Me too ... If the direction and floor plan allow for it, I will try to install up to, but not into, any hall and bedroom closets and back-fill them dead last to use up the shorts. Not a cure-all but a handy tip.

Customer expectations can seemingly never get discussed up front enough. IMO If the installer cared about the customer, I'm sure he could have communicated the discovered delimma with them and they may have chosen to await replacement flooring and patiently deal with the inconvenience of a delay smack dab in the middle of the job, rather than have a permanent eye-sore.
A little pride in your chosen profession and a little care for someones home goes a long way.