A recent thread spoke of contractors who, it was claimed, wildly overcharged for an after-hours service call. Why, if the work was declined, then the customer got billed for diagnosing the problem!

I think we've all experienced the customer who loves us ... right up to the moment the bill is presented. What can then follow is often a nightmare of hurt feelings, hard feelings, complaints to the Contractors' board, etc.

So ... How do you prevent this lose/lose drama from happening?