You've booked the job for Thursday.

The client has arranged to be home. You've organised your team, allowed time for travelling and planned the rest of the week's work around it.

Then the supplier tells you the material won't arrive until Friday.

Now you've got a problem that has nothing to do with your workmanship, but it can still damage your relationship with the client.

The part that catches contractors out is assuming the supplier's problem will be understood as the supplier's problem.

From the homeowner's side, they made arrangements based on the date you gave them.

Check the stock before you promise the date

There's a difference between a supplier having stock listed on their system and your actual order being ready for collection or delivery.

If you're ordering a standard fitting that's sitting on a shelf, the risk might be small.

It's different when you're waiting for a particular gate motor component, matching bathroom tiles, a specialised geyser part or materials that need to come from another branch.

Before confirming a start date, find out whether the stock is physically available, whether it's been reserved for your order and when you can actually get your hands on it.

If you're still waiting on confirmation, tell the client.

A provisional booking is perfectly reasonable when everyone understands that it's provisional.

The trouble starts when somebody hears "Thursday" and makes their plans, while you're quietly hoping the supplier delivers on Wednesday.

Don't leave the awkward WhatsApp until tomorrow

Once you know there's a delay, say something.

You don't need a long explanation about the supplier's warehouse, delivery driver or ordering system.

The client wants to know what has changed and when you'll be able to do the work.

A message along these lines is enough:

"Hi, I've confirmed that the part we need won't be available for Thursday as planned. The supplier is expecting it on Friday, but I haven't received a confirmed delivery time yet. I'll update you once I have that and we can agree on a new installation date. Sorry for the inconvenience."

That gives the client something useful.

It also avoids the mistake of promising Friday morning when the stock is only expected to reach the supplier sometime on Friday.

If another suitable product is available, you can offer the option. Just make sure the client understands any change in specification, price, appearance or warranty before agreeing to it.

Don't install a substitute because it's what you could get.

Your schedule needs fixing too

A supplier delay can knock more than one job out of place.

If the tiler can't start, the plumber might not be able to finish. If the gate motor hasn't arrived, sending your installation team across Johannesburg achieves very little unless there's other agreed work they can complete.

Look at what can realistically be moved.

Perhaps the site preparation can still happen. Perhaps another smaller job can be brought forward. Sometimes the sensible option is to reschedule the whole thing.

Whatever you arrange, confirm it on WhatsApp so the client knows the updated plan.

And don't assume that because a customer was understanding once, they'll happily rearrange their day again.

Reliability isn't measured only when everything goes according to plan. Clients also remember whether they were kept informed when something went wrong.

A contractor can't control every supplier. You can control when you check availability, what dates you promise and how quickly you tell the client when those dates change.

Those habits matter when you're trying to build a business that gets recommended.

DadBod Contractors connects approved contractors with relevant job opportunities in their trade and service area through WhatsApp.

If you're looking to grow your contractor business, you can apply to join the DadBod network