customer called back at midnight because his 'custom' shelf collapsed on his cat

so i'm finishing up a built-in bookshelf install for this guy in the chicago area, using some 3/4" plywood from home depot and pocket screws with my kreg jig. everything's level, secured to the studs with 3" grabber screws, and i even added some extra bracing because he loaded it with heavy books right away. next morning he texts me it's fine, but then at 2am he calls pissed saying the whole damn thing fell and his cat's limping. turns out he decided to hang his coat rack off the top shelf like i told him not to, and it pulled the whole face frame loose. smh, had to go out there at dawn to fix it for free just to keep the review positive. anyone else dealt with clients who ignore basic instructions? saw a similar rant in the contractors network group the other day.

fml, had a lady do the same with a deck railing i built. she tied a hammock to it and wondered why it sagged. cost me a full rebuild.

use a simple addendum in your contract stating no modifications without approval. saves headaches every time.

sounds like he needed a lesson in load-bearing. next time quote an engineering consult for picky clients like that.

PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS. we all know it, insurance companies bank on it. screw the free fix, charge T&M for stupidity.

proud of you for handling it quick. i once turned a midnight call into a $2k upcharge by showing up professional and documenting everything. client paid up and gave me referrals.