Cowboy customers

[Centralheatking]

For the first time for years I had a customer who had issue with some work that we were unable to complete due to old fittings and badly maintained house. He was refusing to pay us !

Barney called in and I jumped on it - called round hewas still throwing toys out of his pram. Call my solicitor he said - I threatened to call around all his neighbours
in person this evening and tomorrow and tell them what he had done to us a local company.

Guess what ? paid up the invoice there and then !

THere are cowboy builders etc but there are also COWBOY CUSTOMERS

 

[justlead1]

Ambulance chaser are not restricted to ambulances. Any opertunity to save a shilling.

 

[moony]

ive been getting it a lot lately - the best payers are...... the ones who cant afford it. worst ones are the ones who are so well off they think they can bully you.

 

[dontknowitall]

I never give my customers the joy of me complaining if they pay slowly - I just sit and wait and they get fed up with me not contacting them and just pay. (Luckily around 99% of my customers pay as I leave or within a couple of days.)

 

[fuzzy]

i remember fitting a basin, it took be about 2 hours as i had trouble with the taps and waste leaked (as ever on a swap!). he siad how much and i just said £25 (not realising it had took me so long) he asked me for change of a tenner. i said i had no change so he gave me a £20 note and the £3 in change, said hed drop the rest off later, never saw the other "2!! 2 weeks later he asked me to fit a new bath, i said i carnt for 2 weeks, he said BUT I NEED IT NOW, you can guess my reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dannypipe]

Doesn't make you feel much better, but we all meet customers who have no intension of paying....they should be nicked as far as I'm concerned.

Luckilly there are far more goon ones than bad, and Moony is right about who's more likely to knock you.

 

[plumbster3456]

ive been getting it a lot lately - the best payers are...... the ones who cant afford it. worst ones are the ones who are so well off they think they can bully you.

very true its the normal people who are always nice you want a tea and biscuit and all that.
Then the rich ones want you to take your shoes off at there door and dont offer you a glass of water never mind a tea.
I have had more problems from this type of person than the ones without so much cash.

 

[dontknowitall]

Not all the rich ones - but I agree many are like this, and there are a few who both should and DO know better.

 

[royston]

Yeah i agree, and you usually find the customers that you think are not that well off end up giving you a tip, and the rich people dont.

 

[GQuigley67]

very true its the normal people who are always nice you want a tea and biscuit and all that.
Then the rich ones want you to take your shoes off at there door and dont offer you a glass of water never mind a tea.
I have had more problems from this type of person than the ones without so much cash.

maybe they think wer are "common working class scum" haha just kidding but i know what you mean, I always try to be nice but the whole taking your shoes off at the door really ****es me off.

 

[REDSAW]

maybe they think wer are "common working class scum" haha just kidding but i know what you mean, I always try to be nice but the whole taking your shoes off at the door really ****es me off.

i had one yesterday doing a shower replace.
i usually refuse due to health and saftey but in this case i had some of those blue shoe covers that i slipped on.
should have seen her face leading me through the hall way, lost for words. lol.

 

[GQuigley67]

haha yeh well she can't do much there can she thats a really good idea actually, saves you from hurting your toes. i hate wearing those things though had to wear them all the time when i worked in commercial, where can i get a hold of them ?

 

[Dannypipe]

Screwfix, fiver for a load of them. Always wear them in peoples homes...they are annoying, but so's been told off for marking a cream carpet.

 

[Avatar]

Dead right about rich people being the tight ones - how do you think they got rich, it wasn't by spending money now was it?

Last people who stiffed me were well-to-do. Insisted on a fixed quote as I would take my time if paid daily (rude too huh?), and on the final bill tried to renegciate amount based on my daily rates, insisting final figure was too much . . .

I told him many other factors within my quotes that I have to consider - you heard of the X Factor, well I have the rshole Factor in my quote! Its called an extra £2-300 for dealing with a rude objectionable prig like himself!

Still he stiffed me, with a smile on him face at the end (although I lost £100, if I had no contract it would have been more!)

When I quote a fixed price I have to consider 3 things:

- does the job have unknown commoditiities which may require extra work?

- is the customer going to be 'high maintainance'?

- do I distrust the customer?

On a big job you can add at least £200 for each yes . . .

 

[tiling spread]

when i was working part time for a firm subed for DFS 10 jobs a day ranging from say just a arm chair to the full monty soffa beds up 3 lifts of stairs and a full corner group
got lost for 2 hours ******* satnav
in the peak of summer get there propper stuck up ***** take your shoes off please sorry no can do m8 health and safty wood flooring come on
so off come the shoes get the sofas in the frunt room feet on unpacked loaded the lorry (can you take the sofa bed up stairs yep luv
shoes off egen (can you put sheets down please) yes luv starting to get the ump half ay up there sliped on the sheets and my socks sofa on top of me not even a glass of water or a tip ****** hopped to the lorry told her to get stuffed left the soffa in the hall LOL and went on with my day

 

[GQuigley67]

the story one of my old gaffers told me was the funniest and I'll explain why ...
he went to a house to fix a leak for a dentist(an old man)and my gaffer is one of the old school catholics that exist in this world that is genuinely a good honest person...and at the time the dentist and his wife were moving around furniture in the livingroom being rather unsafe climbing ladders and working too hard. My old gaffer was being the gentlemen that he was and offered to help them, free of charge, and after he fixed the leak the dentist said "what do i owe you" and my gaffer said "oooh don't worry its on me free of charge" and the dentist INSISTED on paying him, and he gave him the old sly note in the handshake trick...and my gaffer said his thanks and goodbyes..and when he got out to the van and checked his hand, the dentist gave him a pound note... A POUND NOTE!!! can you believe it ?

 

[metaldust9]

happened to me twice ina month lost £1400 should have seen it yep rogue customers,wont get caught out again

 

[moony]

on bottom of my quotes invoices and reciepts - it states all goods supplied are my property until paid in full - if they dont pay i just say i'll take the stuff back out and use it on another job - and im not leaving until i get it. Gets the bills paid!

 

[fuzzy]

good thinking moony

 

[Vic Cowell]

maybe they think wer are "common working class scum" haha just kidding but i know what you mean, I always try to be nice but the whole taking your shoes off at the door really ****es me off.

taking ya boots off na, politlly point out that if you where to remove you boots you would be breaking health and safety regs and therefore you wouldn't be insured against and accidental damage etc.

 

[WaterTight]

it's what dust sheets are for isn't it?

 

[HoodedClaw]

I take off my shoes/boots in my own home, so it makes sense that don't go tromping about someone elses home with them on. If I need to keep them on I put sheets down, it only takes 5 mins to get sorted and if someone complained to me that they can't remove their boots or put covers down, I'd happily tell them to push off until they get some manners or common sense.

 

[herbert]

I take off my shoes/boots in my own home, so it makes sense that don't go tromping about someone elses home with them on. If I need to keep them on I put sheets down, it only takes 5 mins to get sorted and if someone complained to me that they can't remove their boots or put covers down, I'd happily tell them to push off until they get some manners or common sense.

my thoughts exactly!

 

[Centralheatking]

I agree with Hc we always take our boots off unless its an empty house renovation type job.

Clean socks each day - not a problem and our customers are pleased with the way we operate.

Update - it was my post that started this - the errant customer sent us a xmas card and apologised he was under stress !

centralheatking

 

[Dannypipe]

Yeah, If I'm just going to dash in and do a quick fix, I use the blue shoe covers. Like I said, you can buy about 100 pairs for a fiver at Screwfix. If I'm going to be in the house for a while, I'll get the dust sheets out. I use some with plastic in the middle, so they're water proof.

 

[HoodedClaw]

I'm glad the custard saw sense in the end. Nice that they felt bad enough to apologise.

 

[Centralheatking]

Its funny how things work out - he has asked us back now ! So i think its a bit on top for inconvenience and a materials deposit. The extra will go to Barney who had to take all the poo last week - its now a long thread so start at the top and read - esp if you want to do this game self employed.

centralheatking

 

[GQuigley67]

well i think i'll start the blue shoes and dust sheets anyhow since im going solo so need to make good impressions