And a boiler service as well?
What! If that's right go and work for a company you will earn twice as much.
Discuss Leak in customer house. in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net
And a boiler service as well?
No it was only for 4 hours labour (35 per hour)I know this isn't about pricing but is that £140 for 1st fixing a bathroom suite?
No service, just 4 hours labour.And a boiler service as well?
You say a boiler service here.Yes he has paid me £140 and £60 for materials. Job value was a bathroom suite and boiler service
In the opening post and post #19 you say he’s fixed the leak, you also says he’s got on with the job which was the reason why I said just chalk it down to experience and move on, really because there’s no real evidence of a leak apart from the damage, but now you’re saying he doesn’t have the part to fix the leak.Not yet, this all started last night when I messaged last to say I could come tomorrow and could he leave a key. I have asked if he has fixed the leak does he have the part and pictures/video. No reply yet.
No it was only for 4 hours labour (35 per hour)
Sorry I meant total job value.You say a boiler service here.
Hi mate, to clarify. I've asked him if he has fixed the leaked does he still have the faulty elbow, does he have any video or pictures. He hasn't responded to this message? I sent that roughly 24hrs ago.In the opening post and post #19 you say he’s fixed the leak, you also says he’s got on with the job which was the reason why I said just chalk it down to experience and move on, really because there’s no real evidence of a leak apart from the damage, but now you’re saying he doesn’t have the part to fix the leak.
Plus, all that damage from a small solder leak? cabinets and Lino damage to £350? I just assumed he’d called out emergency plumber on extortionate hourly rate to fix the leak...
seems the story is getting a little twisted here pal
Firstly nobody is perfect, only fools do not learn by their mistakesHi what's the best advice in dealing with a leak in a customers house?
1. Stripped out bathroom suite, installed 1st fix shower pipes in stud wall.
2. Turned water on, cheeked all joints.
3. Show customer completed works. Happy with job and paid me
4. Get a phone call 3 days later saying there is a leak. I get him to discuss over the phone. He idtenifies it as the shower pipes, precisely the speed fit cap I've capped the end off with. Job done. Call me back later to say its not its the soldered elbow at the wall.
5. I arrange to go there a couple days later, call him on the day before no answer. Texts me in the middle night saying he has forgot to leave me a key. Can I come the following day?
6. The following day I get shingles confirmed and decided to take a few day off. He is now not happy.
7. After taking two days off, I make contact. He has now fixed my leak, cracked on with the job because he could not wait and sent me an estimated damage cost of £350.
8. Try to resolve over messages, he lift the water on while property was empty, no one went to house till 2 days after plumbing work was done etc
Now it's getting pretty heated.
To summarise, this is my first unhappy customer. I went self employed in May. I have insurance etc. He wanted the job done cheap as chips. He was plumbing in the kitchen sink to a 1st year level. One of his DIY moments could have caused this.
What is the correct procedure you experienced guys go through when this sort of things happened?
Cheers Ryan
But why? I've asked for faulty fitting and or pictures and have heard a peep from him since. Over £200 damages to vinyl and flooring and £30 for ceiling damages. Come on, we all know leaks flood the ceiling, then wall and then flooring. The guy was at it. My guess was he wouldn't wait for me so thought he would have a go himself or most likely his first attempt at fitting kitchen sink didn't go to plan. It's kitchen flooring area he is/was claiming damages for. If I pay £350 I'm admitting liability.Personally I'd pay the £350 and move on with your life. It's just business, its all tax deductible. Use it as a learning experience to spot the to**ers.
A single customer badmouthing a business can cost the business £1000's.
Agree mate. Never agree to anything like that until you have proper proof.But why? I've asked for faulty fitting and or pictures and have heard a peep from him since. Over £200 damages to vinyl and flooring and £30 for ceiling damages. Come on, we all know leaks flood the ceiling, then wall and then flooring. The guy was at it. My guess was he wouldn't wait for me so thought he would have a go himself or most likely his first attempt at fitting kitchen sink didn't go to plan. It's kitchen flooring area he is/was claiming damages for. If I pay £350 I'm admitting liability.
But why? I've asked for faulty fitting and or pictures and have heard a peep from him since. Over £200 damages to vinyl and flooring and £30 for ceiling damages. Come on, we all know leaks flood the ceiling, then wall and then flooring. The guy was at it. My guess was he wouldn't wait for me so thought he would have a go himself or most likely his first attempt at fitting kitchen sink didn't go to plan. It's kitchen flooring area he is/was claiming damages for. If I pay £350 I'm admitting liability.
3 reasons I say pay up and move on:
1) public opinion and consumer law is 95% in favour of the customer.
2) if his bad mouthing you costs you one decent bathroom you could easily lose 10 times what he wants from you. The public love a good moan and with social media he can tell 1000’s of local people. It doesn’t matter you’ve done nothing wrong
3) best case you end up in court, you’re business ended up in the press, again the plumbers always guilty. You loose nights of sleep, days of messing about with court dates letters etc and incur costs from solicitors etc.
Anyone would want to stick it to him but the best decision for your mental health and business is to pay what he asks. You could try offering him half?
Difficult to give advice when we only have part of the story.
The customer could be a rogue, or he could be a reasonably decent guy who genuinely had a leak.
Unfortunately the OP didn’t go back to verify what the truth was.
The law is also fair for a plumber as long as evidence is in the plumbers favour. The customer would have to prove it was the plumbers faulty workmanship and responsibility.
Small Claims Court should be okay for trades people if they have followed all proper procedures with dealing with customer, including overall good quality work and having all evidence.
Problem for the OP here is he wasn’t able to deal with the alleged issue.
If the OP does pay the money, the customer could still bad mouth him and it would look to everyone that the plumber had been liable.
As I say, it is difficult to know what to do. If customer did have a genuine problem caused by the OP and asked a sum of money to a reasonable amount and without showing aggressive intent, then am sure sometimes best to keep them happy, pay and walk away.
I remember being involved with a friends customer who was a con woman. She tried to claim for damage to a vinyl floor actually caused by herself. That sort of person is best to never be handed any money, even just on a principle.
She thinks of insurance, including trades people’s, as something to furnish her lifestyle.
A few years ago a company I worked for was involved in a court case for a ceiling that came down and carpet ruined etc. What it was the customer had run out of oil as the watchman had been set to the bund height not the inner tank so was showing still 1/3 of a tank when it was actually empty so pipes froze on an extremely cold night burst and basically wrecked this room.
His claim wasnt excessive and because of the conditions (about a foot of snow) we couldn't get to him for a couple of days so he repaired it himself then point blank refused to have the company back to do the repairs. The company refused to pay the money he had asked for and was taken to court it was a bit stressful as I was the last one there (wasnt me that did the install they installed the wrong fire valve 65c instead of 90c and I was the one that spotted the watchman wasnt set up right) I was the one asked all the questions and what they should say etc etc.
They were in court 5 minutes and the judge threw it out. His reasons were the company offered to get out in a reasonable time considering the issues with weather, the customer refused to allow the company access to assess the damage and to repair the damage.
So I dont think the law is 95% in favour of the customer.
Also if the customer is going to bad mouth you they will do it anyway but by giving in they will tell people your a sucker too.
The OP has done the right thing in my eyes he has asked for evidence that it was his fault and heard nothing back, he did try to gain access albeit a couple of days but that may of been agreed by the customer, he couldn't gain access because the customer forgot to leave a key, you cannot help being ill and if the house was empty why didnt the owner leave the water off.
Hi what's the best advice in dealing with a leak in a customers house?
1. Stripped out bathroom suite, installed 1st fix shower pipes in stud wall.
2. Turned water on, cheeked all joints.
3. Show customer completed works. Happy with job and paid me
4. Get a phone call 3 days later saying there is a leak. I get him to discuss over the phone. He idtenifies it as the shower pipes, precisely the speed fit cap I've capped the end off with. Job done. Call me back later to say its not its the soldered elbow at the wall.
5. I arrange to go there a couple days later, call him on the day before no answer. Texts me in the middle night saying he has forgot to leave me a key. Can I come the following day?
6. The following day I get shingles confirmed and decided to take a few day off. He is now not happy.
7. After taking two days off, I make contact. He has now fixed my leak, cracked on with the job because he could not wait and sent me an estimated damage cost of £350.
8. Try to resolve over messages, he lift the water on while property was empty, no one went to house till 2 days after plumbing work was done etc
Now it's getting pretty heated.
To summarise, this is my first unhappy customer. I went self employed in May. I have insurance etc. He wanted the job done cheap as chips. He was plumbing in the kitchen sink to a 1st year level. One of his DIY moments could have caused this.
What is the correct procedure you experienced guys go through when this sort of things happened?
Cheers Ryan
I’d say the fundamental difference is your former employer made every effort to attend the property yet was stopped by extreme weather.
In this case the OP chose not to attend for whatever reason.
Read the thread again he went out but the customer forgot to leave a key so he did attend. He then fell ill.
The original post says he tired to go out 2 days later. If I was contacted saying my work was leaking I’d be there if at all possibly within a couple of hours. The OP being ill is unfortunate but not really the customers problem, it’s a foreseeable event a business should have a contingency plan for. If in either instance I or someone working for me couldn’t attend pretty sharpish I’d be calling in a favour from a different firm I respect even if it meant paying for it. It’s not worth risking your reputation/liability insurance etc etc.
The customers trying to pull a fast one no doubt but that’s just being in business. I’d offer him £200 as a goodwill gesture first possibly but it’s just not with the time/effort/risk fighting it. It’s business not personal.
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Park it walk away and DO NOT PAY. centralheatkingBut why? I've asked for faulty fitting and or pictures and have heard a peep from him since. Over £200 damages to vinyl and flooring and £30 for ceiling damages. Come on, we all know leaks flood the ceiling, then wall and then flooring. The guy was at it. My guess was he wouldn't wait for me so thought he would have a go himself or most likely his first attempt at fitting kitchen sink didn't go to plan. It's kitchen flooring area he is/was claiming damages for. If I pay £350 I'm admitting liability.
Personally I'd pay the £350 and move on with your life. It's just business, its all tax deductible. Use it as a learning experience to spot the to**ers.
A single customer badmouthing a business can cost the business £1000's.
What has tax deductability got to do with anything? It is like saying don't bother billing someone as it attracts tax.
I would never pay a penny to a grasping idiot, unless there was a genuine fault.
It appears that he has no evidence, and these days it is SO easy to take a photograph or video. I do not beleive one would move forward without doing just that.
I’m surprised anyone earns any money if you are all offering compensation for every little niggle that pops up
As much time as the OP already has. He has done what he needs to do. Job done.Wouldn’t you always aim to leave every customer feeling they’ve had good service?
Returning quickly to fix a niggle or doing a little bit extra often pays back massively in my experience.
If 1 in 1000 jobs try’s to scam you how much time do you dedicate to it?
I’m surprised anyone earns any money if you are all offering compensation for every little niggle that pops up
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