If you do anything long enough, especially working with your hands, a boo-boo is going to happen. Should this boo-boo occur on a customer's property... it could cost you.
If you visit my website, www.GudHand.com, you will be welcomed to this statement...
Here's a quick story on what that unfair advantage looks like.
Only by the randomness of chance was I able to take this picture...
Lazy Boy artwork, customer #251, May of 2021
next to
Frigidaire Stove, customer #479, December 2025
The Artwork
I was trying to wow out the mounting hole so it'd fit the diameter of the screw.
On my last hole while wowing, the drill bit, snagged the hole, and pulled the spinning drill bit through the face of the art..
Well, shit.
After closing up the hole, one would never have known it happened... especially being that it was out of the site line my short customer... But I knew about it and I couldn't not tell her.
So with the grace of a Samurai, I owned the problem and fell on the sword. I kept the bloody mess to a minimum, however, after installing 30+ pieces of art, I deducted more than half my days worth of labor to compensate for the booboo.
At this time I had been in business for a number of years without incident. Although she was my #251'st customer, it was likely my 500'th job and near my 400'th piece of art. The mathematical ratio is less than 1%.. but, first boo-boo in the books.
I wouldn't be tested again until early December 2024.
The Stove
My customers just purchased this brand new stove on a Black Friday sale after Thanksgiving this year. They also bought a stainless steel vent hood that was mounted above the stove.
While I was installing the new hood, the placement of it slipped from my hand and fell down on the top of the stove.
CRASH!
In all honesty, it frightened the shit out of me!
But once in hand I checked the stove and PHEW!!!!!!! no damage! Sweet!
I completed the install, my customer paid me with a tip no less, thanked me and I was off.
Before I rounded the corner of the neighborhood I got an "oh my gosh" text with a picture of the ding.
In a "what the hell" panic, I quickly went back to see this thing.
Sure as shit... an F'n ding.
No bigger than a damn ass dime.
Well, shit.
The stove had less than 5hrs worth of cooking on it. No discount would make this right.. which leaves one option, buying a new stove and having it installed.
Poof... suddenly it's 2.5 years and 479 customers later, floating at 1000 jobs, the boo-boo undertaker meets me yet once again.
And with that, I suddenly became the proud owner of a brand new stove...
problem was, I already HAVE A STOVE!
The silver lining to all of this, a week later, guess who called me?? Customer #251... she had another 20+ pieces of art and wanted them installed before Christmas.
It wasn't until I pulled up did I see a brand new piece of art needing to replace the wowed out one I bit through some odd years ago.... and sure as shit! as if my nemesis showed up! that damn ass hole needed more wowing out!
Thankfully, this GÜD cat learned his lesson and already had a new process to combat the drill bit biting. success!
My customer thanked me and said, I don't need this other piece of art anymore, and well, since you paid for it already, I figured I'd ask if you wanted it.
HA!
How could I say no?!
Bringing it home and placing it next to the stove was like... "Oh hey!"... I heard about you!
For me I was like, you two knock it off!
It's hard to see how much money looks like. I mean, we saw the dime above, but sitting in front of me wasn't a dime's worth...
No, that was $1,400 staring at me.
I would really have liked to keep that $1,400. There is far better to use that with, however, when you're in business, a business that leverages care for others things, the $1,400 is a no brainer expense for the cost of integrity.
Although this experience cost me $1,400... there is no price for my integrity and I'd do it again if I had to.
If you need a home service provider with a completion to boo-boo ratio is 2/1000... = .002% I got you!
Remember,
If it needs fix'n, build'n or install'n, GÜD Hands care more.
I'd be grateful to help you! :)
Sidenote, do you know anyone who's looking for a stove?! I'll sell it to you/them at a bargain!
Have a grateful week!
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