you. This might be all the client is trying to establish. So exchanging a few niceties in the morning may be a simple way to engage your client without the need for a full-blown kaffeeklatsch.
What’s your question? To submit a question on etiquette around the house for Lizzie Post, send an email with the subject line “The Polite House” to edit@houzz.com.
More
Survive Your Home Remodel: 11 Must-Ask Questions
See more from The Polite House
I have been working on a remodel for a couple of weeks, and the woman who hired us works from home. We’ve been doing well maneuvering around each other, but she’s killing us with kindness. She is always offering coffee or something to eat. Don’t get me wrong — it’s nice to have someone be so kind and generous, but I’ve got two issues: 1. I don’t want her to think this has to be offered every day (it’s going to be an eight-week project at least). 2. It’s taking up my time and my crew’s time. She will often start talking while she pours the coffee. I don’t want to be rude, but this is a bit much.
This is a tough one. When someone’s generosity is problematic, you’re right to want to handle it delicately. Some people feel the need to host no matter who is visiting, even if it’s someone they’ve hired. It’s lovely that your client is offering coffee and snacks, and it’s certainly nice to have a friendly conversation, but I agree that when it’s every day, this could easily start taking away from work time.