The Free Market Reality Check

Construction is a free market, which means:

• Clients have options. They didn’t have to choose you. They could’ve gone with any number of competitors.
• Someone else can probably do the job just as well. (Yes, you’re special, but let’s not pretend you’re the only person who can build a house.)
• They chose you for a reason. Maybe it’s your project management style, maybe it’s your reputation, or maybe it’s just dumb luck. Either way, they picked you—don’t make them regret it.

For me, projects can last anywhere from one to three years. That’s a long relationship. And like any long relationship, there will be bumps. The key is how you handle those bumps.

The Fat & Happy Trap: When Success Makes You Forget

Let’s be real—the past decade has been good for construction. Business has been booming. And when times are good, customer service can start to slide because we start thinking we’re untouchable. (Spoiler: We’re not.)

When business is slow, we’re all about customer service, communication, and making things right. But when business is rolling in? Suddenly, it’s easier to justify pushing back, ignoring emails, or telling a client, “That’s not my problem.” Maybe you don’t buy a Lambo, sure, but how many out there have gotten that jet ski or snowmobile?

Nick never fell into that trap. He kept the same mindset whether business was booming or slow. His mindset regardless of success was to serve every client the same way.

I, on the other hand, am naturally more combative. If I feel like a client is being unreasonable, my instinct is to push back. But here’s the reality:

• Clients get stressed. They’re investing a ton of money.
• Clients can be rude. Stress makes people jerks.
• Clients can cost you money. They ask for things outside the scope, and sometimes you have to eat the cost.

But at the end of the day, the client is always right. If you build your company around that principle, you’ll stay busy in the good times and the bad.

The Culture Problem: Toxic Complaints Spread Like Mold

This leads this article to the one key point I hope to leave us with. Here it is:

As your company grows, your employees will mirror your attitude toward clients. If they hear you venting about a difficult client, they’ll start to adopt that mindset, and before you know it, customer service goes out the window.

I struggle with this myself. It’s so easy to sit around with my team and complain about a frustrating project. But when I do that, I’m poisoning the well. Instead of fostering a culture of “the customer is always right,” I’m creating a culture of bitching about clients instead of serving them. This leads to feelings of self-importance and disregard. It has zero chance of producing better client responsiveness from your team and usually ends up catalyzing poor client interactions over time. Do not give in to the temptation.

Conclusion: They Chose You—Act Like It Matters

At the end of the day, the customer chose you. They didn’t have to. But they did. And your job—no matter how frustrating it gets—is to make them feel like they made the right choice.

• If they ask for something small? Just do it.
• If they’re being difficult? Keep your cool.
• If it costs you money? See it as an investment in reputation.

Because whether business is booming or brutal, people remember who took care of them. And those are the businesses that last decades—not just a good run until the next downturn.