If you're a contractor who has been in business for a while, chances are you've probably got a few unbelievable stories to share, whether it's about difficult clients with unreasonable demands, lots of money that was needlessly lost due to oversights, or just plain funny stories from your time in the field.

In this article, we've collected some of our craziest, most off-the-wall stories we've heard from our more than 950,000 clients, including some from our CEO who was a contractor for decades before founding ConstructionOnline^™.

7 Nightmare Chronicles from Our Clients:

Here is a list of our most outrageous and funny stories we've heard from our hundreds of thousands of clients worldwide:

1. $200,000 in Unpaid Change Orders That No One Knew About!

When one of our product specialists went to an onsite training for one of our clients, we were able to quickly calculate that they had over $200,000 in unpaid change orders that until that point, no one was aware of.

Can you imagine finding out that your construction business owes $200,000 because of something that was easily preventable with proper organization and financial management?

With change order software like ConstructionOnline's, you'll never be blind sighted by financial oversights like our client was, because you'll have access to state of the art change order management that lets the entire team see what COs have been paid, which ones still need to be paid, and how COs are affecting your project budget using easy-to-understand financial dashboards.

2. Daily Logging Book Flew off a Truck on the Highway!

One of our product specialists talked with a client who had originally called in to inquire about our software after their daily logging notebook flew off the top of their truck while they were driving.

They had forgotten it was still on their vehicle!

Can you imagine weeks or months worth of work being lost forever because of a preventable error like that?

This story goes to show the importance of having secure storage for your most precious project data, like ConstructionOnline's daily logging software, which keeps all of your reports easily recorded, organized by date, and stored in a centralized safe place.

Besides, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to forget a software product on the top of your truck!

3. Using Electrical Tape & Whiteboards to Create Entire Project Schedules!

Instead of using a much more manageable online Gantt chart to schedule their project timelines, a client of ours was using electrical tape on multiple whiteboards to create a visual representation of the various project schedules.

Can you imagine the wasted time and money spent on making schedules on whiteboards in the digital age where everyone is expecting things to move at the speed of light?

Not to mention the hassle that probably went into moving around all that electrical tape whenever there was a project delay.

With ConstructionOnline's OnPlan^™ Scheduling software, your team can create, manage, and share project schedules within seconds using critical-path scheduling. You'll get access to tools like Gantt Charts, Schedule Baselines, Task Reminders, and more.

4. Managing Large-Scale Projects With Manilla Folders, and Then Losing 5 of Them!

Remember the client with the electrical tape and whiteboards? Well that same client was also using multiple manilla folders and hundreds of paper documentation to manage entire projects. This included everything from plans to crucial financial data that all had to be manually updated.

Well, when this client found our software, he had reached a breaking point after accidentally losing 5 of those envelopes, which prevented him from finishing those projects.

Imagine having to tell your client that you can't complete their project because you lost a manilla folder somewhere!

Needless to say, big mistakes like that can cause you to lose credibility in the industry and lose tons of money.

If you're looking for a free, simple way to start managing projects that won't require keeping up with hundreds of sheets of paper, you can download download our free, reusable construction estimate templates for residential, commercial, and CSI 16 division projects by clicking the button below:

5. Taking 2 Years Just to Select a Dishwasher!

We have a client whose client took over 2 years just to select a dishwasher!

And why did it take 2 whole years? Because there was a lack of clear communication between our client and our client's client about types of dishwashers to choose from, and more importantly a deadline for selecting the appliance.

Plus, if this client was taking over 2 years just to select a dishwasher, can you imagine the other scheduling and deadline issues that were probably happening in addition to that? I don't even want to think about it!

If they had been using our easy-to-use client selection software, which automates client selections to improve communication and finish projects faster, we could’ve made this a much simpler and quicker process for our client with tools like deadline reminders and multiple appliance choices to select from.

6. When Heavy Rain Ruins a “Waterproof” Logging Notebook!

One client of ours was documenting daily logs in a supposedly waterproof notebook, until one day it rained heavily and they lost two weeks worth of logs. So much for “waterproof!”

Losing weeks worth of essential project data because of a preventable mishap like that is a terrible excuse for the potential lost profit and project delays that can follow.

I mean, imagine having to tell your client that in the digital age when everything is easily accessible, you've lost 2 weeks worth of daily logs because it rained on your notebook.

That is not a good look!

If you need a simple way tracking each project's daily logs, check out our simple, intuitive daily logging software, which allows your team to create detailed daily logs from the field and the office.

7. Client’s Son Backed Into the Newly Built Garage!

This story comes directly from our CEO, Michael Stevens.

Michael, who was a contractor for decades before founding ConstructionOnline, once had a client who insisted they fix the garage wall after the client’s teenage son accidentally backed the car into it after the project had been completed, even though a change of that nature was not specified anywhere in the contract.

Talk about demanding client requests

Luckily, Michael and his team had the original contract and documentation to prove that they were not liable to fix that issue, but can you imagine the lost profit and potential legal trouble that could've happened if no one had the appropriate documentation to show?

With documentation tools like our file and photo management software, plus a host of other ways you can store important project data, you'll never have to wonder about finding the appropriate documentation again - it will all be available at the click of a button.

Could you relate to any of the nightmare stories our clients have had? Or worse, are you currently experiencing issues like any of the above?

If so, let's put a stop to the mayhem by scheduling your free demo of ConstructionOnline. Just click the button below to get started!