Client Horror Stories

Today, Aleks Krylov, President of Stern Gutters, shares a Client Horror Story that dragged on for months.

In October of last year, a retired woman contacted his team to install gutter protection at her home. By the first week of November, the installation was complete, and the final bill was charged.

Just days later, Aleks began receiving emails and phone calls from the client claiming the technician had caused damage—breaking a patio lamp and chipping paint beneath the gutters. The technician firmly denied the allegations, noting he hadn’t even accessed those areas and that such damage was physically impossible.

When the client realized her credit card had been charged for the balance, she became furious and demanded a full refund. Taking it further, she filed a dispute with the bank. Aleks responded with all the required documentation and ultimately won the case. After that, the customer went completely silent.

Six months later, in April, the client’s husband finally reached out, offering to be home after Memorial Day to resolve the matter. Aleks and his team handled the situation, and on June 3rd, the project was officially closed.

Tune in to hear how Aleks navigated this long ordeal—and the lessons he learned about patience, persistence, and professionalism along the way.

Morgan Friedman
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Today's horror story is a little different—it focuses not on a client, but on our speaker himself: Ron Reich, Founder of RLB Training & Development.

Years ago, while working at an HR consulting firm, Ron received a surprising call from someone in Dallas who told him he was "the opposite of what he said he was." Odd as it sounded, the call turned out to be life-changing—the man was offering Ron an opportunity to become a trainer and facilitator at Toshiba, a dream role he had long aspired to.

Soon after, Ron was tasked with leading a five-day product knowledge sales training class. While he excelled at the training aspect, his lack of product knowledge quickly showed. By day three, two attendees walked out, and Ron was later berated by his boss's boss for being unprepared.

The painful experience became a defining lesson for him: no matter how skilled you are, preparation is everything. Tune in to hear how Ron turned this low point into a cornerstone of his growth as a leader and trainer.

Morgan Friedman

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In today's Client Horror Stories episode, Wes Towers, founder of Uplift360, shares a time when his good intentions as a leader took an unexpected turn.

After years of working closely with one of his team leaders, Wes noticed the employee had grown bored and uninspired in their role. Wanting to reignite their passion, he brought in a bold new project they'd never tackled before: building a niche dating website. Excited for the challenge, the team leader eagerly accepted.

But just weeks into the project, everything unraveled—the team leader suddenly quit, leaving Wes to finish the work. Overnight, he was forced to shoulder the entire project alone, navigating steep challenges and unexpected roadblocks.

Wes's story is a powerful reminder of the risks—and rewards—of pushing for growth. Tune in to see how he turned this setback into a lesson in resilience and leadership, and why sometimes the toughest challenges spark the greatest breakthroughs.

Morgan Friedman

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Jody Durand, author of Country Boy Soul, shares a heartbreaking chapter of his life—navigating a failing business, a troubled marriage, the sudden loss of his mother, and ultimately, bankruptcy.

In 1999, with no experience outside of farming, Jody was invited by a friend to help manage a U.S. call center selling cell phones, with the promise of becoming a shareholder. Trusting the vision, he invested $120,000—money borrowed from relatives and secured against his future. Despite early red flags, like being denied access to company sites and relying on a single partner for all leads, he pressed on with hope.

The business stumbled from the start. Sales were dismal, payments from the partner company were delayed and short, and Jody poured in more money—including his retirement savings—just to keep the doors open. Within months, he found himself drained financially and emotionally, stuck in a cycle of diminishing returns.

Yet even in the midst of collapse, Jody eventually recognized he didn’t have to keep digging a deeper hole. His story, though filled with hardship, is also one of redemption and resilience. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Morgan Friedman

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Today, we welcome Tom Elliott—Corporate Event Host, Comedy Magician, and Public Speaking Coach—to share a client horror story that left a lasting mark on his career.

Eager to grow as a comedy magician, Tom began booking small theater shows of around 100 seats. After gaining traction, he was offered what seemed like his big break: a contract to perform at an 800-seat theater. Convinced this was his moment, he signed on and began selling tickets.

But reality hit hard—only 30 tickets sold. Despite rallying support from friends and acquaintances to raise it to 50, he was still forced to perform a two-hour show in front of a nearly empty auditorium. To make matters worse, the contract required him to pay the theater £350 for unmet marketing costs.

The experience left Tom totally shaken—he jokes it took him eight years of therapy to recover. Tune in to hear how he overcame this ordeal and what it taught him about resilience in both performance and business.

Morgan Friedman

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