Rethinking This One

I have a client who is making me crazy. Every time she asks for advice, I provide it. And then she argues that I am wrong. Plus, she doesn't quit until I give in. I don't think she means to be arguing, but yea, she is. Example:

Client: Do think I should remove the shelves in the office.

Me: Yes, it makes the room look small. Plus, you have termites in this room. And you need to replace the flooring in there anyway, so they will have to be moved out for this to be done. Additionally, the painter will need to remove them when the walls are painted.

Client: I like the shelves. We put them in. They are useful. Plus, the handyman said they look good.

Me: If you want to keep them there, that's fine. It is your call.

Client: I don't want to remove them. Do you think I should?

This bit of swirling dialog went on too long until I finally just agreed, yep, keep the termite infested shelves in there and pay a carpet installer to move them out of the way when they replace the flooring and have the painter paint around them.

When this looks like garbage, who will she blame? Plus, she isn't really all that nice about it. Her counter comments come with phrases such as, "I would think someone in YOUR position would know better than to take shelves out..." Other such barbs are often and never masked by her. Yep, she's a bitch.

She asks me for advice on everything related to her home. However, every consideration from me is wrong, because her experts are fix and flip shows and her cousin's best friend's brother-in-law. What's worse, is I am seeing every decision she can make as a bad one. Today, while at her house (she is 3,000 miles away) I commented that the ceiling fans are old and rickety. She said they are "industrial grade and we put them in when we bought the house 20 years ago," and therefore I don't know what I am talking about.

To be fair, I am on the verge of firing her. Because I am not feeling well, I have opted to wait until next week to make this determination. I need more space between this latest bit of lunacy and when I talk to her again. But I happen to know not all clients are created equal. And if she is this much work in the honeymoon phase, I doubt it will get better.