A reader we're calling "Connie" is in the
process of finding a contractor to re-design her master bathroom. She and her
partner have met with several contractors and have chosen one whose plan and
bid seem attractive and whose references from other customers seem stellar.
As part of the bid, the contractor included allowances
for fixtures and finishes for the bathroom, everything from the floor tiles and
towel racks to the sink faucets and countertops. The contractor made clear to
Connie that the allowance was only an estimate based on average costs from
previous jobs. If she chose more expensive fixtures and finishes, the cost
would be more. If they were less expensive, then the overall cost of the
bathroom would reflect those savings.
"I'm a bit concerned because our contractor told us
he uses a particular showroom in town," Connie writes. He recommended that
she and her partner visit the showroom and work with the contractors contact
there to order materials. He assured Connie that even if an item doesn't appear
in the showroom, his contact would be able to help find and order any items she
needed for the bathroom.
"I'm pretty sure I can find many of the items I need
for the bathroom online for less money," writes Connie. "But the
contractor seemed pretty clear he works with this particular showroom
contact."
Connie wants to know if it would be wrong to insist that
the contractor use materials purchased someplace other than the showroom he
recommended. "I don't want to do anything to jeopardize the project,"
she writes.
As someone who has experience working with contractors
over the years, I know how difficult it can be to find a reliable contractor.
Heck, I still rue the day three years ago that my plumber of more than 30 years
finally decided to retire and I'm still looking for a plumber I can regularly
rely on to return phone calls and show up to the house when an issue is beyond
my capacity to repair while referencing a YouTube video and advice from Zack at
the local hardware store.
It's understandable that Connie wants to maintain a good
relationship to her new contractor. But she shouldn't forget that she is the
customer and he is working for her. He will still make most of his money from
the labor he puts into the job, regardless of where Connie gets her fixtures
and finishes.
If Connie believes she can get better materials at a
better price on her own rather than purchasing through the contractor's
preferred showroom and she's willing to put the work in to finding the stuff,
she should do so.
The right thing would be for her to let the contractor
know of her plans and to ask him if he has any issue with her doing this or if
there is anything he believes she should try to avoid in choosing materials and
placing orders.
It would have been good for the contractor to make this
possibility clear to Connie from the outset. While a showroom can be a good way
for a customer to cut down on the time it takes to find all the materials
needed for a bathroom renovation, it's certainly not the only way.
Jeffrey L. Seglin, author of The Right Thing: Conscience, Profit and Personal Responsibility in Today's Business and The Good, the Bad, and Your Business: Choosing Right When Ethical Dilemmas Pull You Apart, is a lecturer in public policy and director of the communications program at Harvard's Kennedy School.
Follow him on Twitter: @jseglin
Do you have ethical questions that you need answered? Send them to rightthing@comcast.net.
Do you have ethical questions that you need answered? Send them to rightthing@comcast.net.
(c) 2019 JEFFREY L. SEGLIN. Distributed by TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
1 comment:
As someone who also depends on contractors, I’ve found that dependable reputable contractors who guarantee both parts and the labor involved prefer working with suppliers who can provide dependable parts at a fair price. I’ve supplied parts before to contractors with the understanding that if the parts fail, I’m either responsible for getting the refund or replacement of the warranted item and any labor involved in the removal and/or reinstallation. Keep in mind that contractors who have parts and labor warranties are building that potential into the overall cost of the process while trying to still remain competitive with quality materials.
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