When I give a customer a completion date, in my job, I honor it. If I can not it is for good reason and the customer is advise what that reason is, not some bull shit story to cover my butt. I add extra time into each job trying to anticipate delays and problems expected in completion. I expect the same when I go to other professionals. If you want to be a professional, then act like one and treat others the same.
The problem is that some people talk off the top of their heads and don't take time to really figure the job right in both time and money terms. Underestimate a job, to the point you can not make money doing it and it will never get done. Fail to consider other jobs promised and in process and it will never get done. Once a deadline is missed and it becomes harder to start and finish a job. Human nature.
When I deal with gun smith doing work for me I ask all the usual questions. But my work is all elective so time really does not matter to me that much. Do the job right, charge me what you quote me, unless it gets worse than expected. It happens I know. Don't tell me six weeks and end up being a year. Don't quote me a grand and bill me two grand unless you can explain it well and have warned me about the problems when found. Then I am a happy man.
