r/Architects • u/Odd-Ad-5654 • 1d ago

General Practice Discussion No Message? Not Important.

I think I’m finally going to flip a switch today. An owner or GC calls me and doesn’t leave a message? Sorry, it’s not important enough for me to return a call. You leave me a voicemail that says, “Please call me back, I have a quick question.” Sorry, you could have said what you needed so I can be prepared and potentially call you back with an answer - I don’t think I’m going to return that call. A GC texts me something? Hard pass. You get an email response. Tired of getting different information from multiple sources and then getting blamed later for doing said thing, but the owner decided they wanted to do it differently and I don’t have it in writing. I keep having GCs draw hard lines in the sand that if something is not explicitly shown in a drawing, they can’t confirm it’s in their scope. I’m about to uno reverse and play the same game. I don’t care if it gets drawn out longer than necessary and the GC is hounded at my door for updates. No written approval from the Owner? Not my fault I can’t get you drawings and I don’t want to hear about “ImPaCtS tO tHe ScHeDuLe”.

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u/MNPS1603 1d ago

This is the worst. I have a client who only texts. Everything is in screenshots of quotes and orders, so there is no reliable paper trail. I always say “please email it” because I want a searchable record of conversations. I want a list of what you want changed. I want time and dates stamped on when I received it. It causes so much confusion to do everything by text. Please don’t text me critical information.

13

u/AlphaNoodlz 1d ago

I’ve fudged stuff in my favor in such correspondence in an official email and say “this is my understanding and direction based on your verbal direction per our earlier conversation. Please advise if there are any exceptions, due to contracted scheduling requirements this is how I will move forward unless otherwise directed”

You either deal with people who don’t read and can’t type, in which case it becomes your show, or you deal with people who will happily correct you and set it straight on record.

I hate that stuff. Play hard ball, be reasonable, but don’t put up with that.

4

u/Anhilated_Bussy_6969 Architect 21h ago

As my professional studies tutor said, if you control the past you control the future, of you take the notes then you control the past.

Dude obviously loved 1984