There is this project that I am currently working on which I have been working on ever since I join the company last year.
My boss had sort of warned me beforehand that this couple will have a higher than usual expectations because they are downgrading from a 3 storey Bungalow to a 5 Room BTO Flat, they may have unrealistic expectations of what could be brought from their current home into their new and much smaller home, this includes existing furniture they might own, an over abundance of appliances like 3 separate fridges, and spatial ideas that exist in their current home that they would like to introduce into their new home, like an outdoor area for them to do heavy cooking.
The first meeting with them was uneventful because this was really early on and they were still many months away from getting their keys. Ideas weren't firm and they just didn't really seem to care all that much, the wife was just sharing ideas she saw from the internet, like doing a mirror TV in their toilet whilst the husband was just there, not really contributing much.
Months pass by with no updates from them, I reached out multiple times to try and schedule meetings so we could firm up on the ideas, but it wasn't until when they finally got a date from HDB for their key collection did they start to request for meetings to run through the renovation in detail. Initially it was just the 2 of them and the meetings were painful because they were of an older age and as a result were pretty forgetful, so whatever ideas that they had, which I had already told them was not possible due to space constraint, would get brought up again, and I always had to remind them that we had that discussion before and the answer to those unrealistic request of theirs was either they were not doable or I was very strongly against.
Thankfully, they eventually pulled their daughter in to assist and the discussion finally had some progress, we stopped revisiting old ideas and focused on actually planning the home according to their needs and requirements that were within reason. That being said, discussions were still not the most pleasant experience for me personally as their designer because even though we were finally on track with the daughter's involvement, the request that they had were still very extensive and we went through so many iterations before their key was officially collected, I had to update my drawings more than a dozen time before that, and after they got their keys, we went through even more rounds of changes.
Once in a while, the wife would throw in a new idea she had, sometimes the daughter would chime in and stop her, other times the daughter would agree and ask us if that was doable. And that would be fine, if not for the fact that the wife likes to keep doing last minute changes.
Keys collected, electrical wiring pulled, and then 2-3 weeks later, the wife would suddenly ask in the group chat....
"I would like to do motion sensor lights for the house."
... that is like ordering a cup of bubble tea, and after the drink has been prepared and is being sealed, you suddenly tell the tea barista...
"Oh, please make sure to only give me 20% sugar"
... bitch, what the fuck.
For the motion sensor lights, she asked if we could connect it to 2 lights in that particular space, so the motion sensor can activate both lights together, we checked with the electrician, he said it was doable, so we proceeded with it.
One of her relative who works with lights had visited the site with her last week and shared with her that the space didn't need 2 lights, so when we told her that it had already been hooked up to the motion sensor and will switch on together based on her request, her response to that was...
I then told the daughter who was also on site that I had originally only planned for 1 light in that space, but it was their relative who proposed to do 2 lights, now to suddenly tell me they need 1 light would have been the perfect time for me to sort of rub it in and tell them...
"TOLD YOU SO!"
... but the wife, being the forgetful lady that she is, bypassed that information and focused on the fact that the space is too small to need 2 lights, that they don't need both to be hooked up to the motion sensor and that she wants to have one of the lighting point either removed or disconnected from the motion sensor.
Now my colleague Yan has to arrange for the electrician to drop by the site again and do the amendments.
This was just one out of a many changes that was brought up yesterday during the site visit.
Our Kitchen Cabinets are also 80% up, the rest of the home isn't done yet, and they were already able to spot issues that they have with the carpentry, literally things that we had ran through together, design decisions and request that they made, that we had gotten their confirmation to go ahead, was met with a lot of...
"Please change this, it's such a waste of precious space."
.... granted those requested were brought up very cordially, but it still doesn't change the fact that it is annoying. My mood was NOT good after the meeting and this is something I find myself experiencing after every meeting with them, just a feeling of being so mentally exhausted because it was never really about resolving an issue, it's about exploring that issue and then instead of coming to an agreement of how to proceed, they will question that issue even more and then request for more amendments to be made.
To use the Bubble Tea as an analogy.
First Round
I want to order Milk Tea
But do I want to add Pearls or Not.
So I contemplate as I am queuing up to make my order.
Once I reach the counter, I see they have White Pearl, Grass Jelly, Pudding.
Second Round
I want to order Milk Tea
But do I want to add Pearls, White Pear, Grass Jelly or Pudding.
So I stand there and contemplate, and as I am contemplating.
Sugar level. 0% 25%, 50%, 70%, 100%
Third Round
I want to order Milk Tea
But do I want to add Pearls, White Pear, Grass Jelly or Pudding.
If I add Pears, it will have some syrup, so maybe I can just get 25% Sugar
If I add Pears, it's probably not as sweet, so maybe I can get 50% Sugar
etc. etc. etc
Ice Level....
Fourth Round
I want to order Milk Tea...
FUCK OFF.
It's like that when I am discussing the design with them, one question leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another. It is exhausting.
They also like to constantly go back and forth with ideas that they have.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?!?!
When I meet them, I always make the mistake of thinking that we are meeting to confirm things, but what ends up happening at the end of the meeting is more questions being asked than answers being given.
To date, this is probably one of the most indecisive customers I have ever worked with, even though I am usually quite hands off after the project begins it's renovation phase, I can't really let go of this because of how involved I am required when they decide to make those changes.
Yan isn't able to keep up with the changes because she is usually never involved in those design meetings, the idea is as a Designer, I am suppose to finalize all those design details, and when the renovation starts, pass those Design Details to her for her to manage the project and relay those information to the various sub-cons, which is why by right, I am no longer really involved once the renovation officially kicks off, but this couple for this project is just holding on to me with a vice like grip, especially the wife, and not letting me go.
Yan is under constant pressure because of how hard it is to keep track with all the other projects that is happening outside of this particular project, so I am also trying my best to keep her afloat with all the latest changes.
The next one month is going to be tough. I really just want this project to be done so I can have a mental break. I cannot imagine taking on a renovation of this level on my own as a Sales Designer because I will be extremely overwhelmed and probably just quit midway through.
