Cheap Customers

Despite our ongoing efforts to be the cheapest painters in town, we occasionally run into a customer that wants to pay even less than what we charge. Such customers typically have some creative ideas on how they can save more money.

We had one customer who had paint left over from when she painted her living room. We explained that it was clearly labeled interior paint, and we couldn't in good conscience use it. So she poured it into another can and wrote "exterior paint" on the outside. Everyone was happy then.

Another customer wanted a discount if she provided lunch for the crew. She had overcooked a roast and figured this would be better than simply throwing it out. We passed on that offer.

Then there was the lady who wanted to trade a bunch of hand made blankets for a paint job. These were pretty blankets mind you, but I really didn't want to try to sell them. Then we'd have to rename our company Captain Otto's Painting, Seafood, and Blankets, and that would just be plain silly.

My all-time favorite was the guy who wanted to help with the work. He had ladders, a spray rig, and everything else. He wound up applying every single drop of paint. One of the crew held the ladder for him while the others dug holes in the yard.

Captain Otto

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