abandoned a customer today

[REDSAW]

went to a baxi solo not working at 3;30pm today.
after a quick look, the boiler fan was stalling and screeching like hell so i took of the combustion door and lit the burner. this kicked the boiler into life for all about 1 minute then banging and clattering sounds before the boiler shut off.
popped upstairs and found the pump not working!.
i then called the woman upstairs to tell her the bad news and that will be £120 for a new pump.
the first thing she said is, 'you do it for £100?'. well, that put my back up straight away. she later agreed the price but i was still a bit peed of about her cheek.
in my opinion, the system has been in a bad way for at least several weeks so after i told her i will have to go out to get the pump i decided to make a better inspection of the system.
both pump valves were leaking at the spindle, both pump nuts were heavily corroded, a foot above the pump a bridge from feed to vent was leaking from corrosion. sods law this job will be like defusing a i.e.d!.
any way, i then picked up my tool box and she said 'you are coming back arn't you'?.

i had to sit down the road for 10mins for a think about this one....before i decided not to go back:sad_smile:.

first time instinct has taken over me as i think i did the right thing, but, failed to inform her:27:

anyone else done this or did i do wrong?:ciappa:

 

[Barry98]

only you can make that call , must say i wouldnt of taken it on with my current work load although i maybe would of phoned her and said i couldnt source the pump and advised her to try another plumber , then gave her the number of a plumber i dont like 🙂 (ps safegasinstall can you text me your new mobile lol)

 

[Rickster123]

I've been pricing up a boiler change before, quite happily chatting away to the man of the house when his wife comes through the door. Giving it this is what I want, this is when I want it, I'm not going to pay so and so. I don't even bother putting pen to paper when I get that bad feeling!

 

[CES]

I've walked away a few times, mostly due to customer money issues, one recently wanted a written quotation for a new 2port valve head, I told her I had one on the van and changing it would be £xx but no, she wanted it in writing. "Ok madam Ill be round later today with the written quote" (translation - Get it right up ye!)

 

[stevetheplumber]

i love it when you give some one a price and the first words out of their mouth is "well im not paying that " that when i start putting tools back in boxthen thet sat well your not going are you to which i normally reply unless your inviting me to dinner ill be going somewhere else where i can earn it

 

[secret squirrel]

I think your naughty, not because you didn't do the job but because you didn't tell her.

Trouble is the jobs worth a lot more than £120 and your not a charity and you probably wouldn't have got the job when you quoted more but she's probably still waiting for you now...............

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

you done the right thing martin if your gut feeling is they are going to quibble over the bill walk away

 

[SimonG]

I did it a couple of years ago. Went to a broken down oil boiler. Turned out to be the three port valve. No room to move anything in the airing cupboard and I noticed that the flow connection to the cylinder (about 2" from the valve) was wet and crispy. Basically the cylinder was on it's last legs. Told customer I wouldn't touch 3 port without changing cylinder as well, could just see the thing bursting as i changed the valve. So gives him price and organises to do it. Turns up with valve and new cylinder, carries everything into the house and then gets the 'well so and so has looked at it and says you should be able to change the valve without touching the cylinder'. I replied with 'well you better get so and so to do it then'. Put everything back in the van and was away.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

only you can make that call , must say i wouldnt of taken it on with my current work load although i maybe would of phoned her and said i couldnt source the pump and advised her to try another plumber , then gave her the number of a plumber i dont like 🙂 (ps safegasinstall can you text me your new mobile lol)

07900830869 u cheaky 🙂 lol

 

[obseen16]

cant say i blame you for not going back, in these sorts of circumstances i dont just dissapear but i usually say oh i cant get the part today and im fully booked now until 2 -3 weeks but joe bloggs might be able to help, heres his number. you leave relieved and they wave you off happy that you did your best to get them out the poo. mean while half a mile down the road your still chuckling to yourself.

 

[Dannypipe]

Yeah, we've all 'abandoned' a customer who we know will be trouble.

I don't just do one, as they might hassle you on the phone, and who wants that. Normally I will say I'm too busy to do it, and suggest they find some one else.

Still I can see why you did it.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

i normally tell them to go direct to the manufacturer if i get 'the feeling' they are going to be trouble in all my time i have only done it 3 times,see if BAXI or worcester are happy with £120 to fix it i think not some how

 

[REDSAW]

glad i did now as the more i think about the potential probs after i gave the price.......

naughty i know..

 

[mountainman]

I make you right Redsaw.
I did a similar thing today except that I told the Cust that I wasn't gonna do the job, sometimes its best to go with your instincts and just walk away.
MM

 

[cdodds2004]

its one of them things you just sort of no, i have been stung a couple of times when i first set out taking jobs against my jundgment because i needed the money, then lost money, so i give a price, im not a charity, if they want the work then do it! but sometimes you just get that feeling of not wanting the job, i sometimes get it with peoples tone on the phone so i either say im too busy or price my self out of the job, but i like to think if i was in that situation i would be able to walk away aswell, because you no it would be you have caused this to leak etc etc etc