Can this evaluation be saved? More precisely, can this evaluation be saved in such a way that both evaluator and client feel satisfied that their points of view were respected and both agree that the evaluation itself provides valid information obtained in a principled manner? Because the scenario describes a preliminary discussion and no contract has been signed, the evaluator has more options available to her now than she will have later, when contractual obligations exist. These broad options, each of which finds support within AEA's Guiding Principles, fall into three general categories. Simplistically, we might call them the "Just Say 'No'" option, the "The Customer Is Always Right" option, and the "Why Do These Things Always Happen To Me?" option. Before exploring them, however, I am going to make three assumptions about the evaluator explicit. The first is that this is an external evaluator with the authority and financial stability to make real, value-consistent choices and the second is that the evaluator's philosophical and professional allegiance to stakeholders is participatory and inclusive. Both are suggested by the evidence. The final assumption, that the evaluator is female, is arbitrary, an assumption of convenience that allows use of a personal pronoun instead of repeating "the evaluator" time after time. Finally, a note about wording: in this commentary the term "client" refers to the evaluator's client, that is, the director of the agency. The term "consumer" is used to refer to residents of the community-based facility and other recipients of mental health services.