Angry customer this morning. :-(

[eNigMar]

It ruins my day when a customer turns like this. Is it my communication, or are they just after something for nothing.

I had a call out to check out a shower circuit. A, "shower engineer", whatever that is, told her that the shower kept cutting out because the circuit kept cutting out, but as their shower was giving problems anyway (heater kept resetting whilst I was there) they were going to replace it under warranty.

She called me to check the circuit before they came to fit the new shower.

The circuit was fine all tests good 6mm/32A/3m long circuit/8.5Kw shower, and all connections tight. I hung around for around another 30 mins watching the shower and waiting for it to cut out. The shower reset the heater, lost pressure, re-found pressure, etc, but never once had a problem with the circuit itself.

I told her that as she had me for an hour on her coin, I'd hang around for the full hour and see if we couldn't catch what was happening.

She nearly hit the roof. Pay!!! It's free, your ad says free quotes!!

I tried to explain that troubleshooting a circuit wasn't a quote, but is charged at an hourly rate because by its very nature could take 5 minutes, or could take much longer. I explained that their shower was a simple, short circuit that had only taken 15-20 minutes of testing and that I was willing to use up the rest of the hour trying to make this fault that the, "shower engineer" had told her existed occur.

She wanted me out immediately. Now if she'd been nice about it, I may have just said, sorry for the mis understanding, only an hour (ish) wasted, don't worry about it, keep the customer happy as more work could come in the future. The fact that she went bat crazy with anger made me say, "nope, I'd like paying"

Got a call an hour later saying that she's reported me to trading standards. I gave her my NAPIT details and told her to call them too.

This was a nice house, affluent area. Now my mood is ruined for the day.


Has anybody here ever had anybody mistake, "Free Quotes" for free work, or am I just not communicating correctly? If it's a communication problem, I'd like to fix it, but it's the first time it's happened in two years of being self employed.

 

[Knobhead]

Spoken like a true Yorkshireman Tony!!

 

[eNigMar]

Did she say admitting about a quote on the phone??

No, just that this shower bloke had told her that there was a problem with the circuit, but he'd replace her dodgy shower under warranty anyway, but that she'd need to get somebody in to check the circuit.

I should have guessed straight away really as I explained that I was out of the city on a rewire at the time and she was surprised that I couldn't go to see her immediately. When I heard, "why can't you come and see me now", I should have just turned it down. Like I'm sitting around with nothing to do, just waiting for her call.

I told her that I had a couple of hours free on Monday morning and that I'd come by and check out the circuit first thing. She told me that she'd phone a few other people to see if she could get anybody to come out immediately and would let me know on Monday morning if she didn't need me.

 

[GMES]

I see your switch and I raise you a switch!!

 

[ipf]

Am I reading wrong or did she not pay, see post 6.......nasty bitch , though.

 

[ipf]

View attachment 25066


Auto switch off...time zone anybody's guess

 

[eNigMar]

Yes, she paid. It just took me a long while to say that she'd paid due to the moderation.

When she got back from the cash point (she said cash point, but she paid me in old notes and 5x £1 coins, so I don't know where she'd really been), she gave me the cash and slammed the door.

When she phoned later to say that she'd reported me to trading standards, she said that they'd told her that she shouldn't have paid and also said that she'd phoned her husband who told her not to pay either. I thought at that point that she was going to ask for a refund.

Really, I don't think she spoke to trading standards because if she told the truth they'd have asked her why she thought she shouldn't be paying a bloke who came to her house and tested her circuit like she'd asked.

I've nothing to hide and know that I didn't mislead her, which is why I was open about it and gave her NAPITS phone number and my membership number for her to make a complaint there too.

Lesson learned though, like so many have said in this thread, I need to make it painfully obvious when I'm charging and when I'm quoting. I've updated my FAQs and T&Cs and have added that they should be read to my advert that I've sent off to the local rag to update today.

Nearly there, this is number 8 of 10 posts before the moderation is lifted.

 

[eNigMar]

Yay, moderation seems to be lifted, I can join the conversation without the time delay.

:21:

 

[Guest111]

You forget the perceived rich with a drive full of expensive cars and a house in a posh area all on the never never won't pay you because they ain't got the money

ahh yes the old "fur coat no knickers" brigade.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Sorry I had a typo, should have been anything and not admitting.. You got paid, so forget and move on mate. I would still send a receipt and test results though. I once had this old fella that reported me to trading standards. I sent him a brilliantly rude reply and sent a copy of this to trading standards also. Funnily enough I never got my money or any more accusations and hassle, but by that stage I was more than happy as the ole fo0kah would have re-read that letter a few times and thought ' yeah I am a tawt'... And I did not go and pull his main fuse six months later. Nope sirree!

 

[7029 dave]

ahh yes the old "fur coat no knickers" brigade.

Phew Phil. lol

 

[Marvo]

95% of these types of misunderstandings are just down to lack of communication, usually in both directions. The customer didn't communicate what she was expecting and you didn't communicate what you were expecting in return, you both just assume you're on the same page. Getting annoyed doesn't help, just use it as school fees. It sounds like you're taking steps to avoid the situation repeating itself which is the best you can do after the fact.

 

[JC94]

It reminds me of when I was working,you'd go to some posh house and be lucky to be offered a drink,go to some little old lady and it'd be lots of drinks,a bit of something for dinner and when you'd finished it was usually "here's an extra tenner love get yourself some smokes".The rich don't get rich by giving it away.

Made me chuckle this, reminds me of an old dear I did some work for, must have guzzled through 10 cuppa's in a day, "1 sugar would be lovely thank you" little did I know she had used tablespoons to measure it out, as soon as the cup was empty, i'd turn my back and she'd refilled it bless her

 

[Geordie Spark]

ahh yes the old "fur coat no knickers" brigade.

Aye .. like the natives of Gosforth who would like to be natives of Darras Hall but can't afford it. Hubby, dressed in suit, tie and dirty shoes with holes in the soles brings the kebabs & takeaways home in the briefcase too.

 

[Knobhead]

It’s usually the other half gets the fur coat. After that I can’t even afford the knickers.