Finally stopped trying to explain fencing specs to homeowners

I used to go into full detail about gauge thickness and post spacing with every customer. Then last summer a lady in Renton cut me off mid-sentence and said 'just put up the white one that costs the least.' Now I give them the short version and let them pick from a chart. Has anyone else found that most people just want a number and a color?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantmartinez15d ago

'Just put up the white one that costs the least' is basically the universal motto of this job. I swear I once spent 20 minutes explaining how galvanized steel vs aluminum holds up in our rain, and the guy just stared at his phone and muttered 'whatever, man.' Now I just hand them the laminated chart with three options and point to the middle one. They pick it every time. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother stocking the premium stuff when 90% of people treat fence shopping like they're ordering takeout.

jordan_webb15d ago

You ever notice how people just glaze over when you start talking about actual quality? I had a guy the other day ask me to rip out a fence his buddy just put in because the posts were already leaning. I asked what kind of wood he used and he just shrugged. People think a fence is a fence until it falls over on a windy Tuesday. @grantmartinez you're right, they treat it like picking a soda from the cooler. I don't even bother explaining the good stuff anymore, I just nod and scribble down whatever cheap option they want. Saves my breath for the jobs where the customer actually cares about keeping their dog in the yard.

king.aaron15d ago

@grantmartinez you nailed it with the soda cooler comparison. Next time someone says "just the white cheap one" I'm gonna hand them a menu with chicken tenders and a burger on it.