Bristle at the idea that broom is the "only real answer" for every outdoor slab, because that's the rule that got you into a fight with a paying customer. Slope does way more for water than texture ever will, so a trowel finish with a good pitch away from the house and a proper mix will shed rain just as well as broom. Her neighbor's walk holds puddles because somebody poured it flat, not because it was troweled. Keep the broom for the driveway if you like it, but sell people on slope and mix first and let texture be their call, since a finish the homeowner hates is a callback waiting to happen even if it does shed water.

I used to flip mine twice out of pure habit and swore it made no difference, but after trying one flip on a slower night the patties stayed way juicier. His advice probably holds up on most flat tops, not just that one spot.