Lost it!

[SimonG]

Did something this morning that I haven't done for a while, lost my rag with a customer. Big style.

Yesterday had message on the mobile, "are you turning up today?", hadn't organised to be there and where I was working I had limited signal, phone would ring but I would lose the call if I answered. Anyway three messages left and they where escalating in abruptness.

So this morning they call again, I'd had a late one and it was pool night and as I hadn't planned to be there I never rang them yesterday. "You was supposed to be here yesterday", "I don't think so" and it went this way for a couple of minutes. Bearing in mind this is a repeat customer, not the best payer and couldn't organise the proverbial in the brewery.

So it's two wet rooms and an unvented cylinder. The first fix and cylinder where done many moons ago and at the last minute I was advised her father would be doing the tiling, even though estimate included tiling and was never told different. Been back once after being told everything ready for me, one wet room hadn't even had a tile laid. Then there's the leaky tap, dodgy shower and cheap toilet. So it was left with them to buy another shower and get back to me.

Then she turns round and says "I thought we'd employed a reputable tradesman", well the red mist came down, I was absolutely livid, and I rattled off all the reasons why I thought they where crap customers, unorganised, crap materials, bringing me back when things not ready, not paying invoices on time etc. I finished off with telling her I would just bill them for work done and that they could go forth and multiply.

Rant over.

 

[dontknowitall]

It's a shame when things end like that but it is really difficult to be pleasant to everyone. Human nature and you can but try.

I've not yet shouted/sworn at a customer but I'm sure it will probably happen one day.

I've also noticed that the more jobs you have (and the busier you are) the more awkward customers can be and the simple jobs seem to take much longer than normal due to unforeseen problems, and so you have less time to do normal jobs, and the busier you become and the more demanding customers become too!

 

[SimonG]

I think its the 'now' culture. I had a bloke phone me today, I need a 'small' job doing 'won't take long' etc. He wanted three rads off for some damp proofing work and then refitting, then he told me the builder was coming at 8 on monday morning. After I stopped laughing and asked him how long the damp proofing had been booked in for (6 weeks ago) I told him to phone somebody else and also explained that he might have been better finding a plumber when he booked the builder.

 

[Ian10261]

I think the problems start when they say "well me dad can do the tiling and i'll supply this and that" instaed of leaving you to get on with what you're good at, people like this are nowt short of eejots and should be banned from going within 10 miles of B&Q or suchlike. I've been sucked into stuff like this before and when i've seen the total balls up of a tiling job they've done it really saddens me coz anyone else who see's the job could porentially associate it with me.

 

[tamz]

I don't think i have ever shouted or sworn (though i am a black belt in foul language) at any customer ever. That is not to say i have never felt like ripping their head off and stuffing it down their neck but i am a good talker and negotiator and fast thinker. No matter what they say i'll come back with an answer that is in my favour.
Just never be intimidated.

 

[secret squirrel]

Sometimes your mobile is your worst enemy, the customer is always your worst enemy with water, tax man, accountant running in closely behind them.

Your laying under a bath the mobile goes, you have to ignore it, they leave a message, you think, I'll sort it later and forget, the customer thinks your ignoring them and you have just forgotten. Still thats life in the fast lane.

Running your own business is like walking through a minefield. A bit dramatic but the customer has there own agenda, most are good, understanding and reasonable but every now and again.............. they push all the right buttons. When you get a bad one, well, we all know what happens then, put a bad customer with a builder who doesn't pay on time AAAARRRRR!

I try never to loose my cool but make it quite clear that they should call someone else. I don't suffer fools easily. The money isn't worth the stress.

Simong: you probably regret loosing your cool but double edged sword your probably over the moon at loosing the customer.......

Customers like this never recommend you to anyone else.

 

[Barry98]

time for some rapid setting cement in the manis stop tap me thinks

 

[WHPES]

Walked off a job recently - Fitted up one thing and the customer kept changing their mind and wanted it taking off and moving elsewhere and getting the ab-dabs with her husband over it. I was getting paid on completion of different tasks so was all up to date. As they started having a row I just said I wasnt going to stand for this and they would have to find another plumber.

 

[cdodds2004]

mate i feel for you i have plenty of customers like that and to be honest im starting to price my self out of the jobs with them as i dont want the hassle etc, i have other customers who want a quality job, on time neat tidy etc, so i work for them at a good price they reccomend me to there family and im building from that, im sick of people saying i will supply the stuff, as its nearly always of bad quality!

 

[obseen16]

had a chav walk up to me in the street as i was getting in the van. he wanted me to move a rad and do a CP12 for his mums rented house, i said yeah i can do that ill just get my diary, he said "cheers come with me its just round the corner" Excuse me???? i was wearing all my nice weekend clothes and he figured i could do it there and then, told him itd be at least 2 weeks before i could do it, and (because he looked dodgy) i said i want cash payment on the day.

 

[SimonG]

had a chav walk up to me in the street as i was getting in the van. he wanted me to move a rad and do a CP12 for his mums rented house, i said yeah i can do that ill just get my diary, he said "cheers come with me its just round the corner" Excuse me???? i was wearing all my nice weekend clothes and he figured i could do it there and then, told him itd be at least 2 weeks before i could do it, and (because he looked dodgy) i said i want cash payment on the day.

It's a good one that. I've had people knock on the van window when I've been parked in Mcdonalds car park (eating carrot sticks and a bottle of water 🙂 ) asking to look at stuff but not for there and then.

 

[stevetheplumber]

ive got similar coming tommorow morning i popped my head into a job saturday customer wasnt there but the sparks was so just a quick look round to see what i could b
get on with tommorow
in the bedroom where im doing the onsuite is a half dismantled shower screen which i suspect he is going to want me to fit it actually looks like its ex demo
he is in for a shock when it tell him i dont fit second hand stuf

 

[SimonG]

This one isn't going to go away. The husband sent me a text today, I have until monday 26th to give them a date or he will write to me outlining his next actions.

Can't wait.

 

[Gray0689]

Date for what mate??

 

[SimonG]

The wifey reckoned I should have been back to finish their wetrooms off last Thursday. Hadn't planned anything with them, she p'd me off that much I said I would bill them for work done and the could foxtrot oscar. Well the husband has been pestering me for a date to return and complete the second fix, I've said I'm not, now he's going to 'write' to me if he doesn't get a date off me by Monday. I was thinking of the 29th January 2033 the day after my 65th.

Just can't undersatand what he hopes to achieve by sending a letter, first fix was completed, invoiced and eventually paid, an unvented cylinder was completed, invoiced and eventually paid and I've wasted about a day and a half doing the second fix on one of the wetrooms, nearly a full day fixing the crappy shower, toilet and basin mixer.

 

[Gray0689]

Just finish it off and bill them accordingly for your messing about time also