Firms should view customers with discernment
By DAVID FLAUM

In 40 years as a contractor, Charles Avery got burned two or three times a year by people who didn't pay him for completed work

Now retired, Avery handled a job recently for his daughter's company, Avery-Gilliam Homes, that matched some of his experiences in business. The owner of the home refused to pay the final $1,200 on the job -- for items added by agreement during the project -- claiming the work was not done to his satisfaction. The company is still trying to collect.

Avery has experienced worse in his career -- customers he called "total deadbeats" -- and he suggested an agency such as the Better Business Bureau, which keeps track of complaints against businesses, also could keep tabs on consumers. In the meantime, he and other...
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