{"id":777,"slug":"gc-distrust-of-clients-scope-payment-decisions","title":"GC-side distrust of clients (often missed) — scope creep, payment delays, decision paralysis, designer-vs-owner conflicts","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","candid-team"],"topics":["trust-signals","gc-vertical"],"reference_body":"**Synthesis:** If a website pitch only addresses homeowner anxiety, it misses half the conversation. GCs voice equally strong distrust of clients:\n\n- **Scope creep** — \"while you're here, can you also…\"\n- **Payment delays** — the client who quibbles on the final 10% deficiency holdback for 90 days.\n- **Decision paralysis** — selections process stalls; GC carries labour cost.\n- **Designer-vs-owner conflicts** — interior designer specifies; owner countermands; GC eats the change.\n\n**Source for the pattern:** Contractor Evolution podcast (Breakthrough Academy) — recurring episodes on qualification: *\"Not every inquiry is worth pursuing. Effective discovery should quickly determine whether the project fits your service area, budget range and timeline.\"*\n\n**Implication for Candid:** A GC website is also a client-filtering tool. Pricing transparency, published process steps, design-fee disclosure (Pioneer Craftsmen's \"we don't offer free quotes; design fee is 5% of project budget\" is the model) are filters not deterrents.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[]},"created_at":"2026-05-23T21:58:32.584Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T21:58:32.584Z"}