Customer problem...advice needed.
-
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:06 pm
- Location: Chester
-
- Posts: 884
- Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:28 pm
- Location: Reading
Agree with all the above. The burden of proof is with her.
A few years ago a client (who was nutty as a fruit cake) discovered a ring missing and, because our labourer was on his own clearing up on the day of the discovery, she accused him of stealing it. I suggested that perhaps she had mislaid it and to have a look again but she refused to talk to me further. The next thing I know, the police are at the door. They were very p'd off about the whole thing and apologetic but said they were required to follow up. They told her in the end to stop wasting their time. Fortunately for me, she had already paid.
I found out later that she found the ring in her handbag. Crazy woman. Thankfully the labourer was very good-natured about it and didn't take the hump nearly as much as I had.
Another time, I was accused of breaking someone's toilet. I got a plumber in to have a look and all it was was a bit of limescale had slipped under the seal causing water to run into the bowl continuously, just my bad luck it happened while we were there. I paid the bill to keep things friendly but the client was really unreasonable about the whole thing and it still bothers me now!!
A few years ago a client (who was nutty as a fruit cake) discovered a ring missing and, because our labourer was on his own clearing up on the day of the discovery, she accused him of stealing it. I suggested that perhaps she had mislaid it and to have a look again but she refused to talk to me further. The next thing I know, the police are at the door. They were very p'd off about the whole thing and apologetic but said they were required to follow up. They told her in the end to stop wasting their time. Fortunately for me, she had already paid.
I found out later that she found the ring in her handbag. Crazy woman. Thankfully the labourer was very good-natured about it and didn't take the hump nearly as much as I had.
Another time, I was accused of breaking someone's toilet. I got a plumber in to have a look and all it was was a bit of limescale had slipped under the seal causing water to run into the bowl continuously, just my bad luck it happened while we were there. I paid the bill to keep things friendly but the client was really unreasonable about the whole thing and it still bothers me now!!
-
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:31 am
- Location: London
The old toilet usage is always a shameful experience ..
I was using a clients toilet just for a wee and there were terrible marks left in the bowl by someone else... I looked for a brush to scrub it down and not one in sight.... i didnt want to be blamed for this mess....What would you do...
just leave it??
or take a handfull of toilet paper and get in there and scrub away??
???
I was using a clients toilet just for a wee and there were terrible marks left in the bowl by someone else... I looked for a brush to scrub it down and not one in sight.... i didnt want to be blamed for this mess....What would you do...
just leave it??
or take a handfull of toilet paper and get in there and scrub away??
???
stapleme
-
- Posts: 607
- Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:14 pm
- Location: gosport
leave it, had to clear a room that looked like the house of usher before i could even attempt to work in it once... some people just dont have any standards. Only refused point blank not to work in one property, you could smell it a couple of streets over iykwim:(
general builder, maintenance engineer, gas and plumbing installations, extensions etc
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 4732
- Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:47 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Contact:
Yeah, worst case scenario that! There's no way I'd be scrubbing off someone elses ginger wheelspins! Eurgh!stapleme wrote:The old toilet usage is always a shameful experience ..
I was using a clients toilet just for a wee and there were terrible marks left in the bowl by someone else... I looked for a brush to scrub it down and not one in sight.... i didnt want to be blamed for this mess....What would you do...
just leave it??
or take a handfull of toilet paper and get in there and scrub away??
???
RW Gale Ltd - Civils & Surfacing Contractors based in Somerset
See what we get up to Our Facebook page
See what we get up to Our Facebook page
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 4713
- Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:01 am
- Location: eastbourne
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 4732
- Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:47 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Contact:
lol - what a classic!!!!!!!seanandruby wrote:years ago the council had to carry out extensive work on my mothers house. she made them all endless cuppas, bless her. one day she caught one pissing down the outside drain. she told me " i wondered how they managed because the toilet was out of action." :laugh:
RW Gale Ltd - Civils & Surfacing Contractors based in Somerset
See what we get up to Our Facebook page
See what we get up to Our Facebook page
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 8346
- Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 7:27 pm
- Location: Warrington, People's Republic of South Lancashire
- Contact:
Knowing that Adam, being a decent sort of contractor, will have liability insurance, if the customer wants to pursue the broken hob, pass it over to the insurance company and see how far she gets with it. No witnesses; her word against yours; already paid-up for the work - she'll be lucky if they return her call!
It's good to see that many other contractors agree with my "don't risk it" approach. I never, ever wanted to be left in charge of the keys to a house, or to be given free access. There's enough to balls up outdoors without risking the interior! I know some clients think they are just being really helpful by allowing a contractor to wander in and out at will, but there's too much risk attached, and there's always one dodgy customer that will see it as a way to claim for new carpets or a nicked telly.
It's good to see that many other contractors agree with my "don't risk it" approach. I never, ever wanted to be left in charge of the keys to a house, or to be given free access. There's enough to balls up outdoors without risking the interior! I know some clients think they are just being really helpful by allowing a contractor to wander in and out at will, but there's too much risk attached, and there's always one dodgy customer that will see it as a way to claim for new carpets or a nicked telly.
Site Agent - Pavingexpert
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 15184
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:20 am
- Location: bedfordshire
-
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:06 pm
- Location: Chester