When “Not in the Scope” Becomes a Bigger Problem

BALANCING CONTRACT BOUNDARIES WITH RESPONSIBLE SERVICE

When a customer becomes frustrated with a service provider, the conversation often expands beyond the original complaint.

Suddenly, they begin mentioning other things that have not been done. Some may be valid concerns. Others may be tasks that were never included in the agreement to begin with.

That is when the phrase “not in the scope” usually comes out.

Technically, the contractor may be right. But being right does not always solve the problem.

One of the most important things a contractor can do is establish clear expectations before the work begins. It sounds simple, but that small step can prevent a great deal of stress and many uncomfortable conversations later.

Even then, there are no guarantees.

I have personally created specifications, reviewed them with the customer, received approval, and moved forward with everyone feeling confident about what had been agreed upon. Once the work began, however, the expectations started to change.

Post-construction cleaning is particularly vulnerable to this.

A building may look completely different once the dust begins to clear. Conditions that were not visible during the initial walkthrough suddenly appear. Adhesive is found on windows. Paint is discovered on flooring. Cabinets are filled with construction debris. Another trade completes its work after an area has already been cleaned.

The written specifications may not have anticipated every one of those conditions, but the customer still expects the finished building to be ready.

That puts the contractor in an uncomfortable position.

Most service providers want to take care of the customer. We want to be helpful. We want to solve the problem instead of standing there pointing at a contract.

That has always been my own objective. I do not want Total Facility Solutions to be seen only as a janitorial, maintenance, landscaping, or handyman contractor. I want us to be viewed as a resource that helps solve facility problems. In fact, that belief is where the name Total Facility Solutions came from.

But being solution-oriented does not mean that every additional request can be absorbed into the original price.

Work that was never identified usually requires additional labor. Sometimes it requires different equipment, materials, supervision, or another visit to the property. Those costs do not disappear simply because the task seems connected to the original job.

At some point, the contractor has to speak up.

The challenge is doing it without making the customer feel as though every little request comes with another charge.

That conversation does not always need to be formal or confrontational. Sometimes it can be as simple as saying:

“This was not included in the original specifications, but we can take care of it. Let’s figure out a fair way to handle the additional work.”

There are also times when meeting the customer halfway makes sense. Perhaps the customer covers the additional labor and the contractor includes the materials. Maybe one portion becomes a change order while another small item is handled as a courtesy.

Not every situation needs to become a battle over a line in the contract.

Long-term service agreements create a different version of the same problem.

A one-to-three-year contract cannot possibly predict every condition that will develop inside a building. Occupancy changes. New areas are opened. Operating hours are extended. A small request made occasionally begins happening every week.

At first, the contractor may take care of it as part of good service. That is reasonable. Relationships need some flexibility.

The problem begins when a favor quietly becomes an expectation.

After several months, the customer may honestly believe the additional task was always included. The contractor, meanwhile, has been absorbing the labor and waiting for the right time to bring it up. By then, the conversation is more difficult because the new work has already become part of the routine.

This is why the scope should be viewed as the baseline of the relationship, not something written once and forgotten in a file.

If the building changes, the agreement may also need to change.

That does not mean revising the contract every time someone asks for help moving a chair or wiping down an unexpected spill. Responsible service requires judgment. But recurring work, added areas, or significant changes in labor should be discussed before they become permanent obligations.

Customers should feel comfortable asking for help. Contractors should feel equally comfortable explaining when a request falls outside the original agreement.

That kind of honesty is not poor service. When handled properly, it protects the relationship.

Saying “that’s not in the scope” and walking away may save a few labor hours, but it can create a much larger problem. Accepting every request without discussion is not the answer either.

The better approach is somewhere in between: understand the customer’s need, explain what has changed, and find a fair way to move forward.

Clear expectations may begin with the specifications, but they are maintained through conversation.

—Sergio Perez | Total Facility Solutions, Inc.