What’s funny to me too is that I am an independent contractor, running my own business (iphone app and mobile website development). I can’t imagine treating any of my clients the way some other contractors do. I think the fact that I have my own business makes me all the more conscious of how other contractors should behave.

The tests suggested by Trent make real sense. In fact, it always makes me nervous when a new client engages with us without asking any challenging questions. Choosing a financial adviser is an incredibly important step so good due diligence is needed.

Some of the comments here seem to miss the point about what financial advisers actually do, certainly here in the UK. Our role is not about making investment recommendations to make more money than an investor could make on their own. If someone comes to me with that goal, I’m unlikely to accept them as a client.

The greatest value we add is in Financial Planning and constructing suitable investment portfolios. Of course it is possible for some people to do this themselves, assuming they have the time, knowledge and inclination.

The really good ones will easily explain things in terms you can understand. Others may struggle, but can still convey that they know what they are doing. Others will just talk themselves into a knot or say very little. Literacy and articulateness may be factors here, but you can use other clues to supplement your final opinion of their usefulness to you.

If the subject matter is completely outside your experience, read up a little. That’s what the internet is for.

I have found that this approach works for me when dealing with pretty much any profession, from electricians, to medical doctors.

If someone generalizes about what makes a good customer, per your question, they should also be allowed to state what makes for a difficult or problematic customer relationship WITHOUT that being viewed as negative.

Customers who change the job specs and want to keep the same price; customers who pay late or not at all; customers who make life hell for a vendor…these are a part of life.

I’d ask the question differently. Not, what you “expect” from a customer, but how they structure the customer relationship and ask them to go through the process. That is more important and relevant for me to know as a possible customer.

I’ve been in both positions, buying and selling business services and it is complicated. All too frequently, it’s a customer who can cause the issues and not vice versa. Consider that negative? Well, then you assume every customer is “right” even when they don’t follow or honor their end of the contract.

A few things I have learned. First, make sure the guy you were so impressed with is actually the one doing the work-sometimes aspects get sub-contracted or you have the least experienced workers coming in and the boss is off taking care of the corporate job. Second, get multiple estimates. Ask to see previous work which has been done, and talk to those who had it done. Most good workers are happy to show off their work.

A “lead” is, I know this guy who might be able to fix your furnace. A “referral” is, I can’t fix your furnace but here is the card of someone who can. A “reference” is, I did work for this person and you can call them to ask how it went.

I agree, this is a big one that was glaringly obvious to me. If the worker you are hiring is not from a bonded, licensed company, then you need to ask for references from his/her previous clients.

On the flip side, if you are a freelancer of any kind, you need to ask your clients if they are willing to give you a reference.

Most people don’t call references. I’ll never understand why.

However, if a financial service does a lousy job managing your money, barring unethical or illegal actions, there is basically no recourse to recoup either the ‘damage’ done to your investments or the fee that you have paid for managing them.

Hence I will manage my own investments, but gladly pay someone to fix my plumbing.

I wish I read that before I hired my ex-babysitter. I would add to pay attention to an over all negativity – sometimes it’s not the previous customer or employer they complain about – sometimes is just all sorts of little things that show you they are always a victim… Highly recommend avoiding the professional victims out there…

There is also Angie’s List, although like any impersonal (and potentially anonymous) Internet-based review system, I’m sure it could potentially be gamed (fake positive reviews planted) by a less-than-honest person.

When kids do it, for whatever reason, I tend to admire it more. Especially these days, so few kids have the drive to go generate work for themselves. Shoot, I was working for a local restaurant stacking wood and sweeping cigarette butts out of the parking lot for a local restaurant when I was a kid. Any kid who is willing to get dirty for some spending money is probably going to grow up to be a productive citizen.