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Question: I recommended a friend of mine who is a designer and an interior decorator to my boss’s wife. He did a great job on their new house. Everybody thinks so, but my boss’s wife. Every time she sees me, she complains and complains about everything he did. The curtains are wrong, the paint is wrong, the floors are wrong, you name it. I believe she expects me to promise that my friend would come and redo the whole thing free of charge for her, but I don’t feel it would be fair. He really did a great job, and I would trade places with her in a second. Too bad I can’t afford what she can.
Answer: You should not take it personally. If your friend did his job according to the customers’ specifications, and consulted with them along the way, he is under no obligation to redo the job. You are even less responsible for that. Your boss’s wife hired the guy because she wanted to, not because you recommended him. She also had an opportunity to change whatever he proposed in the process of decorating her home. If she is not satisfied now, when the job is finished, she still has to deal with the designer, not with you. Let her know that you are not planning to talk to him about it and change the subject every time she starts complaining. Another piece of advice: don't envy her.